Excellent stuff. Nobody else is writing stuff like this. The Proverbs connection is very interesting. You've made me think about Peter Pan's refusing Wisdom. It's pagan of him, really. He's not called Pan for nothing.
The idea that mothers "clean out their children's minds" every night after they fall asleep stabs me in the heart every time I read it.
When I read modern children's books, my first question is always "was this written for children or for parents?" The best ones were written for children, but most were written for parents. So many are parenting manuals in disguise - a children's book about a child having a tantrum is really a parenting guide about how to handle a tantrum, etc. I'm not opposed to educating parents, but this is such an odd way to do it. Pre-WW2 children's books, especially the British ones, were 100% for children and are fantastically weird as a result.
I couldn’t read the end to my children or listen to the play in the car without crying, what is it Peter says to Mrs Darling? ‘You’ll not catch me lady and make me a man’ …it’s heartbreaking.
I love this. And yes the part about mothers organising children's thoughts at night is wonderful. Its something I'd say I've always done with mine. It reminds me of books like Little Wonen. Anne of Green Gables plus Noel Streatfield and Rumer Gooden
Would love you to write also on the eerie play Mary Rose, again tackling the theme of not aging and how terrible that can be. Hitchcock wanted to film it with Tippi Hedren.
Terrific essay on a beautiful book. I loved Peter and Wendy as a child, I read the book to my children, and now I get to share it with my grandchildren.
“This is the sort of book that was written to be read aloud” … what an outstanding tribute your essay is. You’ve thoroughly convinced me to put this in the pipeline.
Wonderful piece of literary criticism! I'm almost ashamed to ask this. (I've only seen movie adaptations.) Which edition did you read? When I search "Peter Pan Oxford World Classics" I get several possibilities, including Peter Pan and Other Plays, The Collected Peter Pan, and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
Search for "Peter Pan and Wendy" and you should find an edition that is the original story (though the play was indeed written first, and the novel is based on the play plot wise, but the play doesn't have the long, lovely prose that Henry quotes here). My Oxford edition has both PP&W and PP in Kensington Gardens -- which is an odd little collection of stories pre-Wendy. But I bought that edition 20 years ago, so I'm not sure if the edition is still being published.
But it's a scary book, too, and not because of the pirates or the Indians.
To me, it's scary mostly because of the stolen children. Barrie shows us the parents' fear and grief. Nana's desperate barking, when it's too late, is truly terrifying. We all know there are places our children go where we can't follow them. We know sometimes it's other people who take them there.
Very emotional story for me. Great article, Henry! My girls, 12 and 7, are doing a play on Wendy and Peter and we are discovering so much about each other through it. Them knowing more about what I was like as a kid and how much of their world I can still potentially understand - all of this has happened because we have this “language” from the play. For my 12.5 year old, the deeper discussions about growing up are also coming out, ever so gently because they can get so emotional. Like the story, I love the mix of levity and depth we need to put into these talks.
Excellent stuff. Nobody else is writing stuff like this. The Proverbs connection is very interesting. You've made me think about Peter Pan's refusing Wisdom. It's pagan of him, really. He's not called Pan for nothing.
Indeed!
The idea that mothers "clean out their children's minds" every night after they fall asleep stabs me in the heart every time I read it.
When I read modern children's books, my first question is always "was this written for children or for parents?" The best ones were written for children, but most were written for parents. So many are parenting manuals in disguise - a children's book about a child having a tantrum is really a parenting guide about how to handle a tantrum, etc. I'm not opposed to educating parents, but this is such an odd way to do it. Pre-WW2 children's books, especially the British ones, were 100% for children and are fantastically weird as a result.
Damn, Henry. This one got me. All teary-eyed sitting at the cafe. Beautifully written.
haha that's what we aim for!
I couldn’t read the end to my children or listen to the play in the car without crying, what is it Peter says to Mrs Darling? ‘You’ll not catch me lady and make me a man’ …it’s heartbreaking.
Me too.
Lovely work, even though it choked me up a bit. Or because.
I love this. And yes the part about mothers organising children's thoughts at night is wonderful. Its something I'd say I've always done with mine. It reminds me of books like Little Wonen. Anne of Green Gables plus Noel Streatfield and Rumer Gooden
a brilliant take on one of my most favorite books. Thank you, Henry
Would love you to write also on the eerie play Mary Rose, again tackling the theme of not aging and how terrible that can be. Hitchcock wanted to film it with Tippi Hedren.
Yes I'd like to write about his plays
Terrific essay on a beautiful book. I loved Peter and Wendy as a child, I read the book to my children, and now I get to share it with my grandchildren.
“This is the sort of book that was written to be read aloud” … what an outstanding tribute your essay is. You’ve thoroughly convinced me to put this in the pipeline.
What a beautiful piece Henry, left me quite choked up. I am off to buy my granddaughter (18 months old) a copy of Peter Pan.
:)
Okay, I’ll look again. Last time I really hated it. But that may have been local circs.
Wonderful piece of literary criticism! I'm almost ashamed to ask this. (I've only seen movie adaptations.) Which edition did you read? When I search "Peter Pan Oxford World Classics" I get several possibilities, including Peter Pan and Other Plays, The Collected Peter Pan, and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
Search for "Peter Pan and Wendy" and you should find an edition that is the original story (though the play was indeed written first, and the novel is based on the play plot wise, but the play doesn't have the long, lovely prose that Henry quotes here). My Oxford edition has both PP&W and PP in Kensington Gardens -- which is an odd little collection of stories pre-Wendy. But I bought that edition 20 years ago, so I'm not sure if the edition is still being published.
Thank you so much!
Wonderful!
But it's a scary book, too, and not because of the pirates or the Indians.
To me, it's scary mostly because of the stolen children. Barrie shows us the parents' fear and grief. Nana's desperate barking, when it's too late, is truly terrifying. We all know there are places our children go where we can't follow them. We know sometimes it's other people who take them there.
Thanks so much for posting about this!
yes agree, he really knows what upsets parents
Very emotional story for me. Great article, Henry! My girls, 12 and 7, are doing a play on Wendy and Peter and we are discovering so much about each other through it. Them knowing more about what I was like as a kid and how much of their world I can still potentially understand - all of this has happened because we have this “language” from the play. For my 12.5 year old, the deeper discussions about growing up are also coming out, ever so gently because they can get so emotional. Like the story, I love the mix of levity and depth we need to put into these talks.
Thanks for writing!
thanks!
My baby just turned one and I’m all teary eyed reading this piece as he sleeps next to me. Thank you, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
:)