The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) (The Annotated Books) [Hardcover]

J. M. Barrie (Author), Maria Tatar (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2011 | Series: The Annotated Books

"Peter Pan is a great and refining and uplifting benefaction to this sordid and money-mad age."—Mark Twain

One hundred years after J. M. Barrie published the novel Peter and Wendy, Maria Tatar revisits a story that, like Alice in Wonderland, bridges the generations, animating both adults and children with its kinetic energy. The adventures of the Darling children with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell in Neverland are the seminal tale of escape and fantasy. Inspired by Barrie's real-life adventures with the five Llewelyn Davies boys he adopted, the story of Peter Pan has a deep and controversial history of its own that comes alive in Tatar's new edition. This brilliantly designed volume—with period photographs, full-color images by iconic illustrators, commentary on stage and screen versions, and an array of supplementary material, including Barrie's screenplay for a silent film—will draw readers into worlds of incandescent beauty, flooding them with the radiance of childhood wonder and the poignancy of what we lose when we grow up. 125 black-and-white and 125 four-color illustrations

Editorial Reviews

Review

The juxtaposition of so many Peters only emphasizes the book's timelessness, making The Annotated Peter Pan as effective a vessel as fairy dust and lovely thoughts for immediate transport to Neverland.--National Post

"While Martin Gardner's groundbreaking "The Annotated Alice: 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass' " remains the nonpareil of the genre, I would place Tatar's "The Annotated Peter Pan" a close second." Michael Dirda, Washington Post

“Starred review. ...the story of Peter Pan benefits greatly from Tatar’s extensive contextualizing as well as the supplemental material she includes. Of this, much is rare, and it is a treat... Bibliophiles and casual readers alike, and of course all who love Peter Pan or are fascinated by his creator, will want this gem. Recommended.” (Library journal )

About the Author

J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan.

Maria Tatar chairs the Program in Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University. She is the author of Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood, Off with Their Heads! Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood and many other books on folklore and fairy stories. She is also the editor and translator of The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen, The Annotated Brothers Grimm, The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales, The Annotated Peter Pan, The Classic Fairy Tales: A Norton Critical Edition and The Grimm Reader. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; The Centennial Edition edition (October 11, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393066002
• ISBN-13: 978-0393066005
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One never grows up, November 6, 2011

By 

wogan "the book reader" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) (The Annotated Books) (Hardcover)

This is a handsome keepsake book for devotees of Peter Pan and those who you would desire to be. This is more than the story of this boy who never grows up, it is the adventure behind the fantasy. J.M.Barrie was as fascinating a character himself, as his creation.
There are many period colour Illustrations in the book, programs, black and white period photos of Barrie and the Davies boys, productions, stage and film. We also read of the appeal of fairy dust and of flying.

Included is an introduction to Peter Pan and Barrie, the chapters on Peter and Wendy. Barrie's `The Boy Castaways of black Lake Island', his introduction to play Peter Pan, words on Arthur Rackham, including the not to be missed stature of Pan in Kensington Gardens, Barrie's scenario for a proposed film and a survey on Peter Pan in the cinema, adaptations, sequels and spin offs and the legacy of Peter Pan.
There are helpful footnotes throughout, no index; but a 10 page bibliography.

What a special Christmas present, or for another occasion this book would be; or as an addition for your own bookshelf. This is almost as complete a book as one could get on the subject of Peter Pan.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only the gay and heartless, November 5, 2011

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) (The Annotated Books) (Hardcover)

Everybody knows and loves Peter Pan -- the immortal, flying imp who lives in a floating otherworld, battles pirates, and never has to grow up.

And J.M. Barrie's classic tale "Peter Pan" really hasn't lost any of its charm, although those who have only seen the Disney movie may be shocked at how dark it can be at times. It's a strange, whimsical little story with a bittersweet edge, but Maria Tatar's annotations leave me wondering if an "annotated" Peter Pan is really necessary... despite all the goodies it's fleshed out with.

Young Wendy Darling is woken by a strange boy in her room, who has lost his shadow. That boy is Peter Pan, a flying boy from Neverland who regularly eavesdrops at her house because he likes the bedtime stories her mother tells. Since Wendy ALSO knows bedtime stories (and can potentially "make pockets"), Peter whisks Wendy and her brothers Michael and John off to Neverland.

However, Neverland is not a place devoid of dangers -- there is a pirate ship there (don't as me how; if it's explained, I don't remember), led by the villainous Captain Hook. Hook is constantly trying to kill Peter and his Lost Boys, and it doesn't take long for Wendy and the other boys to be captured. Can Peter save them from his archnemesis?

Children are "innocent and heartless" by nature, and it feels like "Peter Pan" was a homage to that -- it's a childish romp in a fantasyland, where kids can fly, fight pirates and have strange little adventures. Nobody really thinks about the families that are undoubtedly freaking out, or the lives they'll miss out on.

And really, that's part of its charm. It's a fluffy little fantasy story that could have been transcribed out of any child's imagination, with a colorful array of characters who could have been taken out of a Victorian kid's imaginary games (mermaids I understand, but why are there American Indians here? HOW did they get there?).

And Barrie spins out this story in the slightly twee style of Victorian kids' fiction, with lots of details and some charming scenes (the Lost Boys actually build a house AROUND WENDY). It gets a little cutesy at times (fairies are generated by.... baby laughter?) and the handling of the Indians is just horrible, but otherwise it's a fairly charming book.

But it's also darker than you would expect -- Tinkerbell tricks the Lost Boys into trying to kill Wendy, and at first it looks like she's managed. And Peter almost DIES. For real. Not to mention the final chapter, which is a giant lump of bittersweet.

Peter himself is a strangely enchanting figure -- he's almost like a lost Greek god, with a capricious ever-changing nature. And no matter what, you can never catch him or pin him down. As such, most of the other characters don't quite stand out as much, but they're all pleasantly handled -- particularly the three "normal" kids who are all too happy to go to Neverland, until they feel like going home again.

And since the original book is so skinny, the annotated edition actually is the book equivalent of a 2-disk DVD release. It has a whole photo album of the original lost boys scampering around and exploring, JM Barrie's introduction to the play, an essay on Arthur Rackham, another one on his illustrations for "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens," biographical essays on Barrie, a collection of Rackham's gorgeous illustrations (and not just for Peter Pan!), Barrie's film pitch, a long illustrated essay on the film history of "Peter Pan," and finally a bunch of critical and/or fan opinions.

With all that extra material, the annotation seems kind of like an afterthought. Maria Tatar seems to be straining to give extra meaning to everything in this simple, straightforward book. Some of her annotations are necessary ("cozening") and some are definitely NOT ("For Peter, everything becomes a game" -- thanks, we couldn't tell from the TEXT).

"Peter Pan" takes you briefly back into the experience of being a small child, when you can easily imagine yourself going anywhere at all while still staying "innocent and heartless." It has some flaws, but is charming nonetheless.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neverland: Both The Light And The Shadow, December 31, 2011

By 

John D. Cofield - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) (The Annotated Books) (Hardcover)

Peter Pan must be one of the best known stories nobody has actually read. The numerous stage plays, pantomimes, and movies have given most of us a fairly good idea of the basic plot line, while J.M. Barrie's biographers and the movie Finding Neverland have ensured that thestrange life story of the creator of Peter Pan has had an airing. This Centennial Edition of Peter Pan, ably annotated by Maria Tatar, does much to cast light on what have been unknown or at least shadowy aspects of the story.

One of the first surprises about Peter Pan is how slim the actual story really is. It is less than 200 pages in this volume, which includes the annotations and many of the original illustrations. Be advised that the language of books written for children in the Edwardian era often seems cloying to today's readers, but nevertheless those who persevere will find the story's legendary charms are fully deserved. The annotations enhance and do not drown the text.

The rest of this fine volume is just as fascinating. There is a long biographical essay which chronicles Barrie's difficult early life, his success as a playwright, and most importantly his obsession with the Llewellyn Davies family, particularly the five young boys whom Barrie first met in Kensington Gardens. Naturally this tends to give rise to speculation on the depth of Barrie's feelings for the boys, but Tatar, like every other writer and dramatist who has tried, can provide no definitive answer. There are many wonderful pictures of Barrie, his family, and his proteges, along with other illustrations that enhance our enjoyment. There are also long segments devoted to illustrations by various artists, including Arthur Rackham's beautiful contributions, and reprints of Barrie's introduction to one edition and his scenario for a proposed film. Most importantly, Barrie's photographic memoir of a summer spent with the Llewellyn Davies family, The Boy Castaways of Black Lake Island, is reprinted here, as it should be since it was one of the origins of the story that became Peter Pan.

This opulent and densely illustrated volume does full justice to the original story and to its creator and his inspirations. It ably reintroduces its readers to a classic that has become better known in its dramatic versions than in its originals.