J M Barrie's most famous character, Peter Pan, originated in a whimsical story from his book The Little White Bird. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens is a revised version of that same story, and the Peter Pan we meet is a younger, slightly different character to the Peter Pan of Barrie's later, better-known works. Peter is a small boy who is, like all boys, part bird. When he hears his future being discussed he flies out the window and away to Kensington Gardens. There he discovers that he is now more boy than bird, and so he is stranded in the park, unable to fly any longer.
A stunning treasury of 86 full-page plates span the famed English artist's career, from Rip Van Winkle (1905) to masterworks such as Undine, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Wind in the Willows (1939).
The boy who wouldn't grow up, Peter Pan has the power of flight and lives on a magical island. But he is fascinated by Mary Darling's bedtime stories for her children and makes covert night-time visits to their Bloomsbury home. One evening he loses his shadow, and after Mary's daughter Wendy helps him reattach it, he invites her to fly away with him on an extraordinary adventure. In addition to the famous 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, which tells the familiar adventures of Peter Pan in Neverland and popularized the characters of Tinkerbell and Captain Hook, this volume contains the celebrated stage version on which Peter and Wendy is based, as well as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, in which Peter Pan is a seven-day-old infant who consorts with birds and fairies and travels down the Serpentine in a thrush's nest.
The 'Peter Pan Adventures – Complete 7 Book Collection (Illustrated)' encapsulates the imaginative world created around the iconic character of Peter Pan. Encompassing a range of literary styles from the whimsical to the adventurous, this anthology delves into the broader themes of eternal childhood, the essence of storytelling, and the juxtaposition of reality and fantasy. The works included demonstrate the evolution of Peter Pan's character and the Neverland universe through various narratives and visual interpretations, showcasing the diverse yet interconnected explorations of these themes across different texts. Notably, the collection offers an insightful compendium of perspectives, reflecting the richness of the literary context from which Peter Pan emerges. The contributing authors, Oliver Herford, Daniel O'Connor, and J. M. Barrie, bring to this collection a remarkable depth of literary and illustrative talent. Their backgrounds, spanning from playwrighting to children's literature, converge to enrich the thematic concerns of the anthology, tying it to significant cultural and literary movements of their time, including Romanticism and the Golden Age of Illustration. This diversity of backgrounds and literary affiliations underscores the collection's ability to capture the multifaceted essence of the Peter Pan narrative and its enduring appeal across generations. This anthology is recommended for readers seeking to immerse themselves in the comprehensive world of Peter Pan. It offers a unique educational journey, inviting readers to explore the nuances of each contribution and the overarching themes that unite them. Beyond its literary and historical value, the 'Peter Pan Adventures – Complete 7 Book Collection (Illustrated)' serves as a platform for dialogue amongst the contributing authors' works, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural and imaginative landscape from which Peter Pan springs. This collection is a treasure trove for enthusiasts of classic children's literature and those interested in the intersections of narrative form, cultural history, and literary innovation.
This book is an omnibus edition consisting of the three novels about Peter Pan, "The Little White Bird" is a novel for adults in which the character first appeared, and then "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" and "Peter and Wendy," both of which come fully illustrated in black and white. On the cover of the book are eight of the original colour illustrations. Books include: The Little White Bird, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Peter and Wendy.
