Finding Neverland: JM Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie is one of the writers whom everyone has heard of, but few know the actually sad, somewhat tragic story behind the tale. Like his most famous literary creation; Peter Pan, the biography of J.M. Barrie is filled with mysteries. It is relatively unknown, for example, that 'Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up' was never a book at all, but rather a 'fairy play. The book that is now famous as the story of Peter Pan was actually written after the play, at the request of Barrie's publisher's Hodder and Stoughton in 1911, and later abridged in 1915.
J M Barrie was, by all accounts, one of life's innocents. He was devoted to the study of myth, and to the power of fairy stories in particular. This coupled with a dedication to an imaginative childhood led him to create works that centred around boy's stories, fairy stories, or children's nonsense tales. Although well connected (he was made a baronet by King George the V of England), Barrie remained unhappy, or least unlucky in life.
His early literary career was as a playwright, especially of comic plays which, although well received, never achieved the great success that he desire. He was also unlucky in love as his first marriage failed, and, with a broken heart he turned to wandering London's parks where he first met the Llewelyn Davies family, the inspiration for Peter Pan and Wendy.
The stories of Peter and Wendy, the Boy Who Never Grew Up and his more normal 'human' confidante developed over the years, first as a form of entertainment as Barrie put on plays to entertain the Llewelyn-Davies' tribe of unruly children. Later, they became so successful that they were commissioned by Hodder and Stoughton to become one of the most enduring children's fantasy stories to this day.
For the collector, Barrie wasn't so long ago as to make collecting original editions impossible. A First Hardcover edition of Peter and Wendy, for example (1911, Hodder and Stoughton) can still be found for as little as five hundred US dollars if you are willing to accept a little wear and possible restoration work. A fine copy would cost upwards of a thousand US dollars.
If you are looking for a more select edition of some of Barrie's work, then consider his early novel Auld Licht Idylls, (1888 Hodder and Stoughton) which is considerably rarer and shows Barrie's first experiments with the novel form. These can be found at auction in good condition, for as little as six hundred US dollars.
Barrie, J.M. Auld Licht Idylls. Hodder and Stoughton (1888). 550 Copies.
Barrie, J.M. The Little Minister. Cassell and Company (1891). In Three Volumes; First Edition, First Issue. (With 16Pp. Of Ads And Code5G.9.91. )
Barrie,J.M. Jane Annie. Chappell and Co. (1893). A. Conan Doyle;The Good Conduct Prize; A New And Original English Comic Opera.
Barrie, J.M. Auld Licht Idylls. Hodder and Stoughton (1895). 550 Copies; 18 Detailed Etchings By Hole.
Barrie, J.M. SENTIMENTAL TOMMY. Cassell and Co. Ltd. (1896). The Story Of His Childhood;First Issue
Barrie, J. M. The Novels, Tales and Sketches of J.M.Barrie. Chas Scribners Sons (1896). 8 Volume Set; Consists Of: 1. Auld Licht Idylls and Better Dead. 2. When A Mans Single. 3. A Window In Thrums and An Edinburgh Eleven. 4. The Little Minister Vol.1. 5. The Little Minister Vol. 2. 6. Sentimental Tommy Vol. 1. 7. Sentimental Tommy Vol. 2. 8. My Lady Nicotine and Margaret Ogilvy
Barrie, J. M. The Little Minister. Russell (1898). Illustrations From Original Drawings By W. J. Kennedy
Barrie, J.M. Quality Street. Hodder and Stoughton, Edinburgh (1901). A Comedy In Four Acts; Illustrated By Hugh Thomson; 1000 Copies.
Barrie, J. M. The Little White Bird. Charles Scribners Sons (1903). Or Adventures In Kensington Gardens; 150 Copies.
Barrie, J. M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Hodder and Stoughton (1906). 50 Colour Plates By Rackham Tipped Onto Thick Brown Paper Mounts. 500 Copies.
Barrie, J. M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Charles Scribners Sons (1907). From The Little White Bird;Containing 50 Hand Mounted Rackham Colour Plates Consisting Of One Frontispiece Illustration And 49 Others Grouped Together At The Rear Of The Book
Barrie, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Hodder and Stoughton (1908). From The Little White Bird;Containing 50 Hand Mounted Rackham Colour Plates Consisting Of One Frontispiece Illustration And 49 Others Grouped Together At The Rear Of The Book.
Barrie, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Hodder and Stoughton (1910). From The Little White Bird;Containing 50 Hand Mounted Rackham Colour Plates Consisting Of One Frontispiece Illustration And 49 Others Grouped Together At The Rear Of The Book.
Barrie, J M. Peter and Wendy. Hodder and Stoughton, Sevenoaks (1911). Pictorial Title Page And Frontispiece, Plus 11 Black And White Illustrations By F.D. Bedford.
Barrie, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Hodder and Stroughton (1912). From The Little White Bird By J.M. Barrie; Illustrated By Arthur Rackham With 50 Plates.
Barrie, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Hodder and Stoughton (1912). From The Little White Bird By J.M. Barrie; Illustrated By Arthur Rackham With 50 Plates.
Barrie, J.M. Quality Street. Hodder and Stoughton (1913). A Comedy In Four Acts; Illustrated By Hugh Thomson; 22 Tipped In Colour Plates With Captioned And Illustrated Tissue Guards, Line Drawings In Text;1000 Copies.
Barrie, J. M. THE WORKS. Hodder and Stoughton (1913). 10 Volumes; 1,000 Copies; Includes Auld Licht Idylls; A Window In Thrums/Margaret Ogilvy; Peter And Wendy; Better Dead/An Edinburgh Eleven; Tommy And Grizel; When A Mans Single; My Lady Nicotine; Sentimental Tommy; The Little Minister ; And The Little White Bird.
Barrie,J.M. The Admirable Crichton. Hodder and Stoughton (1914). Illustrated By Hugh Thomson. 500 Copies.
BARRIE, J.M. WORKS. (1919). 10 Volumes; 1,000 Copies; Includes Auld Licht Idylls; A Window In Thrums/Margaret Ogilvy; Peter And Wendy; Better Dead/An Edinburgh Eleven; Tommy And Grizel; When A Mans Single; My Lady Nicotine; Sentimental Tommy; The Little Minister ; And The Little Whi
Barrie, J.M. PETER PAN AND WENDY. Hodder and Stoughton (1921). Illustrated By Mabel Lucy Attwell With 12 Tipped-In Color Plates And Many black and whites In-Text.
Barrie, J. M. PETER PAN. Hodder and Stoughton Limited,London (1928). Or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.
Barrie, J. M. Works. Charles Scribners Sons (1929). 18 Volumes; 1030 Copies Signed And Numbered By The Publisher.
Barrie, J.M. Peter Pan and Wendy. Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. (1931). Decorated By Gwynedd M. Hudson; 21 Plates In Colour In The Text
Barrie, J. M. Peter and Wendy. Hodder and Stoughton (1939). The Blampied Edition Of Peter Pan; The Original Text Of Peter and Wendy By J. M. Barrie; Newly Illustrated By Edmund Blampied; 12 Tipped-In Colour Plates (Including The Frontispiece) Tipped On Pages With Ruled Borders, All With Captioned Tissue Guards, 17 Full-Page Black And White Illustrations, Title Page Vignette, Pictorial Endpapers Printed In Dark Green.
Barrie, J.M. The Blampied Edition of Peter Pan. Hodder and Stoughton (1939). Illustrated By Blampied With 12 Tipped-In Color Plates (Including The Frontispiece) Mounted On Pages With Ruled Borders And Covered By Descriptive Tissue Guards, 17 Full-Page Black And White Illustrations
Barrie, J M. Peter Pan and Wendy. Hodder and Stoughton (1979). Illustrated In Colour And black and white By Mabel Lucie Attwell; 500 Copies; Colour Frontispiece And 14 Colour Plates Including 1 Double.
Barrie, J M. PETER PAN. Folio Society (1992). Rego, Paula (Illustrator); Or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up; Introduction By Andrew Birkin; 100 Numbered Copies Are Quarter Bound In Nigerian Goatskin With Hand-Marbled Sides By Ann Muir And Are Signed By The Artist.