What kind of man creates a boy who never grows up? More than 100 years after “Peter Pan” first appeared on the London stage, author J. M. Barrie remains one of the most complex and enigmatic figures in modern literature. A few facts, of course, are widely known: “Peter Pan” made Barrie the richest author of his time, and he bequeathed the royalties to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. He was married, but later divorced, and he was devoted to the orphaned sons of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, one of whom was named Peter. And then the rumors begin-about the nature of his marriage; about his precise relationship with the Davies boys, whose guardian he became; about the fantasies and demons that determined his achievements.
In this brilliant biography, Lisa Chaney goes beyond the myths to discover the fascinating, frequently misunderstood man behind the famous boy.
Simon Vance's pleasant, inviting tones draw listeners into Chaney's expansive examination of J.M. Barrie's remarkable life. Chaney traces Barrie's modest beginnings as a Scottish weaver's son whose mother paid little attention to him, preferring instead his older brother, David. Sadly, David died in a skating accident at 13, and Jamie made up stories to assuage his mother's grief. He never stopped
