Peter Pan von J. M. Barrie - Inhaltsangabe

„Peter Pan“ is a great book for children and adults alike about the power of make-believe and dreams.

The Scottish author James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937) studied literature at the Edinburgh university and worked as a journalist before he moved to London. Here he started to write playwrights and novels, which made him very famous. Barrie befriended the Llewelyn Davies family with their five children, which he later adopted as their parents died. He liked to amuse the kids with stories. One of this stories was about a boy who never wanted to grow up. The play Peter Pan was first staged in 1904 with great success. Seven years later Peter Pan was published in novel form. The play is still on stage and the book has been made to several movies.
The Darling family has three children: Wendy, John and Michael. Their nanny is the Newfoundland dog Nana. It is a lovely little family, but then one night when Mrs. Darling was cleaning up her childrens minds, she heard the name of Peter Pan. And not long after that the children opened the window and flew away with Peter Pan and the fairy Tinker Bell to Neverland. On this island they meet the Lost boys, who Peter is the chief of and Wendy becomes their mother. She has to take care for them not to forget their medicine and always go to bed in time for the good-night stories. Everyday the boys are in an adventure with beasts, redskins, the never bird, mermaids and the eternal battle against the Pirates with their cruel captain Hook. Will the Darlington kids ever return to their home or will they stay forever in Neverland? „I solemnly promise that it will all come right in the end.“
J. M. Barrie adresses the reader directly and drags him into a land full of fantasy. A story to laugh, bite nails and shed a tear. Altough it is primarly a story for children, it has also often a metaphorical meaning, like the crocodile with the ticking clock inside its stomach. Captain Hook always begins to sweat when he hears the clock ticking, because he knows, his enemy, who ate his hand is near. „Some day the clock will run down, and then he' ll get you.“
The essence of the book is to believe in imagination and dreams. Children can see a lot of colours and shades, but from the point they know they have to grow up, they forget everything about Neverland, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. They just walk day after day to the office and think about money. But there is still hope for everyone. Read the book, remember your child days and watch the children play with their imaginary friends. „...when a baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born...“