The Dark Side of Peter Pan is a great read focusing on the life of JM Barry and the people that he met that influenced his writing. Fascinating read for any biography or Peter Pan fan. I read this in one sitting as I was completely mesmerised in the history behind one of the best childrens novels/plays ever

This book found very interesting examining Barrie's life with his playwright and novel writing and how he developed relationships and how Peter pan may have mirrored his real life as the person who didn't grow up emotionally and also his relationships with children who he also based some of his characters on.

Wow. I never knew any of this. So intriguing. I enjoyed the Disney version of Peter Pan growing up, but never read the original. Now, I won't he able to. This was an interesting read to say the least. A bit of opinion and a bit of fact and certainly a bit of assumption. Makes you wonder though.

WoW........Now this book was a eye opener.....and I always thought this author was amazing as he wrote and invented this amazing character - Peter Pan.....and we all loved Peter Pan...........But, this book The Dark Side of Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie, the Man Who Couldn’t Grow Up by Olivia Camozzi was a great eye opener and an interesting book to read.
J.M Barrie was born in small town in Scotland, sadly his childhood was filled with grief and loss, He took his passion of storytelling and studied English Literature at university before finding himself in the capital for all writers: in central London. This was where he came to meet the Llewelyn Davies family and his life began to change. With his involvement with this upper-class family, and the meeting of Daphne du Maurier who had become the sole inspiration for Peter Pan, and that his integration into the family was primarily with sinister intentions.

The author Olivia Camozzi wrote an interesting book........But, I wonder what the creator of Peter Pan would have thought about it, if he was here to read it today to read it for himself?!!! I wonder..................


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As a child, I loved the Peter Pan story. I was fascinated by the concept of never growing up and loved the illustrations in the volume I was gifted. It’s a perennial theme and over the years it’s given name to a medical syndrome amongst other things. But I knew little or nothing about JMBarrie other than the fact that he was Scottish. I was intrigued by this title and I’ve enjoyed the insight into the man behind the timeless classic.

Olivia Camozzi appears to have undertaken meticulous research and much of the content is based on fact rather than conjecture. It’s very well written and places the man in context of time and place. I’d never considered many of the darker themes touched on or explored in his work, but clearly, there was a darkness within him and the reasons for this are objectively considered. This is a very readable account of a conflicted and brilliant individual. I’ve enjoyed it and will be revisiting his works with a rather different insight and eye. It perhaps explodes some of the innocence with which I’ve always approached the stories, but it adds rather than detracts from my appreciation. A fascinating biography.

Fascinating. I never knew about the actual life of the Peter Pan author. I had heard many takes on the original story and knew the Disney version to not be true to the tale. To hear so much about before, during, and after the creation of this enduring story was truly interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free kindle book!! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

am very glad that the author starts by pointing out that her opinions in the book are not fact, as the bias is very clear in the book. That is not to say that the bias makes the biography worthless; there are many that you just have to throw out because you can't trust anything they say because the bias is so strong. Just the author is coming from the position that Barrie was asexual, rather than a pedophil, which neither is proven fact. Both are pure speculation, and some authors will try to prove one, while others try to prove the other. Some just come to the conclusion we will never know. Which that one is the truth.

Either way, even though Camozzi was trying to prove a hypothesis with the book, this was an excellent biography. I have listened to several podcasts about Barrie's life before but never read a full biography and learned so many new facts.

I was trying to understand why it was given the title is was, what with the point it was trying to prove. Barrie had so much misery and loss in his life, that if an author wrote some of the details into a novel, you would laugh it was so ridiculous. Just one quick example (actually one of the smaller incidents, if you can velieve it). . . he gave his new brother-in-law a horse for a wedding present. A few days after the wedding, Barrie's BIL was thrown from the horse and died. His sister was inconsolable, being a widow a few days after her wedding, and Barrie was overcome with guilt.

I really don't know how I feel about the theory about Barrie being asexual. Mainly, I just think we will never know one way or another. What I do know is he wasn't a great person. Good people don't forge wills to get the kids of their friends.

Anyway . . . definitely a great biography to read!!!

A really enjoyable read from a thoughtful writer. Everything you would wish for from a biography, little known stories along side the more well known. A perfectly balanced review of Barrie’s life, work and personality. It was evident that the writer had done a significant about of research. I felt she approached her subject with a neutral stance wanting to portray the real Barrie as much as possible without judgement. I would love to read further books from this author.

This was a fascinating book about J.M. Barrie, it had that concept that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of nonfiction book. It was researched well and shared the dark side of J.M. Barrie. Olivia Camozzi wrote this perfectly and can't wait to read more.

The Dark Side of Peter Pan: J. M. Barrie, the Man Who Couldn’t Grow Up by Olivia Camozzi offers a compelling and respectful exploration of J. M. Barrie’s life and his relationships, particularly with the Davies boys. Olivia Camozzi approaches the often-controversial aspects of Barrie’s life with a fresh, modern perspective that is more reflective and less burdened by outdated prejudices.

What stands out is Camozzi’s dedication to accuracy and context, as she carefully assembles letters, journal entries, and well-established facts to bring a nuanced understanding of Barrie’s complexities. The use of primary sources and historical documentation lends the narrative a solid foundation, but it’s the author’s empathetic and measured tone that adds a layer of dignity to Barrie’s portrayal.

The writing itself is dynamic, making it not just an academic exploration but a well-paced, engaging read. Camozzi never rushes to judgment but instead allows the facts to speak for themselves, inviting the reader to consider Barrie in all his dimensions. For anyone interested in a fair and meticulously researched examination of J. M. Barrie, this book offers a valuable and thought-provoking journey into the life of the man behind Peter Pan.

I found this book really thought-provoking and very well-researched. Although many people know the classic story of Peter Pan, fewer are aware of the sad life led by J M Barrie. It was interesting to see where some of his ideas for stories came from and the inspiration for the characters in Peter Pan and Wendy. An enjoyable read.

This is a fascinating account of the life and work of J M Barrie and the family which inspired what was arguably his greatest work. Reading about the tragic lives of the Llewlyn-Davies family was truly moving and the impact of WWI, mental illness and suicide on the family as a whole was simply devastating. To some extent, Barrie himself remains an enigma with so much of him known only through how he interacted with and felt towards others. The author’s careful research and sourcing of materials in invaluable in this respect. I do think the author protests a little too much about the possibility that Barrie was a paedophile. It was definitely a possibility and to dismiss it so sternly is irresponsible.