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Captivated: J. M. Barrie, Daphne Du Maurier and the Dark Side of Neverland: J.M. Barrie. - Softcover
J. M. Barrie has long been a controversial figure; as D. H. Lawrence observed in 1921, 'Barrie has a fatal touch for those he loves. They die'. The five nervous breakdowns, two suicides, one attempted suicide and numerous deaths that are associated with him blacken the reputation of a man adored by generations of children.
However, what is less well known is that Barrie's malign influence grew out of his infatuation with the du Maurier family, particularly with the hypnotist, George du Maurier, creator of Svengali; with George's daughter and grandsons (models for the Darlings in Peter Pan); and with his enigmatic granddaughter, Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca and Barrie's final victim, whose life and work can never again be considered without reference to 'Unlce Jim'.
However, what is less well known is that Barrie's malign influence grew out of his infatuation with the du Maurier family, particularly with the hypnotist, George du Maurier, creator of Svengali; with George's daughter and grandsons (models for the Darlings in Peter Pan); and with his enigmatic granddaughter, Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca and Barrie's final victim, whose life and work can never again be considered without reference to 'Unlce Jim'.
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Review:
`Dudgeon tells a terrible story without sentimentality, without sensationalism and without undue psychologising.... Intelligently and feelingly done.'
From the Author:
Letter to the author, July 2008, from David Lodge, novelist and Professor of English, Birmingham University:
'The real strength of the book though is its account of Barrie and his baleful influence on the Du Mauriers and many others. What a monster he was, and how plausible that he should be, given his early life. The suggestion that he was responsible for his brother's death, for instance, is very persuasive and would explain a lot. The Captain Scott episode is extraordinary! You establish a lot of fascinating links between the various personages and their works, and the book becomes more and more persuasive as it goes on. I don't really know Daphne's work apart from Rebecca but you make her appear a more interesting, and certainly less middlebrow writer than I had supposed.'
'The real strength of the book though is its account of Barrie and his baleful influence on the Du Mauriers and many others. What a monster he was, and how plausible that he should be, given his early life. The suggestion that he was responsible for his brother's death, for instance, is very persuasive and would explain a lot. The Captain Scott episode is extraordinary! You establish a lot of fascinating links between the various personages and their works, and the book becomes more and more persuasive as it goes on. I don't really know Daphne's work apart from Rebecca but you make her appear a more interesting, and certainly less middlebrow writer than I had supposed.'
Letter to the author, August 2008, from Nina Auerbach, author of 'Daphne du Maurier: Haunted Heiress' and Professor of English at Pennsylvania University: 'CAPTIVATED is a riveting joy... Poor scintillating du Mauriers. Poor boys... It's a terrible story and you tell it brilliantly. I felt as if I was living it...I started out affirming that Daphne's ill-fitting marriage, her affairs with glamorous women, her fixation on the men in her family, seemed less Barrie's than solely her own...but in the larger sense you really are right, Barrie hypnotized just about everyone in America and England and too many of us are still marching to his obsession with youth, boys, and death.'
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- PublisherVintage
- Publication date2009
- ISBN 10 0099520451
- ISBN 13 9780099520450
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages352
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Captivated (Paperback)
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Captivated is a true story of genius and possession. The background is the turn of the century, when a late-nineteenth-century world of mesmerists, psychics, trancers and table-turners gave way to a new twentieth-century age of psychology. The central character is the creator of Peter Pan, the famous novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie, a man tormented by inner demons since childhood.Barrie developed a consuming interest in the du Maurier family, beginning with George du Maurier, author of Trilby, a bestselling novel featuring his creation Svengali. In Trilby, George showed how it is possible, by means of hypnosis, for one person to gain control over the mind of another.Barrie made his move on the du Maurier family immediately after George died, assuming George's mantel and using his ideas to dominate both his daughter Sylvia and his son Gerald. Soon Barrie was 'Uncle Jim' to Sylvia's five sons and Gerald's three daughters, playing romping games of adventure and make-believe, and inviting the children into the transcendental world of Neverland. Four of the boys (the 'lost boys' of Peter Pan) and one of the girls (the imaginative tomboy Daphne) were captivated.This fascinating book delves deep, makes links and yields up secrets. It is a story of bliss corrupted by greed which masquerades as supernatural power. It tells how Barrie's victims - whom he would have not grow up - were lost to breakdown, suicide or an early death when they did. Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca, emerges as the lost boys' surprise companion and the enigmatic chronicler of their fate. Captivated is about writing and the world of the imagination- it is a singular example of art being used not only to imitate life, but darkly to transform it.Piers Dudgeon knew Daphne du Maurier and worked with her in the 1980s. When he discovered that she had put a moratorium on publication of her adolescent diaries until fifty years after her death, he was prompted to begin his researches into her background. What was the mystery that had Daphne been so keen to suppress? J M Barrie has long been a controversial figure; as D H Lawrence observed in 1921, 'Barrie has a fatal touch for those he loves. They die'. The five nervous breakdowns, two suicides, one attempted suicide and numerous deaths that are associated with him blacken the reputation of a man adored by generations of children. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099520450
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Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. and with his enigmatic granddaughter, Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca and Barrie's final victim, whose life and work can never again be considered without reference to 'Unlce Jim'. Seller Inventory # B9780099520450
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Captivated is a true story of genius and possession. The background is the turn of the century, when a late-nineteenth-century world of mesmerists, psychics, trancers and table-turners gave way to a new twentieth-century age of psychology. The central character is the creator of Peter Pan, the famous novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie, a man tormented by inner demons since childhood.Barrie developed a consuming interest in the du Maurier family, beginning with George du Maurier, author of Trilby, a bestselling novel featuring his creation Svengali. In Trilby, George showed how it is possible, by means of hypnosis, for one person to gain control over the mind of another.Barrie made his move on the du Maurier family immediately after George died, assuming George's mantel and using his ideas to dominate both his daughter Sylvia and his son Gerald. Soon Barrie was 'Uncle Jim' to Sylvia's five sons and Gerald's three daughters, playing romping games of adventure and make-believe, and inviting the children into the transcendental world of Neverland. Four of the boys (the 'lost boys' of Peter Pan) and one of the girls (the imaginative tomboy Daphne) were captivated.This fascinating book delves deep, makes links and yields up secrets. It is a story of bliss corrupted by greed which masquerades as supernatural power. It tells how Barrie's victims - whom he would have not grow up - were lost to breakdown, suicide or an early death when they did. Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca, emerges as the lost boys' surprise companion and the enigmatic chronicler of their fate. Captivated is about writing and the world of the imagination- it is a singular example of art being used not only to imitate life, but darkly to transform it.Piers Dudgeon knew Daphne du Maurier and worked with her in the 1980s. When he discovered that she had put a moratorium on publication of her adolescent diaries until fifty years after her death, he was prompted to begin his researches into her background. What was the mystery that had Daphne been so keen to suppress? J M Barrie has long been a controversial figure; as D H Lawrence observed in 1921, 'Barrie has a fatal touch for those he loves. They die'. The five nervous breakdowns, two suicides, one attempted suicide and numerous deaths that are associated with him blacken the reputation of a man adored by generations of children. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099520450
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Captivated (Paperback)
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Captivated is a true story of genius and possession. The background is the turn of the century, when a late-nineteenth-century world of mesmerists, psychics, trancers and table-turners gave way to a new twentieth-century age of psychology. The central character is the creator of Peter Pan, the famous novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie, a man tormented by inner demons since childhood.Barrie developed a consuming interest in the du Maurier family, beginning with George du Maurier, author of Trilby, a bestselling novel featuring his creation Svengali. In Trilby, George showed how it is possible, by means of hypnosis, for one person to gain control over the mind of another.Barrie made his move on the du Maurier family immediately after George died, assuming George's mantel and using his ideas to dominate both his daughter Sylvia and his son Gerald. Soon Barrie was 'Uncle Jim' to Sylvia's five sons and Gerald's three daughters, playing romping games of adventure and make-believe, and inviting the children into the transcendental world of Neverland. Four of the boys (the 'lost boys' of Peter Pan) and one of the girls (the imaginative tomboy Daphne) were captivated.This fascinating book delves deep, makes links and yields up secrets. It is a story of bliss corrupted by greed which masquerades as supernatural power. It tells how Barrie's victims - whom he would have not grow up - were lost to breakdown, suicide or an early death when they did. Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca, emerges as the lost boys' surprise companion and the enigmatic chronicler of their fate. Captivated is about writing and the world of the imagination- it is a singular example of art being used not only to imitate life, but darkly to transform it.Piers Dudgeon knew Daphne du Maurier and worked with her in the 1980s. When he discovered that she had put a moratorium on publication of her adolescent diaries until fifty years after her death, he was prompted to begin his researches into her background. What was the mystery that had Daphne been so keen to suppress? J M Barrie has long been a controversial figure; as D H Lawrence observed in 1921, 'Barrie has a fatal touch for those he loves. They die'. The five nervous breakdowns, two suicides, one attempted suicide and numerous deaths that are associated with him blacken the reputation of a man adored by generations of children. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099520450
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