Hilary Mantel

He was Never a Boy

Peter Pan and Cricket

By

Constable 181pp £12.95 order from our bookshop

A contributor to this journal recently spoke ill of adults who profess affection for Peter Pan; indeed, he said that if he had his way he would murder them. There may be many people who feel like this, so perhaps the title of this collection of J M Barrie ‘s cricket writings is not the best thing about it. But time has added savour to the whimsicalities of the Scottish gnome. Today he might be accused of mocking ethnic minorities by calling his team the Allahakbarries; and he would certainly be reviled for his admiring account of a ladies match, where both teams ‘played like white men’.

Sign Up to our newsletter

Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.

Follow Literary Review on Twitter

  • Last Tweets

    • Why did the 'bold and determined' Empress Matilda never manage to become Queen regnant? Peter Marshall reviews a n… ,
    • From the Archive: Martyn Bedford on Ian McEwan's 'Atonement' ,
    • In 'Silenced Voices' reports the ongoing story of the human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has been… ,
    • The mystery of Jack the Ripper's identity has long been agonised over. But what do we know about his victims?… ,
    • A piece of Literary Review history from way back in 1983: John Haffenden talks to the great Iris Murdoch. ,
    • Britain’s only travelling lit fest, the Garden Museum Literary Festival is heading to Houghton Hall, Norfolk, for a… ,
    • 'The 19th-century German sage is not my idea of a pleasant travel companion' goes hiking with Friedr… ,
    Follow Us