Customer Reviews

Mary Poppins

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The entire Mary Poppins book series by the wonderful P.L. Travers is fantastic. I'm so glad to see they have finally arrived in hardcover with the original covers. No, this is not the sugary Disney movie--but this, the original story, will take your breath away with its magic and wonder. Give it a try. I think if you take these stories for what they are you will appreciate the wit and the adventure.

Reading the books that I loved as a child was wonderful - until I realized that it had been edited to make it more socially acceptable. The chapter called "Bad Tuesday" involves a magical compass that transports the characters all over the world. The original work used the author's vision of what the people would be like, and had used some pretty offensive stereotypes of the time. But the altered version completely changed the story, not only using animals instead of people, but changing even the storyline. Would have liked to be able to see the original work also, or at least been warned that the newer version was altered to that extent.

After my daughter (and I) fell in love with the movie and the Broadway musical, we wanted to read the book. She's in [...], and she appreciated the wry humor of this book. This book is full of fantasy and descriptive imagery and imagination. P.L. Travers is a great storyteller. The book is quite different from the movie, but it is a wonderful story that will stick with you for a long time leaving you thinking about dancing cows, talking dogs, fallen stars and the secret life of babies.

This is the original Mary Poppins book, which came out a long time before the famous Disney movie. Mary Poppins in the book is somewhat different than the movie version. The book version of Mary Poppins is a magical nanny of unexplained origin. She is strict with her charges, and she is quite vain, frequently admiring her appearance in the mirror. The book doesn't really tell one lengthy story. Rather, each chapter relates a seperate fascinating anecdote involving Mary Poppins. This is a great, classic childrens book.

Like most people, I have seen the Disney version of "Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)." A highly enjoyable film, it was also wonderful to note that although Disney inserted its own elements, it did an excellent job of adapting the writings of P.L. Travers. On its own, the first book in the series, simply titled "Mary Poppins" is a fun collection of chapters that are perfect for bedtime stories for children. Each chapter is basically a self-contained tale. Fans of the Disney movie will recognize some of these (Uncle Albert's house, the Bird Woman, and Jolly Holiday), and others are new tales. Sure, on the surface, Mary Poppins does seem a bit rude, conceited, and vain, but she obviously cares deeply for the children and obviously has many friends in the world--including the animal kingdom. This story focuses mainly on the children and Mary Poppins; Mr. & Mrs. Banks are not really fleshed out in the book as much as they are in the movie, and this is just fine. The journeys that Mary Poppins takes the children on are full of imagination, and will definitely stir up the creative thinking of children. The Harcourt edition is nicely done; hardcover with dust jacket, includes original black and white illustrations; definitely has a nice vintage look to it. Highly recommended!

The MARY POPPINS book by P.L. Travers is certainly not the "G" rated Disney/Julie Andrews version but it's still a beloved classic.

I love the reissue of the classic hardcover edition with the dust jacket because that's how I remember the book when I discovered it as a child at my school's library in the 70s. Since then, it's been one of my favorites!

Illustrations by Mary Shepard are cute and provide a nice treat every couple of pages.

And like other reviewers have said, this original Mary Poppins character is a conceited and no-nonsense type of woman who can be quite sharp with the Bank's children. She's nothing like the Julie Andrews character in the movie. But nevertheless, she's still an endearing character that takes the kids (and the reader) on wonderful and magical adventures. We should all be so lucky as to have a "Mary Poppins" in our lives!

I recommend this book for story or bedtime for kids of all ages.

Mary Poppins I first read when I was seven or so. She disgusted and frightened a young child a great deal, although she also fascinated her to the point she read all her books repeatedly anyways.

Had Disney stuck strictly to the book version (and certainly Disney had a long struggle with the author over book issues) no parent would have allowed their young child to watch it. To this day, at age 30, while I enjoy the books immensely, Mary Poppin's character flaws disgust me in many ways....mostly for her coldness and her capacity for cruelty. Her soft side is rarely seen unless it is in tribute to herself. Yet she fascinated me. You also must take into account English storytelling styles, which always differed greatly from American ones or Japanese ones. As a culture, I've noticed how different ones have different story requirements that deem it a complete, satisfying piece.

For literature, she's an interesting dynamic. I do believe it is better when books portray characters as more than just one extreme in personality trait or other. Mary Poppins does this quite well. The best in literature produces intense emotions of many varieties in its readers, and the best in literature enthusiasts realize this fact.

I have one final thought. In the original version of the original book, the chapter "Bad Tuesday" was quite different than one usually finds in the current editions. PL Travers rewrote it in 1980-ish because by that time, the extreme racial stereotypes in that chapter had become outdated to the point she bent to allegations of racism and changed the chapter entirely. Parents of older children might consider finding an old edition with the original text. That is the way things were and how people thought in that time period, and it is therefore a part of history. It's a lesson that needs to be taught in order for it to never be forgotten, because once it is forgotten, it's all too easy to repeat the same mistakes. History is full of that sort of evidence. And, yes, finally, there is also the issue of historical accuracy. It's another facet of truth, even if how it is portrayed is considered by today's standards as less than politically correct.

The eccentric, wacky nanny is even more entertaining in this book than she was in the movie. She takes the children on countless magical adventures and has such a warm relationship with them. There isn't a dull moment in this exciting roller coaster ride of fantasy. This should be considered a classic.

As a child, I was obsessed with all things Mary Poppins. I remember finding this book in our school library and checking it out again and again every couple of weeks until my teacher finally caught on and made me check out something else. Now, as an adult, I am STILL obsessed with Mary Poppins, and I still adore this book. It's very different from the iconic Disney film, but it's brilliant in its own right. P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins is much harder and at times even darker than her sunny Julie Andrews counterpart, but she's every bit as magical and magnificent as you can imagine. The book itself is incredibly well-written and is something that can be enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike.

Wonderful Ms. Travers - These are books to read and enjoy, even if you have seen and love the movie. I read these books as a child, saw the movie as an adult - So the magic never left... Please encourage your children to read the books on which the Disney movies are based.