Mary Poppins (Odyssey Classics) (Paperback)

by Dr. P. L. Travers (Author), P.L. Travers (Author) "If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane all you have to do is ask the Policeman at the cross-roads..." (more)
Key Phrases: Mary Poppins, Miss Lark, Red Cow (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
For all her offended sniffs and humphs, Mary Poppins is likely the most exciting nanny England--and the world--has ever seen. Young Jane and Michael Banks have no idea what's in store for them when Mary Poppins blows in on the east wind one autumn evening. Soon, though, the children are having tea on the ceiling, flying around the world in a minute (visiting polar bears and hyacinth macaws on the way), and secretly watching as their unusual nanny pastes gold paper stars to the sky. Mary's stern and haughty exterior belies the delightful nonsense she harbors; her charges, as well as her literary fans, respect and adore her.

Grownups who have forgotten Mary Poppins's true charms will be tickled pink to rediscover this uniquely unsentimental fantasy. Younger readers will walk into Mary's world without batting an eye--of course the animals in the zoo exchange places with people on the night of the full moon. Certainly a falling star landing on a cow's horn will make her dance ceaselessly. Why wouldn't one be able to enter into a chalk picture? The only disappointing aspect of this classic is that it doesn't go on forever! (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Review
"Delightful nonsense that defies an age boundry of appreciaton."  --Booklist -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; Revised edition (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152017178
• ISBN-13: 978-0152017170
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #164,724 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will the Real Mary Please Stand Up, December 28, 2001

By	W. Kaplan "calyndula" (Wynnewood, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mary Poppins (Harcourt Brace Young Classics) (Hardcover)

Who WAS Mary Poppins, anyway? Well, as one who grew up with P.L. Travers' fabulous books, I can tell you who she was not. She did not give medicine with a spoonful of sugar, she was not a nauseatingly sweet airhead with an umbrella, and--guess what--she was NOT A NICE PERSON!

Which is exactly why I and my friends loved her. Other reviewers have found all kinds of hidden meanings, from satanism to British racism, to describe this and the other Mary Poppins books, probably because of the shock of finding that the real thing has so much more depth than the sickening movie version.

As a child in the 50s, I had no notion of British sensibilities or history, no clue about so-called satanism, and my sweet little child mind was ripe for all kinds of dire cult messages. But somehow, what I gleaned from these books was the best kind of adventure: an adult who wasn't really a parent, wasn't really a teacher, was definitely in charge--and yet strange magical things constantly happened in her presence. There were lessons to be learned: if Jane and Michael, the older children, misbehaved, the magic went awry. Badly awry. There was danger. There were consequences to their actions. Have a tantrum, and you just might wind up on the wrong end of an antique plate--trapped inside with no way out. Be rude to adults and other children, and your nice little world will change in ways you don't want to know about. But always, in the end, Mary Poppins was there to save the day without saying "I told you so." She was what so many modern children sorely lack: a strong parent figure. There was no spoiling, no giving in to whining demands (who would dare whine at Mary Poppins anyway?), and no indulgence. But there was also love and protection and security.

Is it wrong to expose today's children to literature such as this that may be politically incorrect? That is a debate that is larger than this review. I can only say from experience that even as a child, I took these books for what they were: fiction. And I loved them. Give me my nasty, vain, pompous REAL Mary Poppins any day of the week. In my view, she wears well. Very, very, well.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to find Cherry-Tree Lane..., September 28, 2001

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

I have to admit that I cannot completely explain the attraction of Pamela Travers' tale of Mary Poppins, nanny extraordinaire. But 48 years later, and Julie Andrews notwithstanding, I still found myself nodding and smiling as I read the book. Strange things just happen around Mary. You can wander into paintings and travel the world with a magic compass. Laughter makes you fly and the animals in the zoo will celebrate your birthday if you're nice. All at Mary Poppins' whimsy.

Growing up in the U.S., with no concept of what a nanny was, I still loved her right away. What is odd about this is that she actually isn't all that likable. She is quite vain and very, very bossy. She says 'no' a lot, and rarely stops to explain herself or reveal her secrets. Yet somehow you know that she will never let you down and she always will do what she says. Young Jane and Michael (and the even younger twins) couldn't ask for a better guide and protector. In a family where the father is most often at work 'in the city' and the mother is loving but a trifle inept, Mary is the glue that keeps things working together.

The book is actually a series of short tales of a fantastical nature. Sometimes the tale contains the requisite grain of wisdom and sometimes it is just silly fun. Perhaps the willingness to be light hearted is what charms young listeners. In addition to those already mentioned, there is the tale of the dancing cow, and a touching explanation of why we cannot talk to birds. Even though the book is quite readable for an 8 or nine year old, it is really best for being read to children. The adventures should be appealing to almost any child and the pen and ink sketches are a delight to look at.

If you are considering buying a reprint edition, there is, another reason why the book is best read out loud by a parent. In 1934, when the it was originally published, a certain amount of cultural insensitivity was common, and while it did harm, it was not really intended to. In one story, 'Bad Tuesday,' the children travel the world to meet Eskimos, Chinese, Native Americans and Blacks. While all these people are stereotyped, the description of the Black Africans is atrocious. People of color will find it quite offensive. Thanks heavens, in the Odyssey Classics edition this has been remedied. It is the latter I recommend.

It is a relief that there are publishers who understand the value of a wonderful story and will take the appropriate steps to keep it accessible. Mary Poppins teaches us all that wonder lies behind even the most mundane things. I expect I will be right there with Michael and Jane waiting for our magical nanny to return.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming but demanding, November 28, 2001

By	Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mary Poppins (Harcourt Brace Young Classics) (Hardcover)

The Mary Poppins of the sticky-sweet Disney film and the Mary Poppins of the Travers novel are two entirely different characters, and the book presents us with a terse, demanding, and sharp-spoken nanny whose advetures satirize British sensibilities of the early 20th Century. In earlier decades, this would have made the book as much fun for adults as for children, but the passage of time has not been entirely kind to the novel: adults with little background in earlier British culture may easily miss the sharp wit and children raised on the tooth-rotting Disney film will probably be disappointed by the book's depiction of Mary herself. Parents who are willing to make the extra effort, however, will find it an extremely good opportunity for conversation with their children, for the various stories it contains (it is written in a very episodic way) will require plenty of commentary and explanation.

A surprising number of reviews accuse the novel of having paganistic, even satanic overtones. I myself consider this a matter of people finding what they look for rather than actually arising from anything in the novel itself.