Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins definitely isn't Julie Andrews. She's a bit abrasive, but still caring, just in her own way. The bits that weren't in the movie (the first few chapters were, roughly, plus the bird woman) were charming. The scene at the zoo, the gingerbread's stars, and the bit with Maia were great. The chapter about John and Barbara (there are two more Banks children!) was sweet but sad. Very episodic, but no less enjoyable.

My first time reading any of the Mary Poppins books and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I went in with a good understanding of P.L. Travers after reading Valerie Lawson's “Mary Poppins, She Wrote” and I think that made me appreciate this book more than I expected, considering I was reading it for the first time as an adult. There's something oddly satisfying about how curt and sharp-tongued Mary Poppins is. And the stories are really delightful, with a few that also made me a little sad (like “John and Barbara's Story,” oh my gosh).

Bonus points to Sophie Thompson, for one of the best and most energetic audiobook narrations I've ever heard! I felt like a kid hearing bedtime stories!

“Feed the birds. Tuppence a bag. ...” We spent a mixture of time in the Sophie Thompson Audible and reading the text in our Kindle eBook. While it was a revisit for my oldest (11), it was a new adventure specifically for my Princess (9), and the others were able to listen in (6, 3, and 1). My youth only had the Disney film as far as I remember it and I am an avid fan of Julie Andrews. I see the connections to the book and even more so to the newer film Mary Poppins Returns, although I have yet to see Saving Mr. Banks. Mary Poppins is a very harsh character but so is life... It is a bit magical, fantastic, and page turning. Barbara and John are absolutely necessary characters and the movie misses them completely.

We own vintage hardcovers with European spines, Kindle eBooks, and Audible (+) for listening. This was a Memoria Press Classical Core Curriculum Third Grade and Simply Classical 5/6.

Mary Poppins is one of film's most loved characters. She is one of my favourite and I've watched the movie over and over again so many times since I was a child. It's a magical movie and Julie Andrews is just the perfect Mary Poppins.

I decided, after watching Saving Mr Banks, to buy the books. I got the whole set for around $20 and it's sat on my bookshelf for years. But since watching the trailer for the new Mary Poppins Returns movie coming out this year, I wanted to get stuck into it.

The first book, Mary Poppins is great! It was just as magical as I hoped it would be. PL Travers sets up a very unique personality for Mary Poppins and I loved her. I read every line in Julie Andrews voice.

One thing I noticed about this book though was, that it ended quite suddenly. One minute Jane and Michael were on an adventure with Mary Poppins and the next it had skipped to a couple of months ahead and she was leaving. However, it was a perfect ending.

Jane and Michael though, in the book were little brats. Especially Michael. It annoyed me how bratty PL Travers made him out to be. I think they cut that from the movie to make him a more likeable character. Mary Poppins though was quote arrogant herself but I love her so that's okay.

Most of the adventures they went on were missed from the movie so it was actually a nice surprise to read some of them, however bizarre and unrealistic.

All in all, this book was great and it will be added to the “reading to my children in the future” list.

If I'd read this book as a child, I'd have returned it without reading it, denying the main character of this book is the real Mary Poppins. Mary, in this book, is a sharp nanny, and she's skinny and self-absorbed. Not what I think of as Mary Poppins at all.

There's no denying she's the source of the movie and plays, but you could have fooled me.

I knew it wouldn't be like the Disney movie, but I was hoping it would be as good, if not better.  The second chapter was enjoyable and by far my favorite, but the rest of the book was not what I was expecting.  Mary Poppins is quarrelsome and extremely vain.  In fact, vanity seemed to be her defining characteristic.  The children were nothing but bland observers through the whole thing.  Somewhat less of an issue, but still disappointing, was the lack of a coherent story arc; it's just a series of unconnected vignettes.

I've always loved the movie, so I looked forward to this read very much. And much like the wind that carries Mary Poppins to her destinations, I was whisked away into the story at the opening lines. The narrative voice of P.L. Travers is cosy and knowledgeable, promising a strange and delightful story about the goings-on at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, “for this book is all about that particular house.” The differences caught me off guard at first, and I missed certain movie storylines and characterizations. Mary Poppins is far more stern and snappish in the book, and Bert plays a smaller role. The story format was a surprise as well. Similar to R. Kipling's The Jungle Book, it's more a collection of stories, with some chapters focused on other characters. Still, it's pure magic.

Travers explores the blurry line between reality and fantasy, with all the nonsense, fears, and delights therein. There are times when the story hints of danger, but when Mary Poppins is around, things aren't always as they appear. “There was something strange and extraordinary about her — something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting.” There are some truly lovely moments in the book, even a dash of the metaphysical. And why not? After all, here is woman who travels by wind, whose carpet bag is bigger on the inside, who speaks Baby, and who is distantly related to a snake (a symbol of wisdom and renewal). Tell me she's not a Time Lord.

This review is also posted on Great Minds Read Alike.

I started with Mary Poppins as part of a Classics Challenge that I set for myself. My goal is to read one classic per month... or perhaps every other month if I'm reading an especially long one.

Mary Poppins is a really fun children's book. I grew up loving the movie and decided to read the book after I recently watched Mary Poppins again. After reading, I was very impressed with Disney's ability to capture Mary Poppins' character - her loftiness but sweet quirk.

The story reads like each chapter is it's own short story, with each chapter containing a stand alone adventure where some bit of magic with Mary Poppins or due to Mary Poppins occurs. The stories are cleveryly written and provide an alternative to other “fairytale” children's books.

I wish I had read Mary Poppins as a child. I think I would have been enthralled. But I did not.. and my adult brain appreciates the magic and the wonder of the mystery that is Mary Poppins - she's very strict but “stumbles into” magic situations quite frequently with the children and won't quite let anyone really know her - but I do not think I will continue the series. I guess it is just a little too simple for my stupid adult brain.

On to the next classic...