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About the Sleeping Beauty
Five versions of the sleeping beauty tale are accompanied by the author's own version and an essay on the meaning of fairy tales, "The Sleeping Beauty" in particular.
111 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
P.L. Travers
82 books734 followersPamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian novelist, actress and journalist, popularly remembered for her series of children's novels about mystical nanny Mary Poppins.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed the underlying cause was sustained, heavy drinking".
Travers began to publish her poems while still a teenager and wrote for The Bulletin and Triad while also gaining a reputation as an actress. She toured Australia and New Zealand with a Shakespearean touring company before leaving for England in 1924. There she dedicated herself to writing under the pen name P. L. Travers.
In 1925 while in Ireland, Travers met the poet George William Russell who, as editor of The Irish Statesman, accepted some of her poems for publication. Through Russell, Travers met William Butler Yeats and other Irish poets who fostered her interest in and knowledge of world mythology. Later, the mystic Gurdjieff would have a great effect on her, as would also have on several other literary figures.
The 1934 publication of Mary Poppins was Travers' first literary success.Five sequels followed, as well as a collection of other novels, poetry collections and works of non-fiction.
The Disney musical adaptation was released in 1964. Primarily based on the first novel in what was then a sequence of four books, it also lifted elements from the sequel Mary Poppins Comes Back. Although Travers was an adviser to the production she disapproved of the dilution of the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins's character, felt ambivalent about the music and disliked the use of animation to such an extent that she ruled out any further adaptations of the later Mary Poppins novels. At the film's star-studded premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequence had to go. Disney responded by saying "Pamela, the ship has sailed." and walked away. Travers would never again agree to another Poppins/Disney adaptation, though Disney made several attempts to persuade her to change her mind.
So fervent was Travers' dislike of the Walt Disney adaptation and the way she felt she had been treated during the production, that well into her 90s, when she was approached by producer Cameron Mackintosh to do the stage musical, she only acquiesced upon the condition that only English born writers (and specifically no Americans) and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the creative process of the stage musical. This specifically excluded the Sherman Brothers from writing additional songs for the production even though they were still very prolific. Original songs and other aspects from the 1964 film were allowed to be incorporated into the production however. These points were stipulated in her last will and testament.
Travers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. She died in London in 1996.
Although Travers never married, she adopted a boy when she was in her late 30s.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed the underlying cause was sustained, heavy drinking".
Travers began to publish her poems while still a teenager and wrote for The Bulletin and Triad while also gaining a reputation as an actress. She toured Australia and New Zealand with a Shakespearean touring company before leaving for England in 1924. There she dedicated herself to writing under the pen name P. L. Travers.
In 1925 while in Ireland, Travers met the poet George William Russell who, as editor of The Irish Statesman, accepted some of her poems for publication. Through Russell, Travers met William Butler Yeats and other Irish poets who fostered her interest in and knowledge of world mythology. Later, the mystic Gurdjieff would have a great effect on her, as would also have on several other literary figures.
The 1934 publication of Mary Poppins was Travers' first literary success.Five sequels followed, as well as a collection of other novels, poetry collections and works of non-fiction.
The Disney musical adaptation was released in 1964. Primarily based on the first novel in what was then a sequence of four books, it also lifted elements from the sequel Mary Poppins Comes Back. Although Travers was an adviser to the production she disapproved of the dilution of the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins's character, felt ambivalent about the music and disliked the use of animation to such an extent that she ruled out any further adaptations of the later Mary Poppins novels. At the film's star-studded premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequence had to go. Disney responded by saying "Pamela, the ship has sailed." and walked away. Travers would never again agree to another Poppins/Disney adaptation, though Disney made several attempts to persuade her to change her mind.
So fervent was Travers' dislike of the Walt Disney adaptation and the way she felt she had been treated during the production, that well into her 90s, when she was approached by producer Cameron Mackintosh to do the stage musical, she only acquiesced upon the condition that only English born writers (and specifically no Americans) and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the creative process of the stage musical. This specifically excluded the Sherman Brothers from writing additional songs for the production even though they were still very prolific. Original songs and other aspects from the 1964 film were allowed to be incorporated into the production however. These points were stipulated in her last will and testament.
Travers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. She died in London in 1996.
Although Travers never married, she adopted a boy when she was in her late 30s.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 25, 2020
This short little book contains P.L. Travers' own version of this fairy tale (which sticks pretty close to the original, but changes the setting to a Middle-Eastern one), and then a collection of related fairy tales. It also includes her evaluative essay on the original fairy tale and the motif of "the sleeper" in fairy tales and folklore.
I really enjoyed this, both the essay and the fairy tales. I wish that I could read a book like this for every fairy tale.
"The way lay clear ahead now and the lovers walked it hand in hand, bringing what secrets they had learned down to the world of men. And so they came to the villages, to the towns and marketplaces, for it is only in the world of men that it is possible to live happily ever after."
I really enjoyed this, both the essay and the fairy tales. I wish that I could read a book like this for every fairy tale.
"The way lay clear ahead now and the lovers walked it hand in hand, bringing what secrets they had learned down to the world of men. And so they came to the villages, to the towns and marketplaces, for it is only in the world of men that it is possible to live happily ever after."
August 10, 2020
Six versions of/variations on the "Sleeping Beauty" theme, including Travers' version that incorporates key elements of the theme, and Travers' essay about fairy tales/myths/The Sleeping Beauty.
I actually enjoyed Travers' version of "The Sleeping Beauty" (which surprised me, since I haven't been loving her non-Mary Poppins stories...and even some of her Mary Poppins stories have rubbed me wrong), and "Dornroschen," "La Bella au Bois Dormant," and "Sole, Luna, e Talia," but "The Queen of Tubber Tintye" bored me and "The Petrified Mansion" was ho-hum.
I actually enjoyed Travers' version of "The Sleeping Beauty" (which surprised me, since I haven't been loving her non-Mary Poppins stories...and even some of her Mary Poppins stories have rubbed me wrong), and "Dornroschen," "La Bella au Bois Dormant," and "Sole, Luna, e Talia," but "The Queen of Tubber Tintye" bored me and "The Petrified Mansion" was ho-hum.
April 18, 2017
This is yet another forgotten work from the author of Mary Poppins. I am dedicating four posts on my blog to the analysis of this book. If you are interested click on the link in my bio to read the first part. I post weekly in the beginning of each week, so if you check in on Wednesdays you’ll be sure to find the subsequent three posts.
September 16, 2025
This was a fun read. There are 3 sections. The first is P.L. Travers' version of the Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale (she is better known as the creator of Mary Poppins). Section 2 is an essay by the author about Fairy Tales and talking a bit about the development of Fairy Tales. The final section is a compilation of several older versions of a Sleeping Beauty type story from different regions.
The Travers version was very fun. She changed the setting to an Arabian Nights type of location, which emphasized the universality of the fairy tale and explored the practical problems which come from a King outlawing spindles. I also felt that the emphasis on the King's greed being the cause of all the problems was good. All in all, a good story, and I have taken aspects of her version and begun incorporating them into my daughter's bedtime fairy tales.
I did enjoy the essay, although I was hoping it would be more similar to "On Fairy Stories" by Tolkien. She did spend some time talking about the development of Fairy Tales and their relationship with mythology, but mostly was just meditating on her own relationship with fairy tales. I did appreciate her point that fairy tales lie in the collective memories of humanity, which was underscored by the similar themes of the stories included in the next section.
As for the traditional tellings, it was fascinating reading them all at once. One could see the similarities and differences between them. Interestingly, many of them spend more time on what comes after the Sleeping Beauty is awoken and has to integrate into a Kingdom (usually with a King who already had a wife 😬).
Strikingly absent from this collection about the Sleeping Beauty is any reference at all to Disney's animation of the fairy tale, which was released 15 years before this book, and which Ms. Travers was no doubt aware. There are, of course, similarities between Mr. Disney's version and the others, but I am intrigued that he alone seems to have required some level of chivalry for the Prince, as opposed to the others which are more a result of good timing. The other major difference is that the Witch who curses Aurora in Disney's version is definitely an evil witch, whereas every version of the tale in this book she is not an evil witch, but a fairy who has been slighted and reacts as one might expect.
The Travers version was very fun. She changed the setting to an Arabian Nights type of location, which emphasized the universality of the fairy tale and explored the practical problems which come from a King outlawing spindles. I also felt that the emphasis on the King's greed being the cause of all the problems was good. All in all, a good story, and I have taken aspects of her version and begun incorporating them into my daughter's bedtime fairy tales.
I did enjoy the essay, although I was hoping it would be more similar to "On Fairy Stories" by Tolkien. She did spend some time talking about the development of Fairy Tales and their relationship with mythology, but mostly was just meditating on her own relationship with fairy tales. I did appreciate her point that fairy tales lie in the collective memories of humanity, which was underscored by the similar themes of the stories included in the next section.
As for the traditional tellings, it was fascinating reading them all at once. One could see the similarities and differences between them. Interestingly, many of them spend more time on what comes after the Sleeping Beauty is awoken and has to integrate into a Kingdom (usually with a King who already had a wife 😬).
Strikingly absent from this collection about the Sleeping Beauty is any reference at all to Disney's animation of the fairy tale, which was released 15 years before this book, and which Ms. Travers was no doubt aware. There are, of course, similarities between Mr. Disney's version and the others, but I am intrigued that he alone seems to have required some level of chivalry for the Prince, as opposed to the others which are more a result of good timing. The other major difference is that the Witch who curses Aurora in Disney's version is definitely an evil witch, whereas every version of the tale in this book she is not an evil witch, but a fairy who has been slighted and reacts as one might expect.
November 10, 2023
I came across this obscure little book by the author of Mary Poppins when I was volunteering at the public library and perusing the discards. Here, Travers presents her own retelling of the myth of Sleeping Beauty, followed by a short essay on fairy tales in general and this one in particular. The last half of the book is a collection of various "sleeper" stories from around the world.
"the shock they [fairy tales] give us when we first hear them is not one of surprise but of recognition. Things long unknowingly known have suddenly been remembered."
"fairy tales never explain. But we should not let ourselves be fooled by their apparent simplicity. It is their role to say much in little. And not to explain is to set up in the hearer or the reader an inner friction in which one question inevitably leads to another and the answers that come are never conclusions. They never exhaust the meaning."
"the shock they [fairy tales] give us when we first hear them is not one of surprise but of recognition. Things long unknowingly known have suddenly been remembered."
"fairy tales never explain. But we should not let ourselves be fooled by their apparent simplicity. It is their role to say much in little. And not to explain is to set up in the hearer or the reader an inner friction in which one question inevitably leads to another and the answers that come are never conclusions. They never exhaust the meaning."
July 18, 2025
I clearly had never read any other version than Grimm's, so that was an unsettling time for me here. Travers' version is very close to Grimm's but in a Middle-Eastern setting and expanded on. A passing thought from Grimm's becomes several sentences/pages in her story.
The afterward was really not that exceptional to me, I didn't think there was too much insightful commentary there.
The other versions of Sleeping Beauty, hoo boy, do they have someinteresting concerning things to say. To be fair, the cannibalism and rape are most of it.
The afterward was really not that exceptional to me, I didn't think there was too much insightful commentary there.
The other versions of Sleeping Beauty, hoo boy, do they have some
January 12, 2021
Not what I was expecting, I guess I was thinking this would be more like the Uses of Enchantment. Instead there is a version of Sleeping Beauty that Travers wrote (so/so) and four international versions of the same sleeping myth. There is a "afterward" that Travers included where she talks about the history and uses of this particular myth, it was well written and informative - I took a few notes to add to my collection but I don't need to keep the book.
May 2, 2012
Written by the author who created Mary Poppins, these short fairy tales are different re-tellings of the Sleeping Beauty story. In between stories, the author inserts an analytical viewpoint of this tale: why one of the most passive heroines ever written is her favorite, why the evil fairy who curses her isn’t so evil and why this one prince is fated to rescue her when so many others have failed dismally.
The insertion is surprisingly insightful and offers new ideas about Sleeping Beauty that make her out to be more than a pretty face snoring away on a bed. I was delighted to have my indifference over this languid beauty altered and found myself adding my own thoughts about this story. For instance, the princess is drawn on to her fate by the idea that something is missing from her life and that she needs it to make herself complete. Then she PRICKs her finger on a spindle that draws blood. Well, the sexual subtext of that is so obvious; you hardly need Anne Rice to clarify it for you.
Like any decent children’s story, this book comes with illustrations, here by Charles Keeping: detailed yet delicate line drawings in black awash with lurid color. They convey a charming fragility as well as hues hinting of waiting passion.
The insertion is surprisingly insightful and offers new ideas about Sleeping Beauty that make her out to be more than a pretty face snoring away on a bed. I was delighted to have my indifference over this languid beauty altered and found myself adding my own thoughts about this story. For instance, the princess is drawn on to her fate by the idea that something is missing from her life and that she needs it to make herself complete. Then she PRICKs her finger on a spindle that draws blood. Well, the sexual subtext of that is so obvious; you hardly need Anne Rice to clarify it for you.
Like any decent children’s story, this book comes with illustrations, here by Charles Keeping: detailed yet delicate line drawings in black awash with lurid color. They convey a charming fragility as well as hues hinting of waiting passion.
August 11, 2016
Ever since seeing Saving Mr.Banks, I have been thinking about P. L. Travers. I do wish her biography was available in this country. I spent the weekend at Pendle Hill and this book was in their library. I had no idea that Travers had any interest in fairy tales, although I should not be surprised.
This is Traver's version, of Sleeping Beauty along with five other versions and a short essay. I realize this was put together for kids, but I can't imagine picking this book up when I was in my fairy tale phase as a child. The cover is not appealing and the essay would have confused me.
At this point in my life, this was a quick, amusing read. I know the story of Sleeping Beauty quite well, but there were some new twists. Travers' brief explanation was also enlightening. I would recommend the stories to children and the essay to anyone interested in story and storytelling.
This is Traver's version, of Sleeping Beauty along with five other versions and a short essay. I realize this was put together for kids, but I can't imagine picking this book up when I was in my fairy tale phase as a child. The cover is not appealing and the essay would have confused me.
At this point in my life, this was a quick, amusing read. I know the story of Sleeping Beauty quite well, but there were some new twists. Travers' brief explanation was also enlightening. I would recommend the stories to children and the essay to anyone interested in story and storytelling.
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July 25, 20112004- This slim read by the writer of the ""Mary Poppins"" book leaves a bit to be desired. It starts off with the author's own version of Sleeping Beauty and has five other tales from different countries and time periods. In between Travers' version and the others, there is an essay about Sleeping Beauty and fairy tales. Nothing in the essay was anything that will surprise or really intrigue the reader. I think there are better essays and collections of fairy tales out there.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews