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Mary Poppins #1-6
Mary Poppins: The Complete Collection
This fantastic omnibus edition contains all six original Mary Poppins stories: Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Comes Back, Mary Poppins Opens the Door, Mary Poppins in the Park, Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane, Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (2-in-1 edition). All magical children's classics.
When their new nanny, Mary Poppins, arrives on a gust of the East Wind, greets their mother, and slides up the banister, Jane and Michael's lives are turned magically upside down. Familiar to anyone who has seen the film or the West End adaptation, you can now read all six of these wonderfully original tales about Jane and Michael's adventures with the magical Mary Poppins. Mary takes the children on the most extraordinary outings: to a fun fair inside a pavement picture; to visit Uncle Andrew who floats up to the ceiling when he laughs; on a spectacular trip to see the Man-in-the-Moon! With her strict but fair, no-nonsense attitude, combined with amazing magical powers, things are never straightforward with Mary Poppins! But she has only promised to stay until the wind changes!
When their new nanny, Mary Poppins, arrives on a gust of the East Wind, greets their mother, and slides up the banister, Jane and Michael's lives are turned magically upside down. Familiar to anyone who has seen the film or the West End adaptation, you can now read all six of these wonderfully original tales about Jane and Michael's adventures with the magical Mary Poppins. Mary takes the children on the most extraordinary outings: to a fun fair inside a pavement picture; to visit Uncle Andrew who floats up to the ceiling when he laughs; on a spectacular trip to see the Man-in-the-Moon! With her strict but fair, no-nonsense attitude, combined with amazing magical powers, things are never straightforward with Mary Poppins! But she has only promised to stay until the wind changes!
768 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
297 people are currently reading
2770 people want to read
About the author
P.L. Travers
64 books730 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 - 30 of 127 reviews
April 15, 2014
Mary is rude. She's vain. She is cousin to a snake. My point is - she is no Julie Andrews. Although she is cranky and snippy, she is also firm, fair, and compassionate. This is exactly why children are drawn to her. She is real and yet also magical. Disney still got it wrong but I'm looking forward to viewing the movie about what Ms. Travers thought about it all.
In reading this book only because I wanted to know how it was written before watching the movie mentioned above ... I discovered another book to add to my favorites. I would most likely never have discovered this book (having seen the movie as a child I would have written the book off as a waste of time) had it not been for the movie. I would not have discovered that it is so much more than a simple children's storybook. THAT is what book related movies are good for. <-- prepositional protest ending
In reading this book only because I wanted to know how it was written before watching the movie mentioned above ... I discovered another book to add to my favorites. I would most likely never have discovered this book (having seen the movie as a child I would have written the book off as a waste of time) had it not been for the movie. I would not have discovered that it is so much more than a simple children's storybook. THAT is what book related movies are good for. <-- prepositional protest ending
June 9, 2014
This one is the complete edition with all six books in one, and I recommend reading all of them together. Why? because at first you will detest Mary Poppins, she is unpleasant, conceited, overbearing, full of herself, insufferable; absolutely nothing like the Mary Poppins in the film. After the first book I couldn't understand why Michael and Jane liked her so much, I couldn't understand why the books have endured for nearly 80 years, and I really really wanted to rate it a 2 out of 5.
And then you read the rest and realize the Banks children love her because she gives them things to think about, she's full of mystery and she takes them on adventures. She disciplines them, but they love her because she is simply just fun. And admittedly her heart is probably in the right place. And this is why the books have endured with real children throughout the world. Ideally they should be read when one is young when one still has a sense of wonder.
The book isn't much like the movie, it has few or little songs, there is no mention of supercalafrajalisticexpielidotious. She is magical, but she does errands like mere mortals, toys don't jump into trunks and there is no spoon full of sugar to make the medicine go down. And that's a good thing.
On a side note, since this is a six-in-one edition maybe I should list them separately. I am seven books behind my reading target hah.
And then you read the rest and realize the Banks children love her because she gives them things to think about, she's full of mystery and she takes them on adventures. She disciplines them, but they love her because she is simply just fun. And admittedly her heart is probably in the right place. And this is why the books have endured with real children throughout the world. Ideally they should be read when one is young when one still has a sense of wonder.
The book isn't much like the movie, it has few or little songs, there is no mention of supercalafrajalisticexpielidotious. She is magical, but she does errands like mere mortals, toys don't jump into trunks and there is no spoon full of sugar to make the medicine go down. And that's a good thing.
On a side note, since this is a six-in-one edition maybe I should list them separately. I am seven books behind my reading target hah.
June 28, 2014
Book one in the collection is the Mary Poppins I grew up with from the movie. Loved her. Then as I read further I felt more and more unsettled with some of the concepts and the darkness coming through. I put it aside for months, thinking I may come back and read the final book, but it have no desire to do so yet. Maybe one day I will return. I alternated between boredom and a deep sense of unease.
To be honest if I had young folk in my life I would show them the movie till the DVD wore out, till they knew the songs back to front, inside out and upside down, but I would not recommend the book to them. I think that is the first time I have felt that way about a book. But I think Mary Poppins as a book has outlived her life, and the movie has taken over and made her better.
To be honest if I had young folk in my life I would show them the movie till the DVD wore out, till they knew the songs back to front, inside out and upside down, but I would not recommend the book to them. I think that is the first time I have felt that way about a book. But I think Mary Poppins as a book has outlived her life, and the movie has taken over and made her better.
June 15, 2014
If you grew up watching the Disney classic by the same name, like myself you might have expectations for this book. Ditch them all and treat yourself to what is a GREAT READ . I cannot stress enough that this is NOTHING like the Disney movie of the same name, but it is a great read - especially if you leave your mind open. As it describes the adventures Jane, Michael & the twins go on with Mary, a VERY vain and rather crude woman, it does allude to certain possibilities and worlds that most of us either think impossible -or think of not at all.
For example, Mary can hear the wind and speak to animals - surely there are people which similar talents in existence. When Michael wonders aloud what happens at the zoo after hours and finds himself with prime seating to find out: it may be far-fetched but surely if we humans weren't so lucky as to be in charge it could very well be the case! Without any spoilers I will just say, read the book - and you will enjoy it all the more if you set aside and pre-conceived notions Disney may have caused and keep an open mind. A short, good, adventurous, thought-provoking read.
For example, Mary can hear the wind and speak to animals - surely there are people which similar talents in existence. When Michael wonders aloud what happens at the zoo after hours and finds himself with prime seating to find out: it may be far-fetched but surely if we humans weren't so lucky as to be in charge it could very well be the case! Without any spoilers I will just say, read the book - and you will enjoy it all the more if you set aside and pre-conceived notions Disney may have caused and keep an open mind. A short, good, adventurous, thought-provoking read.
September 20, 2016
Went slowly downhill a-la the Anne of Green Gables series. Became repetitive but I still really liked the cranky old magical cow.
February 5, 2022
I really really enjoyed this book. I had never read it before, I had only seen the movie. The book contains many more adventures than the movie. Also, Mary seems quite stern. LOL!
October 17, 2020
I vaguely remember watching Mary Poppins as a child. It’s funny how the older we grow, the lesser we tend to gravitate towards fantasy. I like rereading books from my childhood as they give me a fresh perspective. I notice things I didn’t before and in doing so, it helps me understand myself more. This is a book I would recommend kids to read as the language is quite delightful and so are the little adventures
March 30, 2016
3.5 Stars.
The Mary Poppins complete collection is a rollercoaster ride of a book. It features one of my most beloved characters, Mary Poppins, who is so unique and so interesting to read about. It features a family that you grow more and more infatuated with as the chapters progress.
It also has a host of side characters that vary from the mildly interesting to bland recurring nuisances. By the end of the novel I was just about ready to crack it every time Fred the Park Keeper appeared on the page. The same goes for the Policeman and Admiral Boom. Sadly, when it comes to the shortcomings of these stories, dull and repetitious characters are the just the tip of the iceberg.
Between the magical and intriguing gems that can be found throughout the six Mary Poppins books, there happens to be a lot of boring, repetitive filler that P. L. Travers regurgitated onto the page over and over again. For instance...
How many magical old women will sell the children something that is more than it seems?
Over the course of the first three novels we met Mrs. Corry with her gingerbread stars, The Balloon Woman with her personalized flying balloons, and Miss Calico, with her peppermint sticks that are actually flying horses (written remarkably similar to the balloon story...)
How many times will the children sneak out at night to find some congregation of magical people and/or creatures in the park or elsewhere?
- The first novel had the giant zoo party (ending in a dance).
- The second novel had the constellation circus (ending in a dance).
- The third novel featured both the magical gathering of sea creatures (ending in a dance) and the book characters and toys of the world congregating in the park (of course, ending in a dance).
- The fourth novel contains a party, in the park, consisting of peoples' escaped shadows. (Guess what? They dance.)
How many quirky relatives of Mary Poppins have a curse that activates on a certain kind of day?
- There's the lovable Uncle Arthur Wigg, who laughs himself to the ceiling every time his birthday falls on a Friday. He has a grumpy housekeeper who is shocked to witness this phenomenon.
- There's Mr. Turvey, whose world is turned upside down on the second Monday of the month. He has a grumpy housekeeper who is shocked to witness this phenomenon. Though she distinguishes herself from the others by accepting it and having a change of temperament.
- We're then introduced to Mr. Fred Twigley, Mary's cousin, whose wishes come true so long as it is "the first New Moon after the Second Wet Sunday, after the Third of May." He has a grumpy housekeeper intent on marrying him. She knows about his wishes, but is shocked when he uses them to spin her in a jewelry box. She wanted him to give her a golden castle.
- In the fourth book we meet Mary's other cousin, Mr. Mo, who is not cursed, but does somehow live in a plasticine park. And he's struggling with a grumpy woman demanding to be his wife. She wants him to build her a castle. Wait, wait, I've heard this one before...
And of course there's the chapters in which the children behave badly on a particular day of the week and are taught a lesson by being dragged into some magical world (alone), only to be saved by Mary Poppins at the last minute. Bad Tuesday, Bad Wednesday, Lucky Thursday... though at least these differ to some degree in the foes the children are made to face.
Then there's the typical filler chapter of each novel, in which P. L. Travers, bored of her usual characters, attempts to tell a fairy tale. These are by far my least favourite part of each Mary Poppins novel. The loveable characters you've grown accustom to are replaced by dull, limited-time-only, types. The Dancing Cow, Robertson Ay's Story, The Cat That Looked At A King, and Every Goose A Swan, in each of the four novels respectively. All left me rather unimpressed and impatient to get to the next chapter.
Each book inevitably includes some mention of stars, constellations and figures of Greek/Roman mythology. This didn't bother me so much, as each time it was approched in a different way. A child Christmas shopping, a trip into space, a statue coming to life and a Midsummer's Eve excursion to collect herbs. It was well done.
If I have children one day, I'm sure I'll read them these stories. But I'll break it up one chapter at a time, with other books in between. Because I honestly don't know how children could stay focused on characters that never develop, and chapters that drag on an on about something alarmingly similar to something they read a week before.
Despite it all, I still enjoyed this collection. In fact, I loved certain parts, and found it captured my imagination. But... overall? I just plain liked it. Had it not been stuffed full with so much filler, it would have been four stars. Sadly, there were just too many bland characters and chapters to save the good parts.
The Mary Poppins complete collection is a rollercoaster ride of a book. It features one of my most beloved characters, Mary Poppins, who is so unique and so interesting to read about. It features a family that you grow more and more infatuated with as the chapters progress.
It also has a host of side characters that vary from the mildly interesting to bland recurring nuisances. By the end of the novel I was just about ready to crack it every time Fred the Park Keeper appeared on the page. The same goes for the Policeman and Admiral Boom. Sadly, when it comes to the shortcomings of these stories, dull and repetitious characters are the just the tip of the iceberg.
Between the magical and intriguing gems that can be found throughout the six Mary Poppins books, there happens to be a lot of boring, repetitive filler that P. L. Travers regurgitated onto the page over and over again. For instance...
How many magical old women will sell the children something that is more than it seems?
Over the course of the first three novels we met Mrs. Corry with her gingerbread stars, The Balloon Woman with her personalized flying balloons, and Miss Calico, with her peppermint sticks that are actually flying horses (written remarkably similar to the balloon story...)
How many times will the children sneak out at night to find some congregation of magical people and/or creatures in the park or elsewhere?
- The first novel had the giant zoo party (ending in a dance).
- The second novel had the constellation circus (ending in a dance).
- The third novel featured both the magical gathering of sea creatures (ending in a dance) and the book characters and toys of the world congregating in the park (of course, ending in a dance).
- The fourth novel contains a party, in the park, consisting of peoples' escaped shadows. (Guess what? They dance.)
How many quirky relatives of Mary Poppins have a curse that activates on a certain kind of day?
- There's the lovable Uncle Arthur Wigg, who laughs himself to the ceiling every time his birthday falls on a Friday. He has a grumpy housekeeper who is shocked to witness this phenomenon.
- There's Mr. Turvey, whose world is turned upside down on the second Monday of the month. He has a grumpy housekeeper who is shocked to witness this phenomenon. Though she distinguishes herself from the others by accepting it and having a change of temperament.
- We're then introduced to Mr. Fred Twigley, Mary's cousin, whose wishes come true so long as it is "the first New Moon after the Second Wet Sunday, after the Third of May." He has a grumpy housekeeper intent on marrying him. She knows about his wishes, but is shocked when he uses them to spin her in a jewelry box. She wanted him to give her a golden castle.
- In the fourth book we meet Mary's other cousin, Mr. Mo, who is not cursed, but does somehow live in a plasticine park. And he's struggling with a grumpy woman demanding to be his wife. She wants him to build her a castle. Wait, wait, I've heard this one before...
And of course there's the chapters in which the children behave badly on a particular day of the week and are taught a lesson by being dragged into some magical world (alone), only to be saved by Mary Poppins at the last minute. Bad Tuesday, Bad Wednesday, Lucky Thursday... though at least these differ to some degree in the foes the children are made to face.
Then there's the typical filler chapter of each novel, in which P. L. Travers, bored of her usual characters, attempts to tell a fairy tale. These are by far my least favourite part of each Mary Poppins novel. The loveable characters you've grown accustom to are replaced by dull, limited-time-only, types. The Dancing Cow, Robertson Ay's Story, The Cat That Looked At A King, and Every Goose A Swan, in each of the four novels respectively. All left me rather unimpressed and impatient to get to the next chapter.
Each book inevitably includes some mention of stars, constellations and figures of Greek/Roman mythology. This didn't bother me so much, as each time it was approched in a different way. A child Christmas shopping, a trip into space, a statue coming to life and a Midsummer's Eve excursion to collect herbs. It was well done.
If I have children one day, I'm sure I'll read them these stories. But I'll break it up one chapter at a time, with other books in between. Because I honestly don't know how children could stay focused on characters that never develop, and chapters that drag on an on about something alarmingly similar to something they read a week before.
Despite it all, I still enjoyed this collection. In fact, I loved certain parts, and found it captured my imagination. But... overall? I just plain liked it. Had it not been stuffed full with so much filler, it would have been four stars. Sadly, there were just too many bland characters and chapters to save the good parts.
November 23, 2019
23-11-19
Well. Review to come on THIS one. Yeesshhh ...
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Well. Review to come on THIS one. Yeesshhh ...
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July 13, 2025
This was a compilation of P.L. Travers six books of Mary Poppins.
I have enjoyed the stories of Mary Poppins since my childhood. Imaging myself with these characteristics of Mary Poppins: able to fly, being "practically perfect in everyday". Also, I would have a magic carpet bag where I could reach in and pull out the exact item needed that would be useful in every situation.
Even though Mary Poppins was always standoffish, self-absorbed and a bit harsh at times, she seemed to intuit what the Banks' children needed. She was there for them.
Some of my favorite stories:
East Wing
The Bird Woman
Christmas Shopping
Bad Wednesday
Topsy Turvy
Balloons and Balloons
Merry-go-round
The Fifth of November
The Cat that Looked like a King
High Tide
Every Goose a Swan
Summary: https://quietandbusy.blogspot.com/201...
The plot of Mary Poppins is very simple. At the beginning of the story, we learn that the Banks family of Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane, are in need of a new nanny. Luckily for them, a wind from the east blows the enigmatic Mary Poppins to their doorstep. Mrs. Banks hires her on immediately and she begins taking care of the children. In her charge are Jane and Michael, the two eldest, and little John and Barbara, who are infant twins.
Jane and Michael soon learn the Mary Poppins isn't an ordinary nanny. She can slide up banisters, pull a never-ending amount of bulky objects out of her carpetbag, speak to animals, travel long distances in the blink of an eye, and even fly. Her personality is quite prickly and she demands perfect obedience from the children. Mary doesn't play games, speak encouraging words, or flatter Jane and Michael. Rather, she treats them in a very no-nonsense and, at times, condescending manner. Despite her outward harshness, the children are fascinated with her magical abilities. She takes them on several fantastic adventures throughout the course of the book. However, at the conclusion of these adventures Mary refuses to acknowledge that they ever happened at all, leaving the children wondering if what they experienced was real, or some sort of dream. When the wind changes directions and blows from the west, Mary opens her umbrella and flies away with no ceremony, devastating Jane and Michael, who had grown to love her. They story does end on hope though - Mary leaves a note behind with a vague promise to return one day.
Each chapter in Mary Poppins is a self-contained little adventure, making this a good choice for parents to read as a bedtime story to their kids. There isn't really any connection between the tales at all aside from the fact that they star the same characters. While this strategy gives the novel an old-fashioned storybook feel, it also makes it disjointed and shallow. Aside from a few witty one-liners, I didn't find much to sink my teeth into. There didn't appear to be one major theme or lesson present in the work, except perhaps the idea that magic could be hiding in the most mundane places, and we ought to pay better attention. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that there isn't a whole lot for an adult audience to enjoy. This is true children's literature.
That being said, the adventures that Mary brings the Banks children on are very creative and fun to read. During their time with Mary, Jane and Michael get to have a tea party on the ceiling, travel to the four corners of the globe in the space of a few minutes, visit a zoo where the animals walk free and the humans are in cages, and meet one of the Pleiades from Greek mythology, among other things. Most of these stories are all wondrous fun, but a few have some oddly dark tones to them. One such adventure is when the children visit Mrs. Corry's shop. Mrs. Corry is a little wizened old woman that runs a sweets shop with her two giantess daughters. Her relationship with her daughters is terrible. She mercilessly ridicules them in front of customers until they break down in tears. Seeing the emotional abuse going on actually made me uncomfortable, but Travers glosses over it as if it's nothing. During the children's visit with Mrs. Corry, she breaks off two of her fingers to feed to John and Barbara, claiming that they taste like a different type of sweet each day. Her fingers regrow immediately, and she confesses to nibbling on them herself from time to time if she gets hungry. Later in the chapter, Jane and Michael spy her sticking stars up in the night sky with Mary. Nothing further about her is ever explained, because Mary always refuses to discuss anything magical that happens with the children, so the character remains a weird, dark mystery. Odd little chapters like that make the novel quite unique and a little unsettling.
A classic children's novel full of odd adventures, iconic characters, and magical moments would normally earn high praise from me. However, in the case of Mary Poppins, I have to admit that Mary's demeanor irked me. It wasn't that she was tough, or strict, or had high expectations for the kids. It was that she was mean. For example, once she told Michael that, "the very sight of him was more than any self-respecting person could be expected to stand," among other insults. In fact, she never seemed to have a nice word to say to anyone. I found myself wishing that she'd bend just a little and show some outward affection for the kids, who so obviously loved her to bits, but she didn't. I understand that her standoffish attitude is part of her eccentricity as a character, but I wasn't a fan of it. She was a little too tough for me.
Analysis of the Character of Mary Poppins: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mary...
The Banks children—Jane, Michael, and the twins, John and Barbara—live at 17 Cherry-Tree Lane in London with their parents. When their nanny leaves, her replacement arrives one evening borne on the east wind. Mary Poppins is vain and often irritable, but within her stern exterior lurk all kinds of delightful wonder. She can slide up banisters, float in the air, step into pictures, stick stars on the sky, and talk to animals. Mary takes the Banks children on a series of magical adventures, such as using a magical compass to travel around the world.
However, Mary also firmly believes in good behaviour, and disobedience is punished. The children nonetheless adore her. She is not distant and neglectful like their parents, and they find safety within the caring discipline that she brings to their lives. Perhaps most important, her ordered world still allows for exploration and excitement. Notably, when Mary’s birthday coincides with a full moon, the children visit the zoo, and the cages are full of people while the animals wander around looking at them.
P.L. Travers (born August 9, 1899, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia—died April 23, 1996, London, England) was an Australian English writer known for her Mary Poppins books, about a magical nanny. The books insightfully explored the fraught relationship between children and adults through a combination of mythological allusion and biting social critique.
Travers’s second book, Mary Poppins (1934), about a supernatural nanny who arrives on the wind to take charge of the Banks children, was an immediate international success. The further adventures of Poppins and her charges were related in Mary Poppins Comes Back (1935), Mary Poppins Opens the Door (1943), Mary Poppins in the Park (1952), Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane (1982), and Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (1988). Poppins also appeared in Mary Poppins from A to Z (1962), which was later translated into Latin, and Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story (1975).
Poppins, who had first appeared in a 1926 short story, was a brusque, efficient caretaker who brooked little nonsense from her two charges or from their parents. Vain and caustic, she nonetheless enraptured the Banks children by granting them entrée to her magical, often Dionysian, world. She could fly, talk to animals and astrological bodies, and change the seasons. Travers made a point of noting that she did not write specifically for children, dismissing the category of children’s literature as unnecessary. Poppins’s playful warping of reality and anarchic dismissal of unnecessary rules argued for the lifelong significance of myth and fantasy and against the artificial construction of childhood as a finite period. In later years, Travers came to see Poppins as an embodiment of a mother goddess.
I have enjoyed the stories of Mary Poppins since my childhood. Imaging myself with these characteristics of Mary Poppins: able to fly, being "practically perfect in everyday". Also, I would have a magic carpet bag where I could reach in and pull out the exact item needed that would be useful in every situation.
Even though Mary Poppins was always standoffish, self-absorbed and a bit harsh at times, she seemed to intuit what the Banks' children needed. She was there for them.
Some of my favorite stories:
East Wing
The Bird Woman
Christmas Shopping
Bad Wednesday
Topsy Turvy
Balloons and Balloons
Merry-go-round
The Fifth of November
The Cat that Looked like a King
High Tide
Every Goose a Swan
Summary: https://quietandbusy.blogspot.com/201...
The plot of Mary Poppins is very simple. At the beginning of the story, we learn that the Banks family of Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane, are in need of a new nanny. Luckily for them, a wind from the east blows the enigmatic Mary Poppins to their doorstep. Mrs. Banks hires her on immediately and she begins taking care of the children. In her charge are Jane and Michael, the two eldest, and little John and Barbara, who are infant twins.
Jane and Michael soon learn the Mary Poppins isn't an ordinary nanny. She can slide up banisters, pull a never-ending amount of bulky objects out of her carpetbag, speak to animals, travel long distances in the blink of an eye, and even fly. Her personality is quite prickly and she demands perfect obedience from the children. Mary doesn't play games, speak encouraging words, or flatter Jane and Michael. Rather, she treats them in a very no-nonsense and, at times, condescending manner. Despite her outward harshness, the children are fascinated with her magical abilities. She takes them on several fantastic adventures throughout the course of the book. However, at the conclusion of these adventures Mary refuses to acknowledge that they ever happened at all, leaving the children wondering if what they experienced was real, or some sort of dream. When the wind changes directions and blows from the west, Mary opens her umbrella and flies away with no ceremony, devastating Jane and Michael, who had grown to love her. They story does end on hope though - Mary leaves a note behind with a vague promise to return one day.
Each chapter in Mary Poppins is a self-contained little adventure, making this a good choice for parents to read as a bedtime story to their kids. There isn't really any connection between the tales at all aside from the fact that they star the same characters. While this strategy gives the novel an old-fashioned storybook feel, it also makes it disjointed and shallow. Aside from a few witty one-liners, I didn't find much to sink my teeth into. There didn't appear to be one major theme or lesson present in the work, except perhaps the idea that magic could be hiding in the most mundane places, and we ought to pay better attention. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that there isn't a whole lot for an adult audience to enjoy. This is true children's literature.
That being said, the adventures that Mary brings the Banks children on are very creative and fun to read. During their time with Mary, Jane and Michael get to have a tea party on the ceiling, travel to the four corners of the globe in the space of a few minutes, visit a zoo where the animals walk free and the humans are in cages, and meet one of the Pleiades from Greek mythology, among other things. Most of these stories are all wondrous fun, but a few have some oddly dark tones to them. One such adventure is when the children visit Mrs. Corry's shop. Mrs. Corry is a little wizened old woman that runs a sweets shop with her two giantess daughters. Her relationship with her daughters is terrible. She mercilessly ridicules them in front of customers until they break down in tears. Seeing the emotional abuse going on actually made me uncomfortable, but Travers glosses over it as if it's nothing. During the children's visit with Mrs. Corry, she breaks off two of her fingers to feed to John and Barbara, claiming that they taste like a different type of sweet each day. Her fingers regrow immediately, and she confesses to nibbling on them herself from time to time if she gets hungry. Later in the chapter, Jane and Michael spy her sticking stars up in the night sky with Mary. Nothing further about her is ever explained, because Mary always refuses to discuss anything magical that happens with the children, so the character remains a weird, dark mystery. Odd little chapters like that make the novel quite unique and a little unsettling.
A classic children's novel full of odd adventures, iconic characters, and magical moments would normally earn high praise from me. However, in the case of Mary Poppins, I have to admit that Mary's demeanor irked me. It wasn't that she was tough, or strict, or had high expectations for the kids. It was that she was mean. For example, once she told Michael that, "the very sight of him was more than any self-respecting person could be expected to stand," among other insults. In fact, she never seemed to have a nice word to say to anyone. I found myself wishing that she'd bend just a little and show some outward affection for the kids, who so obviously loved her to bits, but she didn't. I understand that her standoffish attitude is part of her eccentricity as a character, but I wasn't a fan of it. She was a little too tough for me.
Analysis of the Character of Mary Poppins: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mary...
The Banks children—Jane, Michael, and the twins, John and Barbara—live at 17 Cherry-Tree Lane in London with their parents. When their nanny leaves, her replacement arrives one evening borne on the east wind. Mary Poppins is vain and often irritable, but within her stern exterior lurk all kinds of delightful wonder. She can slide up banisters, float in the air, step into pictures, stick stars on the sky, and talk to animals. Mary takes the Banks children on a series of magical adventures, such as using a magical compass to travel around the world.
However, Mary also firmly believes in good behaviour, and disobedience is punished. The children nonetheless adore her. She is not distant and neglectful like their parents, and they find safety within the caring discipline that she brings to their lives. Perhaps most important, her ordered world still allows for exploration and excitement. Notably, when Mary’s birthday coincides with a full moon, the children visit the zoo, and the cages are full of people while the animals wander around looking at them.
P.L. Travers (born August 9, 1899, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia—died April 23, 1996, London, England) was an Australian English writer known for her Mary Poppins books, about a magical nanny. The books insightfully explored the fraught relationship between children and adults through a combination of mythological allusion and biting social critique.
Travers’s second book, Mary Poppins (1934), about a supernatural nanny who arrives on the wind to take charge of the Banks children, was an immediate international success. The further adventures of Poppins and her charges were related in Mary Poppins Comes Back (1935), Mary Poppins Opens the Door (1943), Mary Poppins in the Park (1952), Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane (1982), and Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (1988). Poppins also appeared in Mary Poppins from A to Z (1962), which was later translated into Latin, and Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story (1975).
Poppins, who had first appeared in a 1926 short story, was a brusque, efficient caretaker who brooked little nonsense from her two charges or from their parents. Vain and caustic, she nonetheless enraptured the Banks children by granting them entrée to her magical, often Dionysian, world. She could fly, talk to animals and astrological bodies, and change the seasons. Travers made a point of noting that she did not write specifically for children, dismissing the category of children’s literature as unnecessary. Poppins’s playful warping of reality and anarchic dismissal of unnecessary rules argued for the lifelong significance of myth and fantasy and against the artificial construction of childhood as a finite period. In later years, Travers came to see Poppins as an embodiment of a mother goddess.
June 2, 2014
Mary Poppins books are actually a series. In the first book is where she is introduced and you learn all about her. She is practically perfect in every way. She gets brought to the house of the Banks by a gust of the east wind. At the Bank’s residence is where she becomes the nanny for Jane and Michael. Along the way they meet up with a chimney sweep named Bert. When Mary first arrives the children are out of control and had just made a nanny quit, they weren’t very well behaved at all. Mary shows them how to clean up and have fun while doing it. Mary in the book though is a little bit sassier than in the movie. None the less Mary, Jane, Michael, and Bert all go on an adventure through a drawing made of chalk by Bert. They dance, sing, play, and have tea party too! All along the way they all have a wonderful time with each other. By the time they return home Jane and Michael are much better behaved and Mr. Banks is very pleased by that!
I would recommend this book to just about anyone. It is a very feel good happy book. It is a very easy read. Although honestly I would recommend the movie over the book. They are almost identical but have a few differences with the view of Mary Poppins herself. If you like happy go lucky films with a little bit of magic I would definitely recommend this book for you. Also if you like books that are in a series that involve the same characters but different adventures then this is also the book for you. This is a series book of Mary, Jane, and Michael’s adventures. I also think younger kids would be interested in this book as well due to the magical aspect.
Overall I enjoyed the book. However I thought that the movie was a little bit more enjoyable because it made Mary seem nicer. Also when she sings you can hear her lovely voice. For the most part the book is just like the movie. Personally I enjoyed the movie better. In the book she is more vain and selfish where in the movie although still stern she is more cheerful and kind. In the book she almost denies her magical abilities to the children and scolds them more for their bad behavior. I personally don’t like that. So for me the book wasn’t as good as I had thought but I did still enjoy it! I would just recommend the movie more
I would recommend this book to just about anyone. It is a very feel good happy book. It is a very easy read. Although honestly I would recommend the movie over the book. They are almost identical but have a few differences with the view of Mary Poppins herself. If you like happy go lucky films with a little bit of magic I would definitely recommend this book for you. Also if you like books that are in a series that involve the same characters but different adventures then this is also the book for you. This is a series book of Mary, Jane, and Michael’s adventures. I also think younger kids would be interested in this book as well due to the magical aspect.
Overall I enjoyed the book. However I thought that the movie was a little bit more enjoyable because it made Mary seem nicer. Also when she sings you can hear her lovely voice. For the most part the book is just like the movie. Personally I enjoyed the movie better. In the book she is more vain and selfish where in the movie although still stern she is more cheerful and kind. In the book she almost denies her magical abilities to the children and scolds them more for their bad behavior. I personally don’t like that. So for me the book wasn’t as good as I had thought but I did still enjoy it! I would just recommend the movie more
January 14, 2019
I think it was 1975 when I last read P L Travers' Mary Poppins books from the public library (and I believe the public library had only just the first 2 books then). Thus, reading all the 6 books now was very refreshing, as I have completely forgotten everything.
My brain has been completely infected by Walt Disney's film, and I have watched the film multiple times over the past 40 years. So it was quite astonishing on reading the original books now that the book version of Mary Poppins is completely different from the film version of Mary Poppins. Disney's version of the singing and dancing Mary Poppins (and portrayed by the beautiful and super friendly Julie Andrews) is nothing like the sinister and mysterious (and dark) character that is written in the books.
Also, I was surprised that the books themselves do not have any over arching narrative unlike the movie. In all the books, Mary Popppins simply appears, have adventures with the children, and then disappears. This is unlike the film, where the Banks children and Mr Banks undergo some form of transformation after coming in contact with Mary Poppins.
And I was also surprised that many of the stories were quite "dark" and scary. Disney really transformed people's conception of Mary Poppins as the fun and perfect nanny, when the books were simply not so!
Anyway, this is a fun read. And it ties in nicely with the new Disney sequel "Mary Poppins Returns". I really appreciate the writers of the 2 movies in how they were able to stitch the standalone stories from the books and weave them together into an over-arching (and amazingly, coherent) plot that ties story, singing, and spectacle together.
It is a shame that the "Complete Collection" contains only the text of the 6 books, but not the illustrations! In this "Complete Collection", we are missing many of Mary Shepard's beautiful illustrations. In each chapter, there is only a tiny illustration on each chapter's start page. All the other illustrations in the chapter are omitted from this "Complete Collection". This is a crying shame. But then, perhaps this is a ploy to get readers to buy the standalone books again so that they can get all the Mary Shepard's illustrations.
My brain has been completely infected by Walt Disney's film, and I have watched the film multiple times over the past 40 years. So it was quite astonishing on reading the original books now that the book version of Mary Poppins is completely different from the film version of Mary Poppins. Disney's version of the singing and dancing Mary Poppins (and portrayed by the beautiful and super friendly Julie Andrews) is nothing like the sinister and mysterious (and dark) character that is written in the books.
Also, I was surprised that the books themselves do not have any over arching narrative unlike the movie. In all the books, Mary Popppins simply appears, have adventures with the children, and then disappears. This is unlike the film, where the Banks children and Mr Banks undergo some form of transformation after coming in contact with Mary Poppins.
And I was also surprised that many of the stories were quite "dark" and scary. Disney really transformed people's conception of Mary Poppins as the fun and perfect nanny, when the books were simply not so!
Anyway, this is a fun read. And it ties in nicely with the new Disney sequel "Mary Poppins Returns". I really appreciate the writers of the 2 movies in how they were able to stitch the standalone stories from the books and weave them together into an over-arching (and amazingly, coherent) plot that ties story, singing, and spectacle together.
It is a shame that the "Complete Collection" contains only the text of the 6 books, but not the illustrations! In this "Complete Collection", we are missing many of Mary Shepard's beautiful illustrations. In each chapter, there is only a tiny illustration on each chapter's start page. All the other illustrations in the chapter are omitted from this "Complete Collection". This is a crying shame. But then, perhaps this is a ploy to get readers to buy the standalone books again so that they can get all the Mary Shepard's illustrations.
December 13, 2019
#cookiereads Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers ☂️
This book contains the entire Mary Poppins series, six books in total. ☂️
If you are expecting Mary Poppins like the Disney version starring Julie Andrews DO NOT read this book. ☂️
Mary Poppins is a completely different character. At times she can be rude and a little vain (ok a lot). But overall she loves the children (there are five in this book instead of four). And there is exactly zero singing in this book. ☂️
The plot of the book is basically the same as the movie. Here are some differences from the movie and the book:
Bert is a very minor character in this book. And when he is there it is greatly implied that there is something going on between Mary and Bert. ☂️
No #supercalifragilisticexpialidocious so very sad 😢
Mr. Banks is a very minor character in the book. Mrs. Banks has more of a role than the movie. ☂️
To me every chapter in this book always ended the same. Mary Poppins and children who go on an exciting adventure. At the end of each adventure, Micheal (mostly) ask Mary about these adventures ; Mary Poppins would pretend she had no idea what he was talking about. Her replies were always funny in my opinion. ☂️
Three paws out of four paws. ☂️
#marypoppins #pltravers #marypoppinsbook #savingmrbanks #corgireads #dogsreadingkindles #dogsreadingbooks #corgisofig #corgisdaily #bluemerlecorgi #corgilove #corgigram_ #corgisdaily #corgisof instagram #corgistagram #corgicommunity #corgination #corgiplanet
This book contains the entire Mary Poppins series, six books in total. ☂️
If you are expecting Mary Poppins like the Disney version starring Julie Andrews DO NOT read this book. ☂️
Mary Poppins is a completely different character. At times she can be rude and a little vain (ok a lot). But overall she loves the children (there are five in this book instead of four). And there is exactly zero singing in this book. ☂️
The plot of the book is basically the same as the movie. Here are some differences from the movie and the book:
Bert is a very minor character in this book. And when he is there it is greatly implied that there is something going on between Mary and Bert. ☂️
No #supercalifragilisticexpialidocious so very sad 😢
Mr. Banks is a very minor character in the book. Mrs. Banks has more of a role than the movie. ☂️
To me every chapter in this book always ended the same. Mary Poppins and children who go on an exciting adventure. At the end of each adventure, Micheal (mostly) ask Mary about these adventures ; Mary Poppins would pretend she had no idea what he was talking about. Her replies were always funny in my opinion. ☂️
Three paws out of four paws. ☂️
#marypoppins #pltravers #marypoppinsbook #savingmrbanks #corgireads #dogsreadingkindles #dogsreadingbooks #corgisofig #corgisdaily #bluemerlecorgi #corgilove #corgigram_ #corgisdaily #corgisof instagram #corgistagram #corgicommunity #corgination #corgiplanet
August 9, 2014
You know how people are always saying that the book was so much better than the movie? In this case, I'm sorry, but they are wrong.
I wanted to read this because of seeing "Saving Mr. Banks" and recognizing that the writer used her own life circumstances--
The film, Mary Poppins, did a great job of making this series of imaginative scenes pop off the screen-- whereas, in print, they are not nearly as much fun. Mary Poppins is an enigma, a special person full of special magic (a good witch?) -- The parents in the book are pretty much removed from EVERYTHING going on. The scene in the bank (in the film) isn't in the book, but obviously was gleaned from conversations with Travers.
Is this a good children's book? Well, if you like nonsense stories with no real purpose-- I suppose. It is quite imaginative! It is an interesting and a quick read for an adult. I cannot imagine having really enjoyed this one as a kid, even after seeing the movie.
It is a classic and I'm glad I took the time to read it, but it has no purpose and no direction-- turns out being just a few scenes that might have come from some strange dreams or something funny in the author's tea.
I wanted to read this because of seeing "Saving Mr. Banks" and recognizing that the writer used her own life circumstances--
The film, Mary Poppins, did a great job of making this series of imaginative scenes pop off the screen-- whereas, in print, they are not nearly as much fun. Mary Poppins is an enigma, a special person full of special magic (a good witch?) -- The parents in the book are pretty much removed from EVERYTHING going on. The scene in the bank (in the film) isn't in the book, but obviously was gleaned from conversations with Travers.
Is this a good children's book? Well, if you like nonsense stories with no real purpose-- I suppose. It is quite imaginative! It is an interesting and a quick read for an adult. I cannot imagine having really enjoyed this one as a kid, even after seeing the movie.
It is a classic and I'm glad I took the time to read it, but it has no purpose and no direction-- turns out being just a few scenes that might have come from some strange dreams or something funny in the author's tea.
July 9, 2022
Such a marvellous blend of the mundane and the mystical, of the family and the stranger, of one family and the universe. The more you know about mythology and cosmology the more you recognise and adore in this collection of stories. And yet there is always that touch of sadness, that clear-eyed unflinching awareness that is somehow so much more true of childhood than any trite sentimentality.
A book to revisit. Sooooo glad I made my Aunt buy it for my birthday last year. Heh.
A book to revisit. Sooooo glad I made my Aunt buy it for my birthday last year. Heh.
February 20, 2017
Nothing like the Disney movie and Mary Poppins is definitely no Julie Andrews she is much more fierce but she is fair and you are drawn to her. Read this book as I had watched the Saving Mr Banks film and wanted to see why P L Travers was so against the Disney version. I can see where she was coming from as the film is not really anything like the books. Enjoyed the books though and found them magical.
May 7, 2018
While I enjoyed the original Mary Poppins (book 1), I had to give up on this omnibus edition. Mary is downright unlikeable. She’s not just strict or stern, she’s rude. If I had to continue reading her huffing and snapping at people who’d merely greeted her or gave her a compliment, I’d scream. Disney really did a great job turning her into someone you could be a little afraid of at times, but completely charismatic and deep down, a good person. Read book 1, forget the rest.
August 5, 2018
5 stars for the complete collection of the books about Mary Poppins, my heroine from my childhood.
4 stars for this edition because it lacked of the original drawings by Mary Shepard, what a shame! I am the lucky owner of the old editions with plenty of drawings and that's another reason why I loved those books so much when I was young.
4 stars for this edition because it lacked of the original drawings by Mary Shepard, what a shame! I am the lucky owner of the old editions with plenty of drawings and that's another reason why I loved those books so much when I was young.
February 8, 2019
I really loved them. Mary Poppins taught the Banks children scary lessons, but always kept them safe. She is extremely vain and a little rude at times, but still manages to show the children how much she loves them (especially when she leaves at the end of the book). I'll probably read the series again sometimes
January 25, 2012
Magical! A very different Mary Poppins to the movie!!
February 17, 2017
Oh, Disney, you naughty little sh*t!
January 17, 2015
Totally different from the Disney film, Mary is not a very nice person, never has anything nice to say and has no redeeming features! She's very rude and I found myself disliking her very early on.
November 29, 2020
If you are like me and grew up breaking your VHS of Mary Poppins's film for watching it too many times, don't expect to find in the books exactly what you grew to love in the movie, but also don't worry and don't stop when you first start and don't recognize your beloved "practically perfect in every way" nanny! Cause if the Mary Poppins from the books is slightly more strict and rough around the edges you will learn to recognize the very same nanny in the way she acts and in the adventure she and the Banks children have.
One of the best things for me was to look for every bit of information that was used and adapted in my beloved movie and there are endless possibilities to enjoy these beautiful books! Mary Poppins is and will always be the perfect nanny and curling up and read her adventures even as an adult is pure magic.
One of the best things for me was to look for every bit of information that was used and adapted in my beloved movie and there are endless possibilities to enjoy these beautiful books! Mary Poppins is and will always be the perfect nanny and curling up and read her adventures even as an adult is pure magic.
February 15, 2021
Mary Poppins is a mardy lady who think she's the most wonderful person in the whole world.
She takes the children on adventures then denies such things have ever happened. It could seriously mess with your mind if you were a child and you were constantly told what you knew happened, didn't. Yet still the children loved Mary.
Its' a fun book, a brick mind, so go into it knowing it will take some time to get through. At times it felt like small stories packed into this not so much one big story overall. It is nothing like the films either. So do not go into this expecting it to be so, its not always fun and spoon full of sugars in this book. Also there are five children, compared to the two in the film.
She takes the children on adventures then denies such things have ever happened. It could seriously mess with your mind if you were a child and you were constantly told what you knew happened, didn't. Yet still the children loved Mary.
Its' a fun book, a brick mind, so go into it knowing it will take some time to get through. At times it felt like small stories packed into this not so much one big story overall. It is nothing like the films either. So do not go into this expecting it to be so, its not always fun and spoon full of sugars in this book. Also there are five children, compared to the two in the film.
March 7, 2021
I’m a massive fan of Julie Andrew’s Mary Poppins and also Emily Blunt’s. Having watched Saving Mr Banks and reading up a little about P L Travers I was aware that the books were different and I was keen to read them. I wanted to know what the true Mary Poppins was like.
I am so in love with these books!
Yes they are different to the films. At times they are dark. But my word, the stories are beautiful. Each chapter really captured my imagination. You get to understand each character and they feel so real. At times the stories are so moving and have proper meaning. I loved them.
I also enjoyed the introduction and postscript, they were lovely touches.
I think you can enjoy both the books and the films. They are entirely different but gorgeous in their own ways.
I am so in love with these books!
Yes they are different to the films. At times they are dark. But my word, the stories are beautiful. Each chapter really captured my imagination. You get to understand each character and they feel so real. At times the stories are so moving and have proper meaning. I loved them.
I also enjoyed the introduction and postscript, they were lovely touches.
I think you can enjoy both the books and the films. They are entirely different but gorgeous in their own ways.
December 21, 2022
Credo che sarà una di quelle che rimarrà sempre convinta che Disney ha tratto un capolavoro da un libro nettamente inferiore rispetto alla magia creata sullo schermo da Mary Poppins.
Partiamo dal presupposto che non mi piacciono i nomi letto in italiano e non credo che siano stati concepiti in questa maniera nel libro originale, trovo assolutamente ampollosa la modalità di raccontarci Poppins e la famiglia Banks da parte della Travels.
Non lo so non mi ha preso assolutamente il libro e mi ha fatto anche quasi pensare che tutto sommato la vera magia, anche se l’autrice era quasi scettica di lasciarglielo fare, l’abbia davvero creata Walt Disney con i suoi magnifici attori ed interpreti di una delle più belle storie per ragazzi portata sul grande schermo.
Partiamo dal presupposto che non mi piacciono i nomi letto in italiano e non credo che siano stati concepiti in questa maniera nel libro originale, trovo assolutamente ampollosa la modalità di raccontarci Poppins e la famiglia Banks da parte della Travels.
Non lo so non mi ha preso assolutamente il libro e mi ha fatto anche quasi pensare che tutto sommato la vera magia, anche se l’autrice era quasi scettica di lasciarglielo fare, l’abbia davvero creata Walt Disney con i suoi magnifici attori ed interpreti di una delle più belle storie per ragazzi portata sul grande schermo.
February 4, 2019
This Omnibus consists of 6 novels & novellas. I would like to break each down individually using Goodreads 5 star rating method, though I do think all stories in the book are worth a read!
Mary Poppins - 3.75
Mary Poppins Comes Back - 4
Mary Poppins Opens The Door - 3.25
Mary Poppins In The Park - 2.75
Mary Poppins In Cherry Tree Lane - 2.75
Mary Poppins And The House Next Door - 2.5
Which gives an average of 3 stars however, I simply enjoyed the first 3 books in particular so much that I didn't have the heart to rate it down from a 4.
Mary Poppins - 3.75
Mary Poppins Comes Back - 4
Mary Poppins Opens The Door - 3.25
Mary Poppins In The Park - 2.75
Mary Poppins In Cherry Tree Lane - 2.75
Mary Poppins And The House Next Door - 2.5
Which gives an average of 3 stars however, I simply enjoyed the first 3 books in particular so much that I didn't have the heart to rate it down from a 4.
June 12, 2020
I really enjoyed this book although not the size of it. It is a big heavy book so hard to read in bed and hold up.
Now if I am being honest it isn't the best written book in the whole world but it is very whimiscal and very Mary Poppins.
The first three are actual books which doesn't necessarily have a traditional narrative, each chapter is more of a little adventure the children have with Mary Poppins. Much like you would expect if watching the movie. The movie is not like the book though! They are little adventures throughout that are full of whimsy, adventure and silliness.
Now if I am being honest it isn't the best written book in the whole world but it is very whimiscal and very Mary Poppins.
The first three are actual books which doesn't necessarily have a traditional narrative, each chapter is more of a little adventure the children have with Mary Poppins. Much like you would expect if watching the movie. The movie is not like the book though! They are little adventures throughout that are full of whimsy, adventure and silliness.
August 5, 2024
I enjoyed the book, but as it was getting nearer to the end I was getting board.
It’s taken me manny months to complete the book as I didn’t want to rush it.
in some ways it felt repetitive at times and I barely read the last two books in this series’s.
It started off well then went down hill from there near the end.
I was never a fan of Mary Poppins the film until recently, and I have seen the 2nd film also. I think I agree with most reviews, the film is better. Especially my favourite part with the song fead the birds.
It’s taken me manny months to complete the book as I didn’t want to rush it.
in some ways it felt repetitive at times and I barely read the last two books in this series’s.
It started off well then went down hill from there near the end.
I was never a fan of Mary Poppins the film until recently, and I have seen the 2nd film also. I think I agree with most reviews, the film is better. Especially my favourite part with the song fead the birds.
August 28, 2024
The 1997 edition is the censored one. The "Bad Tuesday" chapter has been eviscerated, since certain parties decided "stereotypes" or "out-of-date" or "racist" images appeared in four characters. This book has, effectively, been banned. You're probably safe with any edition published through the late fifties, and they're hard to get and pricey.
I so do not approve of book banning. Or of twisting the arms of authors--P.L. Travers was forced to make changes.
At least know what you're buying if you buy any edition published after 1981
I so do not approve of book banning. Or of twisting the arms of authors--P.L. Travers was forced to make changes.
At least know what you're buying if you buy any edition published after 1981
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