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just_fighting_censorship 's review for:
Mary Poppins
by P.L. Travers
I wanted to give this book 1 star but I couldn't bring myself to do it. My love for the Disney film and Julie Andrew's portrayal of Mary Poppins will not allow me to completely discredit the book. However reading this made me really appreciate the story that was crafted by the Sherman brothers who are responisble for all of the wonderful songs within that film.
Two main complaints- the 1st point (and it is a very big point) is that there is no plot, no story beyond a magical nanny sticks around for a while and a series of slightly interesting things happen that really have no lasting effect or meaning to any of the characters. Each chapter of this book is really like a short story, they are connected only by common characters. There is not an underlying theme or plot and the events that take place in each chapter are all over the place. There is no character development, there is no larger meaning that I could find, and the events that took place were really not all that interesting or entertaining. Everything was very stiff and formal and the children seem to be just as spoiled/annoying at the end as they were when the book first began.
Whereas the movie brings me to tears, this book made me feel nothing. I could barely get through it.
Secondly, Mary Poppins is not a very likeable character except for when she is away from the children, perhaps she shouldn't be a nanny then. She is vain, harsh, and devoid of all emotion. Julie Andrews played the part strict and stoney but one could see the method to her attitude and moments of kindness and tenderness would shine through just enough to show you that she loved the children.
The writing itself is efficient and although the tone is distant it borders on humor. Perhaps I simply do not know enough about British Nannys in the early 1900s, but I completely missed the point.
Two main complaints- the 1st point (and it is a very big point) is that there is no plot, no story beyond a magical nanny sticks around for a while and a series of slightly interesting things happen that really have no lasting effect or meaning to any of the characters. Each chapter of this book is really like a short story, they are connected only by common characters. There is not an underlying theme or plot and the events that take place in each chapter are all over the place. There is no character development, there is no larger meaning that I could find, and the events that took place were really not all that interesting or entertaining. Everything was very stiff and formal and the children seem to be just as spoiled/annoying at the end as they were when the book first began.
Whereas the movie brings me to tears, this book made me feel nothing. I could barely get through it.
Secondly, Mary Poppins is not a very likeable character except for when she is away from the children, perhaps she shouldn't be a nanny then. She is vain, harsh, and devoid of all emotion. Julie Andrews played the part strict and stoney but one could see the method to her attitude and moments of kindness and tenderness would shine through just enough to show you that she loved the children.
The writing itself is efficient and although the tone is distant it borders on humor. Perhaps I simply do not know enough about British Nannys in the early 1900s, but I completely missed the point.