The Enid Blyton Society

I've had an early copy of 'Mary Poppins' and 'Mary Poppins Comes Back' for a few years now, and enjoyed reading them, though as people have said previously on other threads, the film bore little resemblance to the books, and the character of Mary Poppins is maybe more sinister and sometimes scary in the books. I love the illustrations, and just recently thought I'd continue my Mary Poppins library by buying a couple of recent paperbacks. (yeah - I know - paperbacks!) - but they are very nicely produced and I was very attracted by the covers, which are bright and well drawn in my opinion.They're a good example of how modern covers can look if the right sort of illustrator is chosen!

I bought Mary Poppins Opens The Door and Mary Poppins in the Park -

I quite like those covers too, Robert. As you say, the original Mary Poppins is nothing like the sweet and bouncy Disney version - I agree, she's downright scary. I was quite disappointed on reading the first book (after seeing the film as a child) and have never really managed to work up an appetite for the rest of the series. I just couldn't quite work out what the children's attraction to her was and why they loved her even though she was so cold and creepy (although there was the mitigating fact that whenever she was around, magical things happened, despite her regular denial of them afterwards).

That reminds me - this is a send-up, of course, but it's maybe a little more like the books than the actual film is... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the link! I'd seen it before but pleased to see it again! It's very clever the way it uses all actual scenes from the film - brilliantly done!

I agree about the books being a little off-putting compared to the film. I recently saw Saving Mr Banks for the first time, and it encouraged me to take another look at the books, which is why I decided to buy the next two in the series.

I didn't realise the books and film were so different.
What year were the books published Rob?

I've never read the books, but just love the film. Saw the film when it first came out, wow, to see it on the 'big screen' was fabulous.

I have a copy of Mary Poppins in the Park which I got in the early 50s through the Children's Book Club.

pete9012S wrote:I didn't realise the books and film were so different.
What year were the books published Rob?

During the mid 1930's through to the 1970's - but the most popular books were the first 4 in the 30's and 40's. Travers was very protective of her character Mary Poppins and 'Saving Mr Banks' explores just how much she didn't want the Disney film to be made, but by the 1960's her books weren't selling so well and she needed the money!

As a child I never owned any Mary Poppins books but I read quite a few of them from the library when I was seven or eight - along with Bobby Brewster, Mumfie, Little Old Mrs. Pepperpot, Andrew Lang's fairytale collections, etc. I enjoyed the quirky, contrary character of Mary Poppins and the unexpected things that happened. I didn't see the film version until it was shown on TV when I was about thirteen, and I was disappointed. Although I'd loved Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and Dick Van Dyke in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, they didn't seem right in Mary Poppins because I'd imagined everything so differently while reading the books. And I think the storyline had been toned down for the film so it was less surreal. Since then I've watched the film a couple more times and learnt to appreciate it on its own merits - it has some memorable scenes and jaunty songs - but the books are still the "real thing" to me.

It's a relatively little-known fact that P.L. Travers was born in Australia - in the otherwise pretty unassuming town of Maryborough, Queensland, to be exact. She left for England as a young woman, well before she became famous, but Maryborough does have a statue of Mary Poppins in her honour.

That said, though, from the little I know of her life, she sounds like a very strange and quite creepy character herself - even more so than the Mary Poppins she created, or than the way Travers herself is portrayed in Saving Mr Banks. This is a pretty sensationalistic account - anything in the Daily Mail, after all, is to be taken with, er, a spoonful of salt - but the story of her adopted son and his unadopted twin brother doesn't reflect well on her, to say the least: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -boys.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have never read any of the Mary Poppins, Books, but the 1964 Disney film version of Mary Poppins, is one of my favourite Disney films, and would definitely be on my list of top ten favourite Disney films.

I am quite able to say the word - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, although once I was unable to.

I will hopefully be seeing Mary Poppins, at the Norwich Theatre Royal, on Thursday.

I've never read the books only seen the film. In August we're going (daughter and grand-daughter) to see the stage version in Plymouth which I'm looking forward to seeing.

I saw it in Southampton and I think you will both enjoy it, it is a very well done production.

I love Mary Poppins on the stage - especially when she flies over the audience! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is also exceptionally well done on stage.

Chick and I went to see Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre in Old Compton Street in London in March 2007. It was brilliant, Julie. I'm sure you'll love the stage version in Plymouth.

We went to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne in 2010 and it was another most enjoyable show.

I'm sure I will everyone. I will be singing all the songs for days and days afterwards.