Saturday, January 18, 2014

on book 3.

book 3 of 60: mary poppins by p.l. travers

date started: 1.9.2014
date completed: 1.17.2014


thoughts: 
after seeing saving mr. banks, i was left with the desire to read the actual mary poppins text.  i must admit i'm a bit indifferent to this text.  it was good.  it was entertaining.  it brought back many a happy childhood memory.

but it was also very austere.  travers' poppins is rather cold and, well, stereotypical "British".  this isn't a bad thing, it's just a different thing.

i teach a comparative class on film and text, and using the definitions i demand in the classroom to avoid such comments as "the book is better," the film version of this text is a fairly radical translation.  parts of the book are directly translated into the film, but many of the characters are rather different sorts.  there are many parts of the book i would have loved to have seen included in the film.

these differences are not good or bad--they're just different.

had i read this book as a child, i would certainly have loved it.  as an adult, it doesn't contain the magic or power needed to overcome my childhood love of the film version.

probable next read:  county of the pointed firs by sarah orne jewett

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