The "Real" Mary Poppins

I spent the week- end re-reading some of my favorite books, Miss Marple and Mary Poppins. Apart from being both prim and proper British ladies, these two characters share the fate of having been incarnated on the stage, cinema, and television, by various actresses.

I read Mary Poppins Opens the Door, the third book in the series. This book was written by P.L. Travers during WWII, in London and in New York. It may the reason why this book is particularly gloomy and sad. The children are desperate of having Mary Poppins stay with them "for ever", but nothing is for ever, as their nanny informs them. She leaves them at the end of the book, once again, in the most unexpected way, just like an abusive mother would do. There is a little bit of hope though, as the parents are finally portrayed in the last pages as loving one another, so one has hope that the Banks children will find happiness in their own home. Anyway, we are far away for the character portrayed by Julie Andrews.

The New Yorker published an interesting article on P.L. Travers a few years ago, here.