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Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life Of P.L. Travers (2013)

by Valerie Lawson(Favorite Author)

2.84 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1476762929 (ISBN13: 9781476762920)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Simon & Schuster

review 1: Finally done! I had reserved this book from the library shortly after seeing the movie based on it, Saving Mr. Banks. I had to wait a very long time to get it, and when it finally came in August, I was reading some other books. I did start it, but couldn't renew it because there were holds on it. So, reserved again, and had to wait until late October to get it! For all that effort, this book is only mildly interesting. There is a LOT of detail, methodically and chronologically presented, as appropriate for a biography--but somehow the writing didn't flow, nor have much momentum. I felt as though I slogged through it. If I were REALLY interested in the life of P.L. Travers, I might have liked it more. As it is, I really had only known the movie, and had not reali... morezed it was based on some books (a couple of which I read while waiting to get this book).One thing which was quite interesting is that she was part of that spiritual mystical movement centering on Blake, Yeats, and various gurus of the time, and involving authors, painters, poets, dancers. She also was very interested in myths and fairy tales and believed her writings on those topics to be most important. Finally, if I ever re-read her Mary Poppins stories, I will have to take note of those cosmological elements--children born speaking the language of the stars and universe, but forgetting them as they grow into this world (a la Wordsworth in Tintern Abbey).
review 2: This book was such a disappointment. P.L. Travers herself makes for an interesting subject, but this biographer did a terrible job. The writing was dry, monotonous, and tangential. Too much time was spent explaining people and events that were too loosely connected to Travers for me to care. It was as if the author were saying, "Look at all this research I did for my book; I can't possibly leave any of it out!" I'll admit my curiosity was piqued after watching the film "Saving Mr. Banks." My advice would be to watch that wonderful (if not slightly inaccurate) film, and leave this book on the shelf. less

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