Why people recommend it
Mary Poppins by Pamela L. Travers is a beloved children's fantasy novel about a magical, stern yet endearing nanny who transforms the lives of the Banks family children. On The Ezra Klein Show episode Best Of: Why Adults Lose the ‘Beginner’s Mind’ in May 2023, Alison Gopnik highly recommended the Mary Poppins book series. She shared an anecdote about reading a chapter with her nine-year-old child, who remarked that the original book was vastly superior to the famous film adaptation, prompting them to have a marvelous shared reading experience together. Similarly, Katherine Rundell discussed the stories on Conversations with Tyler in January 2023 during the overrated and underrated segment. Katherine Rundell argued that the books should be considered underrated by contemporary readers because the original literary versions are significantly stranger, wilder, and more complex than the widely known cinematic adaptation suggests. Both speakers emphasize that the literary source material offers a depth and eccentricity that extends far beyond the surface charm of the traditional movie representation, making the written adventures a uniquely rewarding discovery for both young children and adult readers alike.
Who recommended it
- Alison Gopnik Recommended
- Katherine Rundell Discussed
Alison Gopnik — 1 mention
“and then for older children that same day my nine-year-old who is very into the Marvel Universe and superheroes said could we read a chapter for Mary Poppins which is again something that Grandmom reads and we had a marvelous time reading Mary Poppins and he said you know the book is so much better than the movie and he”
Katherine Rundell — 1 mention
“uh I'm gonna say underrated because the books are much stranger and wilder than we know”