Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is the main character in novels by the Australian writer PL Travers (1899-1996). The English edition was first published in 1934 by G. Howe in London . The first German edition was published by Cecilie Dressler Verlag in 1952 . The translation came from Elisabeth Kessel.
Novels
Mary Poppins is a nanny endowed with magical abilities . The four novels in this series of children's books do not have a continuous plot, but are a collection of loosely linked stories. The first three volumes follow a similar structure. In the first chapter Mary Poppins announces how long she will stay ("Until the Wind Turns" in Volume One), and in the last chapter this prediction is fulfilled.
Recurring topics in the individual chapters of the first three volumes:
| Mary Poppins | Mary Poppins is coming back | Mary Poppins opens the door | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desperation from Mr. and Mrs. Banks for being overwhelmed without a nanny; unexpected redeeming arrival of Mary Poppins | 1. East wind | 1. The kite | 1. The fifth of November |
| Visiting a strange relative of Mary Poppins' | 3. nitrous oxide | 4. Upside down - upside down | 2. Mr. Klimperlein's wishes |
| Mary Poppins helps an animal advance its interests | 4. Miss Larks Andy | 2. Miss Andrews Lark | - |
| Mary Poppins tells a fairy tale | 5. The dancing cow | 6. The story of Robertson Ay | 3. The cat that looked at the king |
| Mary Poppins teaches a naughty child a lesson through a scary adventure | 6. A bad Tuesday | 3. Worse Wednesday | - |
| Shopping at a strange friend of Mary Poppins' | 8. Mrs. Corry | 8. All kinds of balloons | 5. Hobby horses |
| Mary Poppins' conversation with the star about babies | 9. The story of Barbara and John | 5. The newcomer | - |
| A big festival with lots of animals for Mary Poppins with the children as guests of honor | 10. Full moon | 7. The evening exit | 6. Flood turnaround |
| A chapter in the annual cycle comes to an end; Mary Poppins' unusual behavior heralds her departure | 11. Christmas shopping | 9. Nelly Rubina | 7. Keep peace and be happy |
| Mary Poppins' prophecy fulfilled: she will leave the Banks family | 12. West wind | 10. The carousel | 8. The other door |
The first volume begins with Mary Poppins showing up at the Banks family in London . Seven-year-old Jane, five-year-old Michael and the twin babies John and Barbara experience wonderful adventures with them, but Mary Poppins always claims afterwards that these never happened and that children generally have too much imagination. As suddenly as Mary Poppins appears, she disappears again.
In two other volumes ("Mary Poppins comes back" and "Mary Poppins opens the door") it is described how she reappears with the Banks family, but this time she does not stay long either. In the last volume ("Mary Poppins in the Park") further adventures are told which, according to a foreword by the author, took place during one of Mary Poppins' three stays and for which there was no place in the earlier books.
reception
In 1964, the Walt Disney film Mary Poppins was released , which is based largely on the first Mary Poppins novel. The film had a sequel in 2018 ( Mary Poppins' Return ).
1983 was another film adaptation Meri Poppins, do svidanya (Goodbye, Mary Poppins) in the Soviet Union . Like the Disney film, this two-part television film was a musical and was based largely on the first two books in the book series.
In the episode "The Magical Nanny" (S08E13) of the animated series " The Simpsons ", Mary Poppins is parodied under the name "Shary Bobbins". On the TV series What's Up, Dad? there is also a parody . In episode 93, "The Incredible Mrs. Hopkins," Mary Poppins is parodied by actress Betty White . In the series Two and a Half Men there is also a hint of the name, in episode 2.01 with the title "Get away from me, Mary Poppins." When a group of men, including lead actor Charlie Sheen , comes up with the siblings of Sean Penn he replies with that very statement.
In 2004 a theater musical of the same name , based on the Disney film, premiered in London's West End . Since then, the play has enjoyed several years of success in London, New York's Broadway and other venues. See: Mary Poppins (musical) .
The ferry Nils Holgersson of the Lübeck shipping company TT-Line , built in 1962, operated at times under the name of Mary Poppins .
Book editions
- English (and American) first editions:
- Mary Poppins. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Peter Davies, London 1934. / Reynal & Hitchcock, New York 1934.
- Mary Poppins. Revised edition. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York 1981. / Collins, London 1982.
- Mary Poppins comes back. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Peter Davies, London 1935. / Reynal & Hitchcock, New York 1935.
- Mary Poppins opens the door. Illustrations: Mary Shepard and Agnes Sims. Reynal & Hitchcock, New York 1943. / Peter Davies, London 1944.
- Mary Poppins in the park. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Peter Davies, London 1952. / Harcourt, Brace, New York 1952.
- Mary Poppins from A to Z. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Harcourt, Brace & World, New York 1962. / Collins, London 1963.
- Mary Poppins in the kitchen. A cookery book with a story. Technical advice: Maurice Moore-Betty. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York 1975. / Collins, London 1977.
- Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Collins, London 1982. / Delacorte Press, New York 1982.
- Mary Poppins and the house next door. Illustrations: Mary Shepard. Collins, London 1988. / Delacorte Press, New York 1989.
- German translations:
- Mary Poppins. Transferred by Elisabeth Kessel. Illustrations: Horst Lemke . Dressler, Berlin 1952. ISBN 3-7915-3505-6 (as Dressler children's classic, Hamburg 1987).
- Mary Poppins is coming back. Transferred by Elisabeth Kessel. Illustrations: Horst Lemke. Dressler, Berlin 1953. ISBN 3-7915-3511-0 (as Dressler children's classic, Hamburg 1988).
- Mary Poppins opens the door. Transferred by Elisabeth Kessel. Illustrations: Horst Lemke. Dressler, Berlin 1954. ISBN 3-7915-3516-1 (as Dressler children's classic, Hamburg 1989).
- Mary Poppins in the park. Transferred by Elisabeth Kessel. Illustrations: Horst Lemke. Dressler, Berlin 1955. ISBN 3-7915-3523-4 (as Dressler children's classic, Hamburg 1990).
- Mary Poppins from A to Z. Transferred by Sybil Countess Schönfeldt. Illustrations: Horst Lemke. Dressler, Berlin 1964.