C. P. Lesley
Bookworm, writer, radio host—I blog about history, fiction, and publishing in the Internet Age. You can find the full blog on my website. This space is for books.
Reading progress update: I've read 153 out of 224 pages.
72% through the Kindle version, and I saw right away, in chapter 1, why I loved it at eight or nine, when I first encountered it. The story is so much from a child's point of view, beginning with the description of how Mr Banks "makes money" at the bank (he cuts out coins of different sizes and values).
Mary Poppins is vain and arbitrary (alternately cold and kind), but at her best she creates a magical world for Jane and Michael and, to a lesser extent, the Twins. Even her outing with Bert, so much less sentimental than the film, tells me something about her character; and the chapter with the babies and the one about gingerbread are truly charming.
What strikes me most as an adult is how we view children now compared to 100+ years ago, for better or worse. I find that change quite fascinating.
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