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P.L. Travers
Examines the works of the author of "Mary Poppins," focusing on her use of myth and fairy tale in all her writings, and arguing that her works have equal appeal to children and to the child in every adult
140 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 18, 2020
An excellent presentation of P.L. Travers's works.
February 2, 2017
Patricia Demers is a professor of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta. From 1998 to 2002, she was the Vice-President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2000 and subsequently served as its first female president from 2005 to 2007. In 2016, Demers was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
Her book about Pamela L. Travers published in 1991 is a scholarly work and is intended for academic readership. I read it as part of my research for my blog project themarypoppinseffect.com.
The book is short and separated into eight chapters and one Appendix.
Chapter 1 is a brief biographical note. Pamela seems to have intentionally misguided Demers about some important aspects of her childhood. Demers reports that Pamela’s father was a sugar planter and that after his death the family went to live with her aunt Christina Saraset. The truth is slightly different. Her father was a bank manager who in his early twenties worked on a sugar plantation in Ceylon, and Christina Saraset is a fictional character based on Pamela’s great-aunt Ellie.
Chapter 2 examines young Pamela’s dabbling in poetry. It was interesting to get a glimpse of her poems since there is no published collection of these early writings, which appeared in the Irish Statesman and in the New English Weekly between 1926 and 1937. In my opinion Pamela was not a great poet. I think her poetic sensibilities found a beautiful expression in her delightful descriptions in the Mary Poppins stories.
Chapter 3 analyzes Pamela’s reviews of public affaires, literature, and the arts which she wrote for the New English Weekly between 1932 and 1949.
Chapter 4 reviews Pamela’s writings during her war time evacuation namely: “I Go by Sea, I Go by Land”, “Aunt Sass”, “Ah Wong” and “Johnny Delaney”.
Chapter 5 is a study of the character of Mary Poppins which I found interesting and insightful.
Chapter 6 is a study of the evolution of the themes in the Mary Poppins books which I also found interesting and insightful.
Chapter 7 examines Pamela’s attempts at writing myth and fairy tales namely “Friend Monkey”, “About the Sleeping Beauty” and “Two Pairs of Shoes”.
In Chapter 8 Demers recounts her meeting with Pamela L. Travers at her home in Chelsea, London in 1988. How I wish I had that chance…
Appendix: A book review of Beatrix Potter’s biography by Margaret Lane written by Pamela under the pen name of Milo Reve. I did not know Pamela used another pen name, Pamela L. Travers being already a pen name. And now, evidently, I must read Beatrix Potter’s biography.
Demers wrote this book (eight years) prior to the publishing of Pamela’s biography “Mary Poppins She Wrote” by Valerie Lawson. Demers contrary to Lawson seized the opportunity to meet with Pamela L. Travers and respected her personal wish to be examined only through her work. I could feel that Demers had a lot of respect for Pamela as a writer, something her biographer Valerie Lawson totally lacked. If you are interested in the literary work of Pamela L. Travers this book is well written and contains interesting information.
Her book about Pamela L. Travers published in 1991 is a scholarly work and is intended for academic readership. I read it as part of my research for my blog project themarypoppinseffect.com.
The book is short and separated into eight chapters and one Appendix.
Chapter 1 is a brief biographical note. Pamela seems to have intentionally misguided Demers about some important aspects of her childhood. Demers reports that Pamela’s father was a sugar planter and that after his death the family went to live with her aunt Christina Saraset. The truth is slightly different. Her father was a bank manager who in his early twenties worked on a sugar plantation in Ceylon, and Christina Saraset is a fictional character based on Pamela’s great-aunt Ellie.
Chapter 2 examines young Pamela’s dabbling in poetry. It was interesting to get a glimpse of her poems since there is no published collection of these early writings, which appeared in the Irish Statesman and in the New English Weekly between 1926 and 1937. In my opinion Pamela was not a great poet. I think her poetic sensibilities found a beautiful expression in her delightful descriptions in the Mary Poppins stories.
Chapter 3 analyzes Pamela’s reviews of public affaires, literature, and the arts which she wrote for the New English Weekly between 1932 and 1949.
Chapter 4 reviews Pamela’s writings during her war time evacuation namely: “I Go by Sea, I Go by Land”, “Aunt Sass”, “Ah Wong” and “Johnny Delaney”.
Chapter 5 is a study of the character of Mary Poppins which I found interesting and insightful.
Chapter 6 is a study of the evolution of the themes in the Mary Poppins books which I also found interesting and insightful.
Chapter 7 examines Pamela’s attempts at writing myth and fairy tales namely “Friend Monkey”, “About the Sleeping Beauty” and “Two Pairs of Shoes”.
In Chapter 8 Demers recounts her meeting with Pamela L. Travers at her home in Chelsea, London in 1988. How I wish I had that chance…
Appendix: A book review of Beatrix Potter’s biography by Margaret Lane written by Pamela under the pen name of Milo Reve. I did not know Pamela used another pen name, Pamela L. Travers being already a pen name. And now, evidently, I must read Beatrix Potter’s biography.
Demers wrote this book (eight years) prior to the publishing of Pamela’s biography “Mary Poppins She Wrote” by Valerie Lawson. Demers contrary to Lawson seized the opportunity to meet with Pamela L. Travers and respected her personal wish to be examined only through her work. I could feel that Demers had a lot of respect for Pamela as a writer, something her biographer Valerie Lawson totally lacked. If you are interested in the literary work of Pamela L. Travers this book is well written and contains interesting information.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews