I read this as my book that I had seen the movie of, but never read. Although I enjoyed it, I also found it really hard to read in a way because it was so different from the movie. Saving Mr. Banks makes a lot more sense now.
Although a few of the "episodes" from the movie are there in the book -- traveling into Bert's painting, the "Feed the Birds" woman, etc. there are a lot more brand new ones. Another reviewer compared the style of this book to Winnie the Pooh, and I have to say I agree. While there is one overall story, each chapter can be read as a separate story on its own. It was pretty interesting to read about all of the children's adventures, and wonder along with them if they had actually happened or if they were just figments of their imaginations.
What struck me the most is how different Mary is from the movie version. In the book, Mary is strict, vain and quite arrogant. I often found her very rude to the children so it surprised me how much they bonded to her. It never really seemed like she connected with them, yet they somehow grew very attached to her.
Although a few of the "episodes" from the movie are there in the book -- traveling into Bert's painting, the "Feed the Birds" woman, etc. there are a lot more brand new ones. Another reviewer compared the style of this book to Winnie the Pooh, and I have to say I agree. While there is one overall story, each chapter can be read as a separate story on its own. It was pretty interesting to read about all of the children's adventures, and wonder along with them if they had actually happened or if they were just figments of their imaginations.
What struck me the most is how different Mary is from the movie version. In the book, Mary is strict, vain and quite arrogant. I often found her very rude to the children so it surprised me how much they bonded to her. It never really seemed like she connected with them, yet they somehow grew very attached to her.