The Secret Garden book review

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Published by Children's Classics on September 1, 1998
Pages: 331
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"One of the most delightful and enduring classics of children's literature, The Secret Garden by Victorian author Frances Hodgson Burnett has remained a firm favorite with children the world over ever since it made its first appearance. Initially published as a serial story in 1910 in The American Magazine, it was brought out in novel form in 1911.
The plot centers round Mary Lennox, a young English girl who returns to England from India, having suffered the immense trauma by losing both her parents in a cholera epidemic. However, her memories of her parents are not pleasant, as they were a selfish, neglectful and pleasure-seeking couple. Mary is given to the care of her uncle Archibald Craven, whom she has never met. She travels to his home, Misselthwaite Manor located in the gloomy Yorkshire, a vast change from the sunny and warm climate she was used to. When she arrives, she is a rude, stubborn and given to stormy temper tantrums. However, her nature undergoes a gradual transformation when she learns of the tragedies that have befallen her strict and disciplinarian uncle whom she earlier feared and despised. Once when he's away from home, Mary discovers a charming walled garden which is always kept locked. The mystery deepens when she hears sounds of sobbing from somewhere within her uncle's vast mansion. The kindly servants ignore her queries or pretend they haven't heard, spiking Mary's curiosity.
The Secret Garden appeals to both young and old alike. It has wonderful elements of mystery, spirituality, charming characters and an authentic rendering of childhood emotions and experiences. Commonsense, truth and kindness, compassion and a belief in the essential goodness of human beings lie at the heart of this unforgettable story. It is the best known of Frances Hodgson Burnett's works, though most of us have definitely heard of, if not read, her other novel Little Lord Fauntleroy.
The book has been adapted extensively on stage, film and television and translated into all the world's major languages. In 1991, a Japanese anime version was launched for television in Japan. It remains a popular and beloved story of a child's journey into maturity, and a must-read for every child, parent, teacher and anyone who would enjoy this fascinating glimpse of childhood. One of the most delightful and enduring classics of children's literature, The Secret Garden by Victorian author Frances Hodgson Burnett has remained a firm favorite with children the world over ever since it made its first appearance. Initially published as a serial story in 1910 in The American Magazine, it was brought out in novel form in 1911."

The Secret Garden was one of the books that I have had on my list for a really long time. It was one of my favourite films when I was a kid and I never got around to reading the book, which was something I wanted to do ahead of watching the new remake (which I wasn’t a massive fan off btw). I think my childhood memories of the film, shaped my expectations of the story and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it wasn’t all about a magic garden and creatures and there actually were different themes about family and grief and loss. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships and the relationships that were formed all the way through this book and overall I really enjoyed listening to it on my way to work every day.

The main characters in The Secret Garden are Mary, Colin and Dicken who all spend their time in a sealed up garden in which they believe there is magic to help sort through their various ailments. I think the magic of this book was definitely the characters and the way that the ended up growing as people and in their relationships. I definitely think my favourite character in terms of growth and general life was definitely Mary, she grew from one of the most annoying characters to one that I genuinely ended up loving and wanting the best for. I adored her relationships and friendships with all the others, and I really think she shone through all of her interactions especially with Colin. I would have loved for there to have been a sequel in which we could see how all three ended up and whether the garden was still being used years later.

The best bits of The Secret Garden for me was the garden itself and seeing the children work out where they stood not only in the house but with each other. I loved watching Dicken sharing his knowledge of the moors and the animals that lived within it. I also loved the way he promised to keep the garden a secret only telling his mum after it had been agreed by the group. It was a really interesting dynamic that worked magnificently!

The worst bit of The Secret Garden was just how quickly things seem to progress and it all felt a little bit like a snowball effect by the end. I would have loved for there to have been more development between Mr Craven and Colin. I would have loved to have seen more from both of them to see how things would have progressed.

I think this will definitely be on my favourites, I adored this one and I will picking up A Little Princess because I really want to read that one next!

Have you read this one? What did you think? Let me know!