Reviews

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

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elspeth77's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this book, even if the pace was a little slow for my liking at times. Colin was tough to take when he was first introduced but there was strong character development of both him and Mary. I also loved the descriptions of springtime and the garden. However, I would have liked to have heard more of Martha, as she was a very lovable character who played a vital part in transforming Mary’s outlook on life and she wasn’t in the final third of the book at all.

dariadanley's review against another edition

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4.0

It's definitely easy to see why this book is a classic.

Even with all of the metaphors and allusions to what it means to be a good human, it was entertaining. It was a good book to read, and i had fun while doing it. It was refreshing to go back into the mine of a child (since my childhood was 15 years ago) and watch as Mary discovers what it means to be a good person. It was sweet, charming, and overall fun! It was a pleasant reading experience and I'm sure I'll pick it up again in the future.

jenscott's review against another edition

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hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I listened to the full cast recording of this, which was really well done. It's no [book:A Little Princess|3008], but it's still a solid classic.

manjala's review against another edition

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4.0

Such a cute and sweet story. The descriptions and imagery of nature and childhood were so beautiful. This made me really feel like I wanted to experience the garden for myself.

"Where have you been hiding?
You seem lost, within your body and your mind
A beam of light can still remind you who you are.
Wounded by the world,
Your fragile nature needed shelter...
In the night we made a sanctum,
Out of mind, and out of sight

Won't you let me take you there?

Let me take you into the garden,
I'll be there,
painting the flowers,
giving them color...

Listen to the anthem.
Hear the flowers
Like their hymn has healing power
Take my hand,
and breathe in the colorful..."

domicspinnwand's review against another edition

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4.0

Englischsprachige Kinderbuchklassiker sind echt was für mich - dieser hat mir auf alle Fälle sehr gefallen! Ich habe das deutschsprachige Hörbuch gehört, der Erzähler war zwar nicht so 100% meins, ich fand, dass er vor allem die Kinder irgendwie seltsam gesprochen hat, das hat mich aber nicht so gestört, dass es dafür Abzug geben würde. Natürlich ist die Geschichte ein bissle angestaubt, aber die Story rund um die kleine Mary und ihren verzogenen Cousin Colin hat mir trotzdem gut gefallen. Ok, vielleicht sind die Kinder entweder zu übel verzogene Snobs oder edle Gutmenschen, aber das ist vermutlich der Entstehungszeit der Geschichte geschuldet. Ich mochte das Setting mit dem Garten im ländlichen, hochherschaftlichen Yorkshire auf alle Fälle sehr gern und kann mir gut vorstellen, dass ich vielleicht noch einmal dazu greifen werde. Vielleicht höre ich auch mal in eines der englischen Hörbücher rein oder schaue mir eine der Verfilmungen an.