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lamnhi's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
willowsmeanders's review against another edition
4.0
You know that moment when you read a book by an author, love it, check out their other book and become slightly disappointed? Me and A Little Princess.
I read The Secret Garden for school and I quite enjoyed it — maybe it’s one of my favorites. The character development of The Healed Mistress of The Garden and The Hysterical, but Soon Brilliant Maharajah of Misselthwaite Manor was quite likable. So was the character Dickon Sowerby — or, more appropriately, Prince Dickon “I-am-charming-my-way-into-your-heart-everyone-will-love-me”, Duke of Yorkshire.
So, to be honest, I was let-down by A Little Princess. It was quite plain and dull compared to TSG. Let me break down and rant.
Plot
Plot summary:Captain Crewe, a wealthy English widower, has been raising his only child, Sara, in India where he is stationed with the British Army. Because the Indian climate is considered too harsh for children, British families living there traditionally send their children to boarding school back home in England. The captain enrolls his young daughter at Miss Minchin's boarding school for girls in London, and dotes on his daughter so much that he orders and pays the headmistress for special treatment and exceptional luxuries for Sara, such as a private room for her with a personal maid and a separate sitting room, along with Sara's own private carriage and a pony. Miss Maria Minchin openly fawns over Sara for her money, but secretly and jealously despises her for her wealth.
Despite her privilege, Sara is neither arrogant nor snobbish, but rather kind, generous and clever. She extends her friendship to Ermengarde, the school dunce; to Lottie, a four-year-old student given to tantrums; and to Becky, the lowly, stunted fourteen-year-old scullery-maid. When Sara acquires the epithet of a princess, she embraces its favorable elements in her natural goodheartedness.
After some time, Sara's birthday is celebrated at Miss Minchin's with a lavish party, attended by all her friends and classmates. Just as it ends, Miss Minchin learns of Captain Crewe's unfortunate demise. Furthermore, prior to his death, the previously wealthy captain had lost his entire fortune; a friend had persuaded him to cash in his investments and deposit the proceeds to develop a network of diamond mines. The scheme fails, and Sara is left an orphan and a pauper, with no other family and nowhere to go. Miss Minchin is left with a sizable unpaid bill for Sara's school fees and luxuries, including her birthday party. Riled and harsh, she takes away all of Sara's possessions (except for some old frocks and one doll), makes her live in a cold and poorly furnished attic, and forces her to earn her keep by working as an errand girl.
For the next several years, Sara is abused by Miss Minchin and the other servants, except for Becky. Miss Minchin's kind-hearted sister, Miss Amelia, criticizes how Sara is treated, but is too weak-willed to speak up about it. Sara is starved, worked for long hours, sent out in all weathers, poorly-dressed in outgrown and worn-out clothes, and deprived of warmth or a comfortable bed in the attic. Despite her sufferings, Sara is consoled by her friends and uses her imagination to cope, pretending she is a prisoner in the Bastille or a princess disguised as a servant. Sara also continues to be kind and polite to everyone, including those who treat her badly. One day, she finds a coin in the street and uses it to buy buns at a bakery, but despite being very hungry, she gives most of the buns away to a beggar girl dressed in rags who is hungrier than herself. The bakery shop owner sees this and wants to reward Sara, but she has disappeared, so the shop owner instead gives the beggar girl bread and warm shelter for Sara's sake.
Meanwhile, Mr. Carrisford and his Indian assistant Ram Dass have moved into the house next door to Miss Minchin's school. Carrisford had been Captain Crewe's friend and partner in the diamond mines. After the diamond mine scheme failed, both Crewe and Carrisford became very ill, and Carrisford in his frenzy abandoned his friend Crewe, who died of his "brain fever." As it turned out, the diamond mines did not fail, but instead were a great victory, making Carrisford very rich. Though Carrisford survived, he suffers from several diseases and is guilt-ridden over abandoning his friend. He is determined to find Crewe's daughter and heir, although he does not know where she is and thinks she is attending school in France.
Ram Dass befriends Sara when his pet monkey escapes into Sara's adjoining attic. After climbing over the roof to Sara's room to get the monkey, Ram Dass tells Carrisford about Sara's poor living conditions. As a pleasant distraction, Carrisford and Ram Dass buy warm blankets, comfortable furniture, food, and other gifts, and secretly leave them in Sara's room when she is asleep or out. Sara's spirits and health improve due to the gifts she receives from her mysterious patron, whose identity she does not know; nor are Ram Dass and Carrisford aware that Sara is Crewe's lost daughter. When Carrisford anonymously sends Sara a package of new, well-made, and expensive clothing in her proper size, Miss Minchin becomes alarmed, thinking Sara might have a wealthy relative secretly looking out for her, and begins to treat Sara better and allows her to attend classes rather than doing menial work.
One night, the monkey again runs away to Sara's room, and Sara visits Carrisford's house the next morning to return him. When Sara casually mentions that she was born in India, Carrisford and his solicitor question her and discover that she is Captain Crewe's daughter, for whom they have been searching for years. Sara also learns that Carrisford was her father's friend and her own anonymous patron, and that the diamond mines have produced great riches, of which she will now own her late father's share. When Miss Minchin angrily appears to collect Sara, she is informed that Sara will be living with Carrisford and her entire fortune has been restored and greatly increased. Upon finding this out, Miss Minchin fruitlessly tries to persuade Sara into returning to her school as a star pupil, and then threatens to keep her from ever seeing her school friends again, but Carrisford and his solicitor tell Miss Minchin that Sara will see anyone she wishes to see and that her friends' parents are not likely to refuse invitations from an heiress to diamond mines. Miss Minchin goes home, where she is surprised when Amelia finally stands up to her. Amelia has a nervous breakdown afterwards, but she is on the road to gaining more respect.
Sara invites Becky to live with her and be her personal maid, in much better living conditions than at Miss Minchin's. Carrisford becomes a second father to Sara and quickly regains his health. Finally, Sara — accompanied by Becky — pays a visit to the bakery where she bought the buns, making a deal with the owner to cover the bills for bread for any hungry child. They find that the beggar girl who was saved from starvation by Sara's selfless act is now the bakery owner's assistant, with good food, clothing, shelter, and steady employment. (Wikipedia
)
The plot was a tad bit meandering at times, honestly, with the repetition of the servants at Miss Minchin’s scolding Sara, Sara thinking positively, the Montmorencys being admired and whatnot. Some people criticize the fact that Miss Minchin never finds out about Mr. Carrisford and Ram Dass’s provision of supplies for Sara (and Becky), but I liked it. The poor thing deserved it.
Characters
Sara Crewe: IMNSHO, Sara was a perfect protagonist for the plot, but not a really good character. (I did like her intelligence and bookishness, though.) I won’t always compare A Little Princess with The Secret Garden, but Mary Lennox was better as a character. Mary had her own problems to keep her going or justify her behavior, but Sara Crewe was — like Dickon — an angel. She’s incapable of doing, thinking, and saying any wrong. That made it just a tiny bit annoying. -0.5 for that.
Emily: I was let down by Emily’s lack of role in this. She was given quite a lot of importance at first when Captain Crewe and Sara went to buy her, but is forgotten until. Another -0.5 for that.
Ermengarde St. John: I’ve developed a weird sort of affection for Ermengarde. She’s not really bright (like Sara), but her kindness and support for Sara when. I cannot emphasize how much I loved it.
Lottie Leigh: Lottie wasn’t really big for me, honestly. She was just The Baby Who Throws Tantrums until Sara came along. And she didn’t really help when. She caused MORE HARM by . I can’t make up my mind about her.
Becky: Becky is one of my favorite characters from this. She’s unhappy with her position and treatment (as she SHOULD be), but Sara helps her. She is realistically drawn and whatnot. Yay!
Miss Maria Minchin: HOOOOH. I don’t think I’ve hated anyone so much except for
Umbridge. I agree with TVTropes: Miss Minchin’s a Complete Monster. She fawns about the rich students and hates and abuses the poor. Her treatment of Becky riled me up — she’s always boxing her ears or threatening her or ordering her. But her treatment of Sara once just throw me from the I-Don’t-Really-Hate-Them-I-Just-Dislike-Them cliff into the Oh-Merlin-Can-You-Die pit.
Miss Amelia Minchin: Miss Amelia is miles better than Miss Minchin. She’s weaker and dominated by her sister, but it’s justified, looking at how monstrous Miss Minchin is. She’s kind and sweet to the servants and criticizes Miss Minchin’s treatment of Sara. So when I won’t lie, I cheered.
Writing style
I really like Frances Hodgson Burnett’s writing style, mostly as I like reading her rhapsodizing about stuff. Even though there’s a lack of gardens in this book, she STILL manages to rhapsodize. But this time I don’t think it was really needed.
Other stuff
The Magic: The “lack” of Magic this time was quite refreshing this time. It was really Sara’s imagination that was “Magic”.
Geographical mentions: I dunno if you cared, but when Mr. Montmorency mentioned Moscow, I shrieked. I will not lie — I shrieked. I don’t really know why, just because.
India: The lack of persistent India-bashing made it more bearable.
__________________________________________
OVERALL RATING: 4 stars
I read The Secret Garden for school and I quite enjoyed it — maybe it’s one of my favorites. The character development of The Healed Mistress of The Garden and The Hysterical, but Soon Brilliant Maharajah of Misselthwaite Manor was quite likable. So was the character Dickon Sowerby — or, more appropriately, Prince Dickon “I-am-charming-my-way-into-your-heart-everyone-will-love-me”, Duke of Yorkshire.
So, to be honest, I was let-down by A Little Princess. It was quite plain and dull compared to TSG. Let me break down and rant.
Plot
Plot summary:
Despite her privilege, Sara is neither arrogant nor snobbish, but rather kind, generous and clever. She extends her friendship to Ermengarde, the school dunce; to Lottie, a four-year-old student given to tantrums; and to Becky, the lowly, stunted fourteen-year-old scullery-maid. When Sara acquires the epithet of a princess, she embraces its favorable elements in her natural goodheartedness.
After some time, Sara's birthday is celebrated at Miss Minchin's with a lavish party, attended by all her friends and classmates. Just as it ends, Miss Minchin learns of Captain Crewe's unfortunate demise. Furthermore, prior to his death, the previously wealthy captain had lost his entire fortune; a friend had persuaded him to cash in his investments and deposit the proceeds to develop a network of diamond mines. The scheme fails, and Sara is left an orphan and a pauper, with no other family and nowhere to go. Miss Minchin is left with a sizable unpaid bill for Sara's school fees and luxuries, including her birthday party. Riled and harsh, she takes away all of Sara's possessions (except for some old frocks and one doll), makes her live in a cold and poorly furnished attic, and forces her to earn her keep by working as an errand girl.
For the next several years, Sara is abused by Miss Minchin and the other servants, except for Becky. Miss Minchin's kind-hearted sister, Miss Amelia, criticizes how Sara is treated, but is too weak-willed to speak up about it. Sara is starved, worked for long hours, sent out in all weathers, poorly-dressed in outgrown and worn-out clothes, and deprived of warmth or a comfortable bed in the attic. Despite her sufferings, Sara is consoled by her friends and uses her imagination to cope, pretending she is a prisoner in the Bastille or a princess disguised as a servant. Sara also continues to be kind and polite to everyone, including those who treat her badly. One day, she finds a coin in the street and uses it to buy buns at a bakery, but despite being very hungry, she gives most of the buns away to a beggar girl dressed in rags who is hungrier than herself. The bakery shop owner sees this and wants to reward Sara, but she has disappeared, so the shop owner instead gives the beggar girl bread and warm shelter for Sara's sake.
Meanwhile, Mr. Carrisford and his Indian assistant Ram Dass have moved into the house next door to Miss Minchin's school. Carrisford had been Captain Crewe's friend and partner in the diamond mines. After the diamond mine scheme failed, both Crewe and Carrisford became very ill, and Carrisford in his frenzy abandoned his friend Crewe, who died of his "brain fever." As it turned out, the diamond mines did not fail, but instead were a great victory, making Carrisford very rich. Though Carrisford survived, he suffers from several diseases and is guilt-ridden over abandoning his friend. He is determined to find Crewe's daughter and heir, although he does not know where she is and thinks she is attending school in France.
Ram Dass befriends Sara when his pet monkey escapes into Sara's adjoining attic. After climbing over the roof to Sara's room to get the monkey, Ram Dass tells Carrisford about Sara's poor living conditions. As a pleasant distraction, Carrisford and Ram Dass buy warm blankets, comfortable furniture, food, and other gifts, and secretly leave them in Sara's room when she is asleep or out. Sara's spirits and health improve due to the gifts she receives from her mysterious patron, whose identity she does not know; nor are Ram Dass and Carrisford aware that Sara is Crewe's lost daughter. When Carrisford anonymously sends Sara a package of new, well-made, and expensive clothing in her proper size, Miss Minchin becomes alarmed, thinking Sara might have a wealthy relative secretly looking out for her, and begins to treat Sara better and allows her to attend classes rather than doing menial work.
One night, the monkey again runs away to Sara's room, and Sara visits Carrisford's house the next morning to return him. When Sara casually mentions that she was born in India, Carrisford and his solicitor question her and discover that she is Captain Crewe's daughter, for whom they have been searching for years. Sara also learns that Carrisford was her father's friend and her own anonymous patron, and that the diamond mines have produced great riches, of which she will now own her late father's share. When Miss Minchin angrily appears to collect Sara, she is informed that Sara will be living with Carrisford and her entire fortune has been restored and greatly increased. Upon finding this out, Miss Minchin fruitlessly tries to persuade Sara into returning to her school as a star pupil, and then threatens to keep her from ever seeing her school friends again, but Carrisford and his solicitor tell Miss Minchin that Sara will see anyone she wishes to see and that her friends' parents are not likely to refuse invitations from an heiress to diamond mines. Miss Minchin goes home, where she is surprised when Amelia finally stands up to her. Amelia has a nervous breakdown afterwards, but she is on the road to gaining more respect.
Sara invites Becky to live with her and be her personal maid, in much better living conditions than at Miss Minchin's. Carrisford becomes a second father to Sara and quickly regains his health. Finally, Sara — accompanied by Becky — pays a visit to the bakery where she bought the buns, making a deal with the owner to cover the bills for bread for any hungry child. They find that the beggar girl who was saved from starvation by Sara's selfless act is now the bakery owner's assistant, with good food, clothing, shelter, and steady employment. (Wikipedia
)
The plot was a tad bit meandering at times, honestly, with the repetition of the servants at Miss Minchin’s scolding Sara, Sara thinking positively, the Montmorencys being admired and whatnot. Some people criticize the fact that Miss Minchin never finds out about Mr. Carrisford and Ram Dass’s provision of supplies for Sara (and Becky), but I liked it. The poor thing deserved it.
Characters
Sara Crewe: IMNSHO, Sara was a perfect protagonist for the plot, but not a really good character. (I did like her intelligence and bookishness, though.) I won’t always compare A Little Princess with The Secret Garden, but Mary Lennox was better as a character. Mary had her own problems to keep her going or justify her behavior, but Sara Crewe was — like Dickon — an angel. She’s incapable of doing, thinking, and saying any wrong. That made it just a tiny bit annoying. -0.5 for that.
Emily: I was let down by Emily’s lack of role in this. She was given quite a lot of importance at first when Captain Crewe and Sara went to buy her, but is forgotten until
Spoiler
Sara has the breakdown and lashes out at EmilyErmengarde St. John: I’ve developed a weird sort of affection for Ermengarde. She’s not really bright (like Sara), but her kindness and support for Sara when
Spoiler
she becomes a pauperLottie Leigh: Lottie wasn’t really big for me, honestly. She was just The Baby Who Throws Tantrums until Sara came along. And she didn’t really help when
Spoiler
Sara became a pauperSpoiler
telling Lavinia about Ermengarde and Becky feasting with SaraBecky: Becky is one of my favorite characters from this. She’s unhappy with her position and treatment (as she SHOULD be), but Sara helps her. She is realistically drawn and whatnot. Yay!
Miss Maria Minchin: HOOOOH. I don’t think I’ve hated anyone so much except for
Umbridge. I agree with TVTropes: Miss Minchin’s a Complete Monster. She fawns about the rich students and hates and abuses the poor. Her treatment of Becky riled me up — she’s always boxing her ears or threatening her or ordering her. But her treatment of Sara once
Spoiler
Captain Crewe dies without leaving any money for herMiss Amelia Minchin: Miss Amelia is miles better than Miss Minchin. She’s weaker and dominated by her sister, but it’s justified, looking at how monstrous Miss Minchin is. She’s kind and sweet to the servants and criticizes Miss Minchin’s treatment of Sara. So when
Spoiler
she scolds Miss Minchin once Sara is taken away by Mr. Carrisford, I cheered.Writing style
I really like Frances Hodgson Burnett’s writing style, mostly as I like reading her rhapsodizing about stuff. Even though there’s a lack of gardens in this book, she STILL manages to rhapsodize. But this time I don’t think it was really needed.
Other stuff
The Magic: The “lack” of Magic this time was quite refreshing this time. It was really Sara’s imagination that was “Magic”.
Geographical mentions: I dunno if you cared, but when Mr. Montmorency mentioned Moscow, I shrieked. I will not lie — I shrieked. I don’t really know why, just because.
India: The lack of persistent India-bashing made it more bearable.
__________________________________________
OVERALL RATING: 4 stars
leslie1187's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This was a reread of a childhood favorite that I still adore and felt nostalgic. It was like a hug reading about these characters all over again.
lilalia's review against another edition
4.5
Really has not traveled forward well, but I still read it in times of need.
charlote_1347's review against another edition
5.0
I would like to begin by saying that I watched ‘A Little Princess’ as a child many, many times and fell in love with it. It was a fairy tale that relied on kindness rather than magic and that was a moral I could champion. Sara was a relatable character for a small child and was equally as relatable to a grown adult, as I discovered on recently reading the book.
Her experience of life in the opening pages was wholesome but narrow. Her thoughts were considerate and self-reflective but her awareness of social, economic and cultural struggles was lacking. We see her acknowledge that her privileged childhood was a matter of luck, that she could have been born to a poor family, but she does not take this thought further. It does not occur to her that the money in her silk purse could feed a starving beggar. That realisation comes later. Despite this lack of awareness, Sara is an endearing child. Most of her interactions with other characters, adults and children alike, show her to be a mature, affectionate person. She teaches Ermengarde that compassion can be more important than intelligence and helps her to develop a sense of self-worth. Lottie clings to Sara as a mother figure and while Sara indulges her, she does not tolerate her childish tantrums. Perhaps the best example is the way Sara interacts with Becky. While Sara is aware of Becky’s position in the household, she does not dismiss her as Miss Minchin does. To Sara, Becky is a child as well as a chambermaid. One does not cancel out the other.
When Captain Crewe is pronounced dead and Sara is plunged into poverty, the transition is jarring. I don’t doubt that that was the author’s intention. Suddenly, through no fault of her own, Sara is stripped of everything: her family, her finery, her social standing. This changes her but for the better. She accepts her new lodgings without complaint and works like a dog, taking comfort in ‘pretending’. ‘Pretending’ is a touching reminder of her age and vulnerability but it also a reminder of her endurance. Not once does she utter a ‘woe is me’.
My favourite scene, by far, was when Ram Dass transformed the attic while Sara slept. The concept was inspired (and a little creepy). The imagery was decadent and vivid. I closed my eyes after reading the descriptive paragraphs and a picture of the attic crystallised in my mind. The depiction of Sara was particularly good in this chapter. It would have been too far-fetched to have her call to Becky immediately, since she believed that she was dreaming. Even when the objects and fabrics prove tangible, she dawdles for a while to revel in the luxury. Her hesitation is only temporary however, and she summons Becky with haste to share her good fortune. It was heartening to see Sara rewarded, even if life does not always work that way. There was satisfaction in it.
The other scene that had a dramatic impact was when Sara gave five of her six buns to a beggar. Again fate seemed to reward her kindness by leaving money in a drain for her to find. Starving, she digs the coin out and walks into the nearest bakery. Before she can fill her stomach, a starving child catches her eye. Sara, disregarding her own stomach cramps, gives almost all of her food away, realising that the child needs it more than her. This encounter is a turning point in her character growth because Sara is exposed to misery worse than her own and becomes aware of suffering on a grand scale. Her personal experience plants itself in the middle of social, economic and cultural inequalities and injustices and she realises that millions of people all over the world are suffering like her. She is not alone.
‘A Little Princess’ was an inspiring read. Marketed as a children’s book, it doubles as a novel in its own right. Anyone of any age would benefit from picking it up in their local bookshop and giving it a read. The world can always benefit from a little more magic.
Her experience of life in the opening pages was wholesome but narrow. Her thoughts were considerate and self-reflective but her awareness of social, economic and cultural struggles was lacking. We see her acknowledge that her privileged childhood was a matter of luck, that she could have been born to a poor family, but she does not take this thought further. It does not occur to her that the money in her silk purse could feed a starving beggar. That realisation comes later. Despite this lack of awareness, Sara is an endearing child. Most of her interactions with other characters, adults and children alike, show her to be a mature, affectionate person. She teaches Ermengarde that compassion can be more important than intelligence and helps her to develop a sense of self-worth. Lottie clings to Sara as a mother figure and while Sara indulges her, she does not tolerate her childish tantrums. Perhaps the best example is the way Sara interacts with Becky. While Sara is aware of Becky’s position in the household, she does not dismiss her as Miss Minchin does. To Sara, Becky is a child as well as a chambermaid. One does not cancel out the other.
When Captain Crewe is pronounced dead and Sara is plunged into poverty, the transition is jarring. I don’t doubt that that was the author’s intention. Suddenly, through no fault of her own, Sara is stripped of everything: her family, her finery, her social standing. This changes her but for the better. She accepts her new lodgings without complaint and works like a dog, taking comfort in ‘pretending’. ‘Pretending’ is a touching reminder of her age and vulnerability but it also a reminder of her endurance. Not once does she utter a ‘woe is me’.
My favourite scene, by far, was when Ram Dass transformed the attic while Sara slept. The concept was inspired (and a little creepy). The imagery was decadent and vivid. I closed my eyes after reading the descriptive paragraphs and a picture of the attic crystallised in my mind. The depiction of Sara was particularly good in this chapter. It would have been too far-fetched to have her call to Becky immediately, since she believed that she was dreaming. Even when the objects and fabrics prove tangible, she dawdles for a while to revel in the luxury. Her hesitation is only temporary however, and she summons Becky with haste to share her good fortune. It was heartening to see Sara rewarded, even if life does not always work that way. There was satisfaction in it.
The other scene that had a dramatic impact was when Sara gave five of her six buns to a beggar. Again fate seemed to reward her kindness by leaving money in a drain for her to find. Starving, she digs the coin out and walks into the nearest bakery. Before she can fill her stomach, a starving child catches her eye. Sara, disregarding her own stomach cramps, gives almost all of her food away, realising that the child needs it more than her. This encounter is a turning point in her character growth because Sara is exposed to misery worse than her own and becomes aware of suffering on a grand scale. Her personal experience plants itself in the middle of social, economic and cultural inequalities and injustices and she realises that millions of people all over the world are suffering like her. She is not alone.
‘A Little Princess’ was an inspiring read. Marketed as a children’s book, it doubles as a novel in its own right. Anyone of any age would benefit from picking it up in their local bookshop and giving it a read. The world can always benefit from a little more magic.
waylintaylin's review against another edition
4.0
Such a darling read! Sara was so refreshing and I loved how all of the characters really meshed. I wish I had read this when I was younger.
cheshirecataclysmic's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
craftingchange's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that I could read a thousand times over.
kim_j_dare's review against another edition
4.0
This is the book that epitomizes the magic of reading for me. When I think back to childhood days curled up and reading for hours, very few characters drew me in as completely and utterly as Sara Crewe.