4.06 AVERAGE


Would I recommend that a child read this children's classic? Not in a thousand years. They are too young to understand the historical context in which small children, by virtue of the fact that their parents own the manor house or serve in the British Raj, terrorize grown adults, slap them, threaten them, and make them ask permission to leave the room. Also, the writing is leaden and the storytelling is sentimental. Children deserve vivid and colorful language and thrilling stories. Still, I'm not sorry that I spent a few hours with it. There is one line that glistens. It occurs when the children have found the secret garden, and through it learned to embrace their lives. They sit down to an "al fresco" tea feeling healthy, happy, and whole. And the author writes, "And delight reigned." It doesn't get better than that.

What a delightful little book this is! It's perfect for children, and good enough for adults to enjoy years later. I imagine it would have a different effect on both, though. For children it introduces them to the natural world, and to magic, and to changing for the better. For adults it's a lovely look back to the innocence of childhood. I watched the movie adaptation back in 1993 or whenever it was, and it's that version which I love - the book has it's own merits, though, and I would recommend reading it after (or before) seeing the movie.

The story of the orphaned Mary Lennox is mostly as we saw in the movie - in the book Mary's parents die from a cholera outbreak, whereas in the movie it's an earthquake which kills them. Mary is sickly-looking and bad-tempered, and is sent to Yorkshire to the home of her uncle. There she meets Mrs Medlock and Martha, and is slowly shown how to fend for herself, and how to live again. In turn she manages to bring the entire house (and garden, of course) back to life. Colin is just as bad tempered as Mary, and is a delightful character - just like in the movie you love and hate him for his tantrums and quirks. Dickon is another good character, more eloquent perhaps in the book than in the movie, but charming all the same.

It's an enjoyable, if short, book anyway, and I'd definitely recommend it.
hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I understand why this book is considered a classic. A beautiful story that genuinely warms your heart. I feel happier for reading it. ♥️
adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-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
emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
adventurous hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

This book was okay, and I remember the movie being pretty good, but every time I got into it a character would take another shot at "blacks" as "not people" and I just couldn't take it anymore. I get it's just the characters, but it was proclaimed with such haughtiness that it just seemed a big old joke and constantly conjured an image of a bunch of turn-of-the-century british folk chortling over their tea. It just irked me too much to continue.