Reviews - The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

9.12k reviews for:

Evelyn (age 9) says "it was sad at the start, but it was a nice ending, but I won't spoil it for you. There's a Robin in the book that reminds me of Christmas. It's good because they bond in it at the end, like my rabbits didn't bond, but now my rabbits bonded. I like the setting because first it was India and then it went to England."

Alice (age 6) says "this book I recommend you to get, of course I don't want to spoil it for you guys, so I'm not gonna tell much. There was a fox in the book and its about a girl called Mary and she found a secret garden, and met new friends, and there was a happy ending. And this book I recommend you to get so much. This is really a great story, Mary met a Robin and the kid and their Dad bonded. This book is bonkers of excitement. YAY".

Mummy "a beautiful read, full of lovely illustrations. I really loved reading this to the kids".

mrstheobald's review against another edition

5.0

The Secret Garden is a lovely old story about a special and beautiful garden, which shows how nature can make us feel better, how important friends are, and how having a positive attitude can change everything.

The Secret Garden is a heartwarming and hopeful story. It teaches us that even when things are difficult, there's always a chance for new beginnings and happiness. It's a wonderful book for anyone who loves stories about friendship, nature, and finding joy.

An altogether uplifting beautiful read.

cait331's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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

nerdywriter36's review against another edition

3.0

*3.5 stars

I had a really good time with this sweet little story! It's a children's story, yes, but reading it, it doesn't feel like a book for children; the plot is just as captivating for an adult as it would be for a child, and that's what made it so lovely to read. I remember watching both the movie and the play about this story when I was younger, so the plot was familiar to me, but it was really nice to get to revisit it! The author writing out the Yorkshire accent was the most difficult thing for me to read, and I did find myself skimming it sometimes, but that's no different from how I handle accents written out like that in any classic (ie. Wuthering Heights). Even still, it didn't detract from the story, and it was so easy to get sucked into the friendship between Mary, Dickon, and Colin, and the ending was super sweet as well.

merelyheart's review against another edition

4.0

a perfect read for warm spring days

friendsheyho's review against another edition

5.0

When I was younger, I came into some kind of contact with the story of The Secret Garden; I believe it must have been some kind of film adaptation, because the book I just finished felt entirely new to me. As a children's book, it was a delightful read, one that transported me back a few short months to the spring and the summer. As far as the plot goes, it is not especially complex or difficult to anticipate, but it is with her prose that Frances Hodgson Burnett makes every page shine.

If I were to give this book to a child to read, however, I would need to sit down and have a conversation with them about some of the racist and colonialist viewpoints of the characters and the author. The Magic of this book is, though, that it makes me want to have a child to share it with.