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A review by ranee_samaniego
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
2.0
This book was a sweet children's book that my book club chose to read for November.
While it was sweet, I was unfortunately quite disappointed. I had watched the Little Princess movie frequently as a child, and the movie was quite a bit better than the book. The movie explored the bond between a father and child, selflessness in the face of pain and trials, and friendships that cross societal boundaries.
The book, on the other hand, had undertones that seemed to undercut the messages it was trying to present:
1) While the bond between father and child was still a main theme, it ended quite abruptly. On the other hand, in the movie, the father-daughter bond surpasses sickness, continents, and devastation.
2) While the theme of selflessness in the face of trials was present in the book, there was an off-putting message when Sarah continued to refer to others as the "populance." I am in favor of Sarah continuing to see herself as a princess despite her changing circumstances - that is a great message about the inherent self-worth of an individual regardless of circumstances. However, it came across as prideful for her to refer to others as the "populance." It felt as if Sarah was viewing herself as better and higher than others.
I do acknowledge that some of these items could be due to the changes to the English language and society that have occurred since the book was written.
Overall, I was disappointed by the book, and I feel the movie was much better.
While it was sweet, I was unfortunately quite disappointed. I had watched the Little Princess movie frequently as a child, and the movie was quite a bit better than the book. The movie explored the bond between a father and child, selflessness in the face of pain and trials, and friendships that cross societal boundaries.
The book, on the other hand, had undertones that seemed to undercut the messages it was trying to present:
1) While the bond between father and child was still a main theme, it ended quite abruptly. On the other hand, in the movie, the father-daughter bond surpasses sickness, continents, and devastation.
2) While the theme of selflessness in the face of trials was present in the book, there was an off-putting message when Sarah continued to refer to others as the "populance." I am in favor of Sarah continuing to see herself as a princess despite her changing circumstances - that is a great message about the inherent self-worth of an individual regardless of circumstances. However, it came across as prideful for her to refer to others as the "populance." It felt as if Sarah was viewing herself as better and higher than others.
I do acknowledge that some of these items could be due to the changes to the English language and society that have occurred since the book was written.
Overall, I was disappointed by the book, and I feel the movie was much better.