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    The Secret Garden
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    The Secret Garden
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    The Secret Garden
    Ebook295 pages3 hours

    The Secret Garden

    By Frances Hodgson Burnett and Charles Robinson

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Spoiled and rude, Mary Lennox has been raised by servants as her parents had no time for her. When her parents die in a cholera epidemic, Mary suddenly becomes an orphan. She moves to her uncle's mysterious house in England. The huge mansion and its friendly staff offer Mary a new kind of environment in which to grow. As she explores, she discovers a key to a secret garden and builds friendships with a local boy and her invalid cousin. A story of overcoming selfish desires, this unabridged version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic English novel is taken from the 1911 copyright edition, with original illustrations by Charles Robinson.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLerner Publishing
    Release dateAug 1, 2014
    ISBN9781467768528
    Author

    Frances Hodgson Burnett

    Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was an English-American author and playwright. She is best known for her incredibly popular novels for children, including Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.

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    Reviews for The Secret Garden

    4/5

    29 ratings191 reviews

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    • 5/5
      One of my favorite childhood books, about a young girl named Mary who is sent to live with her recluse Uncle in England after her parents die in India. She befriends her spoiled cousin and a local common boy, and together they discover an abandoned garden.
    • 5/5
      This charming children’s classic, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is worth reading as an adult, even if you read it first as a child. The story vividly and accurately portrays the emotional journey that many third-culture-kids experience, as they confront the reverse-culture-shock of repatriation.Mary Lennox is a nine-year-old, British military brat, born and raised in British Colonial India. The story begins in the midst of a cholera epidemic, which kills both of her parents. When a pair of British officers discover Mary all alone in her parents’ empty bungalow, she is quickly sent “home” to England, to live with an uncle she has never met. Although the “spoilt and sour” demeanor Mary exhibits at the start of the book is certainly in part the result of attachment issues caused by neglectful parents, it is also very clear that many of the things that trouble her about her new home are simply the result of culture shock. And, as is typical for TCKs “returning home” to their passport countries, her ignorance of local customs is perceived as willful insolence, and any mention she makes of “how things were done” in India, is perceived as boastful arrogance.It is only when she begins applying her TCK skills of “foreign” language acquisition (learning to speak the Yorkshire dialect spoken by the local people), studying the details of her new environment (learning to understand an appreciate the strange natural beauty and wildlife of the moor), and working on collaborative projects with local residents (reviving a neglected, secret garden), that she overcomes her grief, and begins to thrive in her passport culture.And the secret to her success? The “magic” of choosing to change her attitude toward the foreign land she now calls home.
    • 4/5
      A very sweet, and well written book. A perfect read for February/March/April, and fits the transition from winter to summer. I just disliked Colin so much, that it weighed down my opinion of the book. In the middle of the book you find colin and, after that the focus on Mary disappears almost completely. I was very displeased with that, because she was in sort the main character. That said it is a book that makes you very happy, and makes you think about being outside more.
    • 5/5
      “The Secret Garden” passed me by during childhood. Don’t know why, as I read a lot during my primary school years.Having read and enjoyed it as an adult, however, I’m certain I would’ve loved it as a child. It has that charming quality that you find in Louis May Alcott's children's books.The descriptive parts are vivid. I’m no gardening fanatic, but loved every minute of following little Mary around the huge gardens, especial the secret one. I like how the robin is used as a character, and how he helps to change Mary from a selfish brat into a precious child.My only disappointment – a slight one at that – is the two closing chapters. Without giving anything away, the narrative switches gears in that it changes focus from Mary to Colin and his father. Yes, this is important, and it should be worked through to a satisfactory closure, but Mary is sidelined, pushed right of the limelight, when this – in my mind at least – is her story. In other words, I felt disappointed that the main character doesn’t get the last word in or have the same level of closure as the supporting cast.Despite the above criticism, it’s not so disappointing that it detracts from the story overall. Therefore, I feel this charming little tale deserves five stars.
    • 4/5
      As a child I loved watching The Secret Garden movie, it was one of my all time favourites. I had not realised it was a book at the time and wish I had of had the opportunity to read it as a child. The story was written so beautifully and I found the imagery to be so vivid in my mind. The illustrations by Robert Ingpen really added to the story and a spent quite a bit of time looking over them. This story was thoroughly enjoyable and heart warming.
    • 5/5
      This story is very old and well-known, but it took me a while to read. It was a very interesting story and I was very interested in what happened, but the language in which it was written was so unfamiliar to me that sometimes it took me a while to get through the writing. However, I think it was beneficial for me to read a story like this because it shows how language and society has changed over time. It's good to compare life today to life back in the early 1900s.
    • 3/5
      I'd probably give this a 3.5 star rating if that was an option. I enjoyed the book. I did. But it didn't really resonate with me the way it might have had I read it when I was younger.
    • 3/5
      The story overall was a good one and I really enjoyed Mary as a character however I did feel as though there were something missing. There was no real climax in the story which made it a bit boring and slow at times. Also feel like some key characters were underdeveloped when they should have been further explored.
    • 4/5
      As Mary, Dickon, and Colin would say: This book is Magic!
      A very sweet story with cute and unique characters. I only wish I had read it as a child.
    • 5/5
      This is a wonderful book about Mary's growth. At the beginning of the story she was a much spoiled child and selfish. However after she moved to England, she changed into a very kind girl thanks to the fresh air, grass filled with flowers and a secret gerden.I was moved to read this book because she was actually very pure and changed dramatically. I like this story the best of all English books that I have read before.
    • 4/5
      This is a sweet story of an orphan settling into her uncle's huge house and making a life for herself on the grounds as well as the house. Although told to stay away from one of the gardens, she can't resist. With encouragement from a new friend, she finds a way into the off limits space and brings the garden back to life and in doing so,healing her uncle's and her own hearts.
    • 5/5
      Read this when I was in gradeschool so it was great to read it again. Loved the mystery surrounding the crippled cousin and the birth/growth of the secret garden/uncle. Great story. Surprisingly not just for girls-the title can mislead.
    • 5/5
      When bad-tempered Mary Lennox is orphaned, she is taken from India to the moors of Yorkshire to live at her uncle Archibald Craven's lonely manor house. The estate holds more than one mystery for Mary to solve, but all of the mysteries hinge on the mysterious walled garden, locked up by Mr. Craven ten years ago. Can Mary find a way to get in? What will she discover there, if she does?I think the thing that keeps me coming back to this book is that it can be read on so many different levels. It has a great plot that is perennially attractive to children -- what child doesn't long to solve a mystery and discover a secret place that is theirs alone? And if you go a little deeper, there's a lot of fascinating character development as Mary goes from someone completely unlikeable to a true heroine. There are interesting themes, like the healing power of nature, the danger of living up to negative expectations, and the importance of human connections. I'm always drawn to this book in the springtime, and I think I always will be, no matter how old I am. Readers of all ages will connect with this lovely story.
    • 3/5
      This is another classic I wanted to read because I liked the movie. And another one I put into my Classic TBR pile.

      Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the other classics I've read, it was still a cute little story. And I loved seeing her grow into a sweet, respectful little lady from that not so nice child she was all because she had something and someone to look forward to each and everyday.

      This story can be a lesson to many that if you give your children something to look forward to everyday that they enjoy doing, how will their behavior change for the better? If the children are in a more positive environment and have people around them that love them..How much better will their lives be? The change may take time but its possible for it to happen...That's what I get out of it anyway..

      And even though the adults didn't really want much to do with her or the other children in the beginning, she eventually got their views to change about her and the little boy she became friends with..

      I love the messaged more than anything in this story...That's part of the reason it didn't get less than a 3..And plus, how could I give a classic less than a 3?!?! :-)
    • 3/5
      this book is a classic ... no matter how old you are .... or how trhis book is its amazing
      the breathtaking description of the way the garden grows is so beautiful!!!

      This book will continue to be read for many more years!!!
    • 4/5
      what small displaced child doesn't want "a bit of earth" to call her own?
    • 3/5
      I felt betrayed, as I chose this book from a possible 3 (Bridge to Teribithia, From the Mixed-Up Files). I thought that this was going to be adventure and/or mystery, as it had the word "secret" in the title. I was terribly disappointed at how realistic and uneventful the story was. I kept thinking how much I would have preferred either of the other two.
    • 4/5
      A uplifting story of a sullen child who becomes a better person through finding and cultivating the garden of the title. The story is also about the redemption of at least two other characters. I wasn't clear why everyone was so afraid of Colin, initially a weak and helpless ten year old. Quite good to read as a counterbalance to some of the serious stuff I have been reading.
    • 5/5
      Read the year I was eleven, shortly after Burnett's A Little Princess, The Secret Garden has been one of my "comfort novels" ever since, usually making an annual reappearance sometime in the dark and dreary winter, when the idea of a garden holds particular charm. The story of two cousins - spoiled orphan Mary Lennox, sent to stay at her uncle's estate in Yorkshire, and her invalid cousin Colin - both of whom find healing and love through the "magic" of the Secret Garden, this sentimental children's novel is a moving parable of the restorative power of nature...Stories of this type, in which children learn to "be good," abound in Victorian children's literature, but happily, The Secret Garden is not characterized by the almost obligatory sanctimony of the genre. Perhaps this is because Burnett is an author who understands child psychology, and the reader is able to identify with her characters, even when they are behaving poorly. This gives the book a modern sensibility that may account - in part - for its continued popularity.However that may be, this is such a satisfying novel, which never seems impossible or unrealistic. I have sometimes felt a little wistful when rereading it as an adult, recalling those days when I lived in a house with gardens. But that is another issue...Addendum: as is always the case for me, this reread - undertaken for the Children's Fiction Club to which I belong, was entirely satisfactory! I did notice some things, this time around, that eluded me before, like Mary's unfortunate comments about 'blacks' (by which she meant Indians in general, and her own servants specifically) not really being people. I think that Burnett clearly intends to show that this is not acceptable, by pointing out how rude, spoiled and unpleasant Mary is, although the narrator's own comments about the differences between the salt-of-the-earth Yorkshire characters, and the endlessly-salaaming Indian servants, still felt patronizing to me. Not enough to mar the story, but definitely of their time, and something adults might want to address, in discussing this story with children.
    • 4/5
      SUMMARY - The Secret Garden is a wonderfull tale that will grab your attention and will not let it go until you finish the whole book. The Secret Garden is a story of a young girl living in British India during the Englosh control, who has been waited on hand and foot and must now go far away from India and live a completely different life. Mary Lennox leaves her home in India after the death of her father and mother who never really gave her any attention, and instead sent her away with all she desired, and plenty of native servant. Mistress Mary, quite contrary must now learn to dress herself and play in the open air. But mary's home isnt just an ordinary one, it is filled with secret rooms, secret deaths, secret people, and especially, a secret garden. Mary finds the key to a long shut down garden, and with not only unlocks the secrets of the Garden, but she also unlocks the secres of the Craven family. Mary spends her time there daily with a boy named Dickon, and the son of the much hated Archibald craven. Mary helps the Craven land, and it helps her. it seems this spoiled, lonely, pale girl from India, and this much forgotten old mansion are a perfect match!REVIEW - This classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett is one that never gets old. you really feel as if as you read it, you are unlocking the secrets of Mary's life. This is a story that can be enjoyed by all. I really enjoyed this book many times throughout my life. This is a must read. I feel that this story deserves at least four stars, and should be passed on. My highest recommendations for this story
    • 4/5
      As a child I had always adored the Warner Brothers live action adaptions of Frances Hodgson Burnett's most beloved duo (Secret Garden and Little Princess). I never read the books as a child (my time was devoted to Goosebumps and sci-fi/fantasy classics such as Journey to the Center of the Earth). When I read Little Princess as an adult I was very dismayed to find out how much was different and as I loved the movie so much, I could not forgive the book it's vast differences. I am exceptionally pleased to announce that the Secret Garden is almost exactly the same as the movie!!! Huzzah!!!It's as phenomenal as the movie I've adored for decades.
    • 4/5
      lovely story about the power of nature and nurture to restore and teach young and old
    • 5/5
      One of the most heart-warming stories ever told.
    • 4/5
      I am pretty sure I've got to nearly 40 years' old and have never read this book. I loved it though. It was well written, a wonderful story and it was very uplifting. It was fairly predictable but a lovely book.
    • 4/5
      A classic for a reason, the Secret Garden is perhaps most interesting because two of the primary characters - Mary and Colin - begin as thoroughly unlikable little brats. Like the slowly blooming gardens they explore, the characters grow on the reader, a bit at a time, until - magically - you care about their triumphs and discoveries.Very much a book of it's time, The Secret Garden contains many references that may seem inappropriate or bigoted now - particularly in the portrayal of Mary's attitude towards her servants in colonial India. In many ways, however, this is part of the value of the book - as a glimpse into a mindset and way of life that are no longer, and some insight into why we have - or in some cases have not yet sufficiently- turned our back cultural back on the colonial 'way of life'.
    • 5/5
      This is a timeless classic. I had never read this book (though I had seen the movie) until recently, and I loved it even more than the movie. I really liked the classic, old fashioned feel it had to it. Mistress Mary finds a secret garden that she brings back to life, and uses it to help heal her poor, sick and sour cousin Colin. The characters are easily relatable and it is written in such an engaging way; this is a new favorite book of mine.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, however I had a few problems with it. To begin, there was no set narrator. You didn't really get inside any character's head, and none of the character's were really "round." Even Mary, the protagonist, seemed distant to me. One of the things I cherish about books is the connection I have with the characters, and this was certainly a novel lacking in that aspect. Another issue was that the novel was so thoroughly a product of its time period that I found myself overwhelmed, especially by some of the morals. It seems to be a light children's book but the author is pushing Victorian ideals on the reader, on a deeper level. For example, Mary is a disagreeable, stubborn child until she finds the garden and then she does a total 180 and ends up likable. All she needed was something to care about and some love from children her own age. How sweet. Additionally, the Magic deals with power of Christianity and it got a little overwhelmingly religious at times.
      However, overall, this book was certainly beautiful, especially the language when describing the garden. I can see why it remains a childhood classic.
    • 5/5
      "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett is the story of a young girl from India who befriends Collin, the sickly son of Archibold Craven, lord of Missethwaite Manor, located in England.The girl's name is Mary, who has just left India after becoming orphaned by a terrible plague. She slowly pulls Collin out of his sickbed, and into radiant health. She does so by introducing him to his late mother's once-neglected walled garden.I felt this classic was compelling and poignant. I loved the fact that the protagonist was a misfit. She held her own as a quintessential character, along with Collin and Dickon, the young gardener who helps her rescue the quiescent spirit of the garden itself. Mary has an optimistic viewpoint, contrary to the views held by his physician, Dr. Craven, and Mrs. Medlock, the housekeeper. However, Collin is just as complex in his inner character, and his change is just as significant as Mary's.I recommend this book to anyone who has known someone who is ill. It is the story of a child awakening to the power of optimism, friendship, intention, and care.Breton W Kaiser Taylor
    • 4/5
      This is a story about a young girl who goes to live in a mansion with her uncle. She discovers a secret garden, and the garden leads her to discover other hidden things within the mansion. It's a classic story about friendship and family.
    • 5/5
      What's not to love about this story. My daughter got this edition for her birthday and is delighted! She especially liked the redesigned cover and was thrilled that it wasn't her old 'falling apart' copy !