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What are readers saying about The Secret Garden?
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-21 08:29:28.
(Language: English)
 
One of my top two childhood favorites, recently listened to audio version, unabridged and superbly read by Josephine Bailey. This story is every bit as meaningful to a thirtysomething adult as it was to my lonely 11-year-old self. The paths of many unlikely friends were magically brought together along the paths of the Secret Garden. The Magic of the garden is unconditional love, God's care for the littlest things, first bringing healing, then growth, then beauty.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-04-20 08:53:35.
(Language: English)
Reading at as a child, is magical, reading this book as an adult brings so much more to life! Reading it as an adult with your child...we had moments that will last forever. A great book if you love deep conversation with your kids about people, life, and "The Magic"! Definitely one of my favorite books ever!!
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Natasha posted a review at 2011-04-10 07:49:58.
(Language: English)
sweet book, a quiet and enjoyable read.
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Lynn posted a review at 2010-12-04 07:43:43.
(Language: English)
Absolutely Magical!!
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-04 10:38:47.
(Language: English)
I love the spiritual message behind this book. Sometimes I think I would like to rewrite it in a modern context. Because there really is a lot of cultural material in the story that would take away from a modern child's ability to connect with the deeper message of this book. Mary is "peevish," for example. What kid would keep reading? I loved this book as a kid and rereading it as an adult, I appreciate it even more. It really expresses my own view of the cosmos: spirit is present in nature, and humans can be healed, grounded and enlightened by being close to nature. My time at Yasodhara Ashram was like being in a Secret Garden. I turned my face to the light and grew out of my own inner peevishness. I fell in love with my boyfriend and let go of fear to really give my whole heart in love to another human being, even though outcomes are completely uncertain. That's what I love about this book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-18 05:02:35.
(Language: English)
 
Had my first anxiety attack while reading this book as a very young adult.
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Maggy posted a review at 2012-04-04 06:10:19.
(Language: English)
Was my favourite book at school
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Mercedes posted a review at 2011-04-30 09:47:47.
(Language: English)
I read this book at least once a year.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-18 01:53:30.
(Language: English)
sweet book holding childhood dreams....
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-24 02:17:08.
(Language: English)
Fantastic book. I finally read it this summer in preparation for a production of the musical in which I played Ben the gardener. Very well written, very funny. Burnett treats children well; she respects them, but shows the importance of letting kids be kids. Plus, she deals with big topics here such as love, loss and isolation. What really pleased me, though, was the humor in much of the writing which derives from both the plot and the characters. A well-done children's book which any discerning adult should find very entertaining and moving.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-10-03 08:48:44.
(Language: English)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1909): "The Secret Garden" Dette er en vakker, tander og hjertevarmende god bok. For meg er boken forbundet med NRK Radioteaterets nydelige og sikkert meget gamle versjon, som gikk lørdag på lørdag i Barnetimen, og dens stemme byder meg således å skrive laudabelt og ydmykt på norsk, ikke på engelsk. Jeg ser at noen av mine iReview-kolleger griper til "nice girl book for nice girls"-beskrivelser, men det jeg mener er solid undervurdering, av boken, og av søte piker. Temaveldet er forunderlig vidt: vi har India, kolonismen, kyfosis, svake barn, sure barn, Store Farlige Ubegripelige Hemmeligheter, døde foreldre, fare, underlige voksne, sår gråt, osv. I tillegg kan litteraten alltids lene seg tilbake i lenestolen og nøkternt påpeke at boken er en eneste stor allegori, i klasse med Eva og Slangen, den trange passasjen mellom barnets troskyld og voksenlivets hardere himmel. Til det vil jeg nok svare "bah" og "hva så": Historien holder, qua hjertegripende historie. Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849--1924) må ha vært et spennende damemenneske, med bakgrunn både i England og Amerika, og med et for den tid kuriøst uvanlig ekteskapsliv, med hele to skilsmisser. Burnett er også forfatterinnen av en av verdens beste bøker, Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885). Jeg tar gjerne en kaffe med henne i bokhimmelen.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-06-15 09:57:43.
(Language: English)
GENRE: Drama Fiction TAGLINE: The timeless tale of a special place where hope and love grow. THEME: Happiness PREMISE: Happiness can be found within you and in a secret garden; it's a choice. LOCATION: India and England MAIN CHARACTERS: Young British girl Mary Lennox, parents, uncle, servant boy, sickly cousin Colin PLOT SUMMARY: A young British girl born and reared in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle. Her uncle is very distant due to the loss of his wife ten years before. Neglected once again, she begins exploring the estate and discovers a garden that has been locked and neglected. She, and others, begins restoring the garden, and eventually discovers some other secrets of the manor.
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Emily posted a review at 2007-09-30 12:22:25.
(Language: English)
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Each time I read it I am once more swept away into the haunting and slightly Gothic world of the English moores and the mystery that haunts that old house. There is something absolutely enchanting this book that I have yet to put my finger upon. I don't know if it's the setting, the classic story, the incredibly developed characters, or the mystery. But it's fantastic. It begins with Mary, a thoroughly bratty, spoilt child who had grown up in India, every single one of her whims answered. When her parents die horribly, she is shipped off to her uncle's, across the world in dreary England. However, he doesn't pay much attention to her, either, and Mary finds herself, most unwillingly, becoming attached to the staff of the spooky old house and the story of an abandoned garden loved by her dead aunt. One of the strongest points of this book is its characters. We have the obvious example of Mary, the girl who goes from being a complete bitch to someone tolerable. The rest of the cast is just as wonderful, as quirky and different as one could ask for, all with their own stories and personalities. Then we have the vibrant setting. Hodgson is a genius at painting a gorgeous but unflowery world of enchanting England and India, from lush sun to rain-soaked fields, an earthy garden, a dusky old house. Basically, it's everything you could ask for from a book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-06-06 02:21:06.
(Language: English)
For me it captures the sense of secrecy that hides much more than a garden...the inner workings of a child's mind, that adults have no clue about! I am also reminded that the same is true for many adults, myself included. After reading this book, I always feel a renewed sense of commitment to getting to know people beyond the public surface and letting more people see the real me.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-01-31 12:24:51.
(Language: English)
Some 20-odd years after I was given my first copy of this book, I still read it regularly, just for the pleasure of keeping spoiled, bratty, nasty "Miss Mary" company for awhile. Frances has a beautiful knack of capturing people and a deft touch for the vagaries of English dialects. As wonderful as ever ...
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yuko posted a review at 2011-11-06 01:04:14.
(Language: English)
Mary had an unhappy childhood in India. But she was forceful.She became more understanding in the secret garden,and she changed Colin. They all lived happily in the end.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-01 12:31:30.
(Language: English)
This book is a nice one from Frances Burnett. I have seen the movie too; it is a replica of the book wit a slight difference.This is a story of courage,hope and determination and it is focused on a forlorn and unwanted child Mary; she was an imp from birth.Born to a wealthy family in India but she was a reject cus everyone including her parents wantd her to possess d beauty and charm of her mom,unfortunately,she was nothing like her mom and she was kept under d care of a nanny and her mom never wanting to see her. Mary never knew anything about luv and she was disrespectful.A disaster strucked in her home and she was the only survivor of the dreadful plague; she was sent to England to her only surviving relative – a depressed uncle still mourning the death of his wife. Rit in her uncle’s lonely house, she found an hidden door to a mysterious secret garden dt will change not only her live but dt of all those around her.Her uncle son- Colin who wz really sick and believed to be lamn and probably gonna have a hunchback wz always kept indoors until Mary found him, tuk him to the garden and he had a life changing experience.
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Jennifer posted a review at 2011-09-11 03:25:14.
(Language: English)
It's a good read
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Valerie posted a review at 2008-08-20 08:17:50.
(Language: English)
This is my number one favorite book of all time. I own several different copies, some are pocket-size, some are beautifully illustrated. And one has critical reading essays with it. I want an annotated version of it but so far have not gotten one. It's on my wish list though! I loved being alone as a child and the thought of having someplace that was just my own. Someplace that wasn't wanted, like the garden wasn't wanted, appealed to me greatly. Even now, I read it about once a year or so. I'm on my third copy that I actually use for re-reading (as opposed to display copies) because the others have fallen apart from all the reading. The way Mary and Colin's characters grow throughout the book and the reawakening of the garden are magical to me each time I read it.
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Victor posted a review at 2011-12-06 09:27:33.
(Language: English)
It is a sweet warm story,Mary made every one became better,she became a better girl too.I like the story and the book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-15 02:02:00.
(Language: English)
My favorite childhood book
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-16 09:37:20.
(Language: English)
A wonderful classic I just finished reading with my daughter. The wonder of friendship and the power of transformation from the most unusual places. So often we overlook those that we wouldn't consider our contemporaries, and yet this proved the proper medicine for Master Colin & Miss Mary. Lovely, Dickon is someone I think we would all love to be. Reminding us of the simple pleasures and the strength we all have within, we just have to remind ourselves that our magic is already there.
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eva posted a review at 2011-05-07 04:00:29.
(Language: English)
Not my favourite kids read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-23 05:41:19.
(Language: English)
A lonely spolied and unpleasant little girl who has been raised in India is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to be cared for by her reclusive uncle in Yorkshire England upon the death of her parents. Upon exploring her new home she manages to find the secret garden. Her desire to make it "wick" again has some remarkable affects on those around her, especially the young master Colin craven. I absolutely loved the "magic" of this book. It is full of some of the most important lessons that children and adults learn about attitude and faith and the best way to treat others.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-13 06:17:55.
(Language: English)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1909): "The Secret Garden" Dette er en vakker, tander og hjertevarmende god bok. For meg er boken forbundet med NRK Radioteaterets nydelige og sikkert meget gamle versjon, som gikk lørdag på lørdag i Barnetimen, og dens stemme byder meg således å skrive laudabelt og ydmykt på norsk, ikke på engelsk. Jeg ser at noen av mine iReview-kolleger griper til "nice girl book for nice girls"-beskrivelser, men det jeg mener er solid undervurdering, av boken, og av søte piker. Temaveldet er forunderlig vidt: vi har India, kolonismen, kyfosis, svake barn, sure barn, Store Farlige Ubegripelige Hemmeligheter, døde foreldre, fare, underlige voksne, sår gråt, osv. I tillegg kan litteraten alltids lene seg tilbake i lenestolen og nøkternt påpeke at boken er en eneste stor allegori, i klasse med Eva og Slangen, den trange passasjen mellom barnets troskyld og voksenlivets hardere himmel. Til det vil jeg nok svare "bah" og "hva så": Historien holder, qua hjertegripende fortelling. Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849--1924) må ha vært et spennende damemenneske, med bakgrunn både i England og Amerika, og med et for den tid kuriøst uvanlig ekteskapsliv, med hele to skilsmisser. Burnett er også forfatterinnen av en av verdens beste bøker, Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885). Jeg tar gjerne en kaffe med henne i bokhimmelen.
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