The Secret Garden

Tittle: The Secret Garden

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Published: 1911 ( UK & US ) 

Publisher: Frederick A. Stokes (US) William Heinemann (UK). 

Pages: 375 pages ( UK&US) 

Cover: Hard Cover

Genre: Children's Novel

Illustrator: M. L. Kirk (US) Charles Robinson (UK). 

  Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden. Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England.

Mary Lennox changes drastically over the course of The Secret Garden : she evolves from a spoiled, unloved and unloving creature to a girl who is full of spirit and surrounded by friends. 

Colin Craven 

The young master of Misselthwaite Manor. Mary meets him after hearing crying from somewhere in the manor house several times. Ten years ago, around the time of Colin's birth, his mother, Mrs. Craven, died after falling out of a tree in the secret garden. 

The lesson of the book was, that life is very difficult so don't push yourself too hard. Take your time, nurture your spirit, take time out, if it's really too much , go into hiding until you are ready to cope with life again. Find your own secret garden, where you can be at peace and heal your soul.

Why did you decide to read this book?

I have read the opening of this novel, and I became intrigued by the story of the character Mary, who is spoiled yet faces the drastic changes in her family's situation following a disease outbreak. This forces her to move to her uncle's house in another city.

Were you glad that you decided to read it? Explain. 

Of course! The story is very interesting to me, especially with the main character's struggle to help her friend named Colin overcome his despair.

What did you like least?

I find the language too stiff, especially when expressing the character's emotions. Additionally, as I'm not very experienced in reading novels, there are some words that still feel foreign to me, such as "horrid" (meaning bad or terrible) or "crooked back."

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Explain.

It seems so, because this novel offers lessons, especially for young people, about not rushing to handle problems. It also emphasizes the need for us to take a moment to rest and clear our minds for better clarity.

On a scale of 1-10, how difficult was this book for you? (1 = easy, 10 = difficult) Why?

Number 6, I think to understand the plot and content of the book, we must first be interested in its story, especially since there are quite a few characters in the book with somewhat unfamiliar names.