Date Finished: 13/02/2013
My Rating: 4.5/5
I remember enjoying the Secret Garden when I was a child, but not nearly as much as I loved it this time round. Mary comes to live at her uncle's big house in Yorkshire after both her parents die in India. When she arrives she is an unhappy, petulant, ignorant, arrogant and generally not very nice child, but being surrounded by good Yorkshire folk and having nothing to do but play outside in the fresh air, her character starts to develop into something much more appealing.
Whilst exploring outside she discovers the way into a garden that has been locked for 10 years, since the death of the young wife of Mary's uncle. She meets Dickon, a Yorkshire lad who has a way with plants and animals, and together they start bringing the garden back to life.
After hearing cries during the night she also discovers her cousin, Colin, who has been shut up in his bedroom for 10 years with everyone believing that he is a cripple and not going to live for very long. He is a moody, unhappy, petulant, emotional and tantrumy boy (well, wouldn't you be if you never left your room and had no friends?), but he strikes up a friendship with Mary and Dickon. They persuade him to get out of the house and the garden, the companionship, and having someone to believe in him improves both his mental and physical health until he is a normal 10-year-old boy.
This is a real feel-good book. Both Mary and Colin improve in temperament, health and looks as the book progresses and they learn how to interact with other people. Neither of them had ever really been taught what a normal family or even friendship was like and I loved the gentle discoveries they both made. (I'm trying desperately not to use the word 'journey' here!).
Anyway, the main message of the story is that if you want healthy, happy, intelligent and fun children, you should bring them up in Yorkshire.
Actually, it's probably more about the power of positive thinking... I loved this quote: "Much more surprising things can happen to any one who, when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, just has the sense to remember in time and push it out by putting in an agreeable or determinedly courageous one. Two things cannot be in one place."
So, who should read this book? Children. People with children. People without children. Girls, boys. It won't take you long, and your soul will be that bit better by the end of it.
Next Book: The Shell Seekers, Rosumunde Pilcher
No comments:
Post a Comment