The Secret Garden

Title: The Secret Garden
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Genre: Classic, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 224
Reason Read: Play Book Tag
Rating:

My Thoughts

My parents gave me THE SECRET GARDEN on my 10th birthday. In the 21 years I’ve had this book, this is the first time I’ve ever read it all the way through. I remember trying to read it a couple of times when I was younger, but I never finished because I hated to read at that time. Now that I enjoy reading, I decided it was high time I read it.

I knew the story because I’ve seen a couple of movie adaptations. I really enjoyed the movies and I’m glad I finally took the time to read the book. I enjoyed the book as much as I’ve enjoyed knowing the story.  I almost wish I would’ve read it a long time ago because I found it so much richer than the movies.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this story was its positivity. The last chapter was very profound. Even though you’d miss the story, you could read the last chapter and understand the intent and message of the story. I think it’d do a lot of people good if they were to learn from the this message.

One of the few things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts–just mere thoughts–are as powerful as electric batteries–as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison. To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in you may never get over it as long as you live….

Much more surprising things can happen to anyone who, when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, just has the sense to remember in time to push it out by putting in an agreeable, determinedly courageous one.  Two things cannot be in one place. “Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow.”

It’s probably a good thing I didn’t read this until now. If I had read it when I was only 10 years old, I would’ve never realized the profoundness of those two paragraphs. I don’t even think I would’ve realized it if I had read the book five years ago. It’s amazing how time and experience can change our perspective.