In the last 24 hours or so, I have started and finished reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I watched the movie semi-recently, so I had an idea of the plot before I started reading. However, I really enjoyed this book so much more than the movie.
I thought it was interesting how both the garden and Mary started out figuratively and literally ugly, for lack of a better turn, and how they worked together to grow from each other and both began to flourish. I also enjoyed how Mary and the garden helped to heal Colin, who was not a cripple at all but instead a bratty little nincompoop who wanted everything his way. I am glad that it had a happy ending though. (I really wanted an epilogue where Mary and Dickon got together, though. Too bad they weren't a little older).
This book has made me want to read A Little Princess as well. I watched that movie a few weeks ago and it reminded me of The Secret Garden because both girls had moved from India to England. I discovered that both books were written by the same author, but that the author herself had never been to India, which is what I would have expected based on the beginning of those two books. I also would have never guessed that she spent her adult life in Tennessee of all places. Interesting.
So, that brings this year's total to 9. I'm wondering if I can squeak in another book, but chances are I won't. Ah, well...I tried. I really would like to finish Lord of the Rings, but I just don't have the patience for it. Maybe the new year will bring some renewed energy for that series. I really want to find out what happens to Frodo, I just can't deal with 100+ pages of whatever is going on with the others. If that one fails again, I'll try again with Midnight's Children, Middlemarch, Sherlock Holmes, or even venture out into some Pride and Prejudice to spice things up.
No comments:
Post a Comment