The Secret Garden

This was one of my childhood favorites.

I don’t wanna rate a child’s book cause that feels silly but this was fun (:

Finally finished it. Took me a while because I went on vacation the week I started it and I didn't read that much.
I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book more than the last bit. I loved how Mary slowly started to blossom and actually enjoy her time at the manor by playing outside, even if alone. I also liked the mystery surrounding Colin and the Jane Eyre vibes of the first half of the book, with the bleak moors, the lonely house full of quiet servants, dark hallways and empty rooms, and the haunted vibe of the far-off cries and the gaslighting. Then of course Mary finds out the truth and everything is ok. In also a very Jane Eyre manner, I think the weather and the depictions of nature are meant to reflect Mary's emotions and internal struggles, with the blooming of the spring and the explosion of summer to reflect peak happiness.
I do think that Colin's storyline goes a bit out of hand. His wanting to keep his health a secret by not eating at the house stressed me out, while the addition of baskets of food provided by a struggling mother of 14 and the finding of an outdoor "oven" to cook potatoes were a bit too much on the fantasy side for me.
On a similar note, his whole health story is way too absurd. An infant with no contact with their parents and only occasional, business-like contact with the staff is bound to not thrive. And this one in particular was "sure" to have a crooked back, so nobody ever tried to force movement on him. So I wonder how Colin actually grew up to have a normal spine and legs that worked? If he spent all his life prostrated and being carried around, his muscles must have atrophied, giving him brittle bone-thin legs and an actual crooked spine that wouldn't hold his weight. But by the end, he gets up and walks alright. I get that this is a children's book, but come on.
Also, the whole thing with the Magic and the lectures was boring. He definitely got in him the spirit of a rich old man, mansplaining and making things up to make people listen to him. Also, why was the grumpy gardener made to sit and listen too? Cringe.

Anyway, not a bad read. I definitely enjoyed Mary's coming out of the cocoon and learning to enjoy life by working in nature, being nice to people, and making friendships.

I read this book a few times as a kid, but I think the first time I was 11. I remember the garden and the children and the magical quality of the book, but I also remember feeling like something was missing.

My sixth grade journal says I rated it 9+/10 so maybe that's 5 stars?

I reread it recently as an adult, and I think that because I read more quickly now, the pacing is better for me now and I appreciate it even more. And because I have more sympathy for Mr. Craven as an adult, the book seems even more beautiful now.