The Secret Garden review - 'Might I have a bit of earth?'

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett has to be one of the most memorable classics of childrens' literature. For me it is also one of my guilty pleasures in books and movies. I can't recall how old I was when I first read the book and saw the 1993 movie of it. (For that I must have been more then 6. So I would say about 10 or 12 years old.) I fell in love with the story straight away. I think the same reasons why I liked it so much back then are still the same reasons why I am into it today.

I recently finished reading it on my Kindle and that's why I am keen to write about now. At one point I owned a copy of the above edition. (Knowing me I've still got it somewhere!) I think it did become very tried out due to me re-reading it so many times though! And I really think that of all the books and stories in general that I often return to, The Secret Garden is high up on the list. So, why is a lover of horror, supernatural and vampire stories so attracted to a children's book? Well, some would say there are supernatural elements in it, but its the story of finding the garden, the setting, the development of the characters, the dialogue used and the magic of nature that attracts me.

Burnett was an English-American playwright and author. She was born 24th November 1849 in Cheetham, near Manchester and is best known for her children's stories. She moved to America in 1852 aged 19 and begin writing and publishing stories in magazines. During the 1880s she travelled to England frequently and in 1890s moved to Great Maytham Hall in Kent. It was here, during her return some years later, that she had the idea for The Secret Garden due to her love for gardening and the series of walled and rose gardens at the Hall. Most of the writing happened during a visit to Buile Hill Park in Salford. It was published in serial format in The American Magazine 1910 and then published in 1911 as a book. She moved back to the USA in 1907 and settled in Long Island where she died on 29th October 1924. The Secret Garden was the 5th to last book she wrote.

Of course, living in England I should be familiar with the places that Burnett is connected to. I first thought that she had got the idea, written and set the novel close to me, but on researching this I found out that the places were further away then I had realised. Kent is far away from me as it's down near London, but Buile Hill Park in Salford is about 40 minutes and the Yorkshire dales might be two hours away, but somehow they feel a lot closer!

I really like the book cover of my edition because it fits with the title and the robin looks so attractive. I've always had a love of nature and maybe it was seeing this as a child that started my love for robins? Your eye is also drawn to the doorway behind the bird, which must be the entrance to the garden. Even the title gets you thinking and interested to find out more. Where is this secret garden? What's in it? Who finds it? What's it's history? And it's because you need to have those questions answered that you pick it up.

The story starts in India and the introduction to the main character 10 year old Mary Lennox. She is selfish, self-absorbed, sour, a loner, angry, rude, use to getting her own way and unloved. She doesn't know how to respect, give care, be compassionate and show love to others. Everything revolves around her and she believes herself to be at the centre of the universe around her. Her British, wealthy parents don't want her, so she has been raised by servants, who have been told to keep her quiet and happy, which is the reason behind her behaviour. When a cholera epidemic hits and kills nearly all the household, Mary is rescued and sent to live with her only relative, her uncle Archibald Craven in Yorkshire, England.

His house Misselthwaite Manor is set on Missle Moor far from anywhere else. She crosses the moor at night and so doesn't view them until the morning. The name of the moor is fictional, but Thwaite is an actual village in the Dales and is probably the setting of the Manor. The moor is first described by Medlock- Craven's house keeper, who goes to collect Mary and bring her to the Manor; 

 

'Its just miles and miles and miles of wild land that nothing grows on but heather and gorse and broom, and nothing lives on but wild ponies and sheep....It's a wild dreary enough place to my mind, though there's plenty that likes it.'

 

I prefer Matha's - Medlock's maid who also becomes Mary's- describtion of the moor a few pages later;

 

'I just love it. It's none bare. Its' covered wi' growin' thing as smell sweet. It's fair lovely in spring an' summer when th' gorse an' broom an' heather's in flower. It smells o' honey an' there's such a lot o' fresh air-an' th' sky looks so high an' th' bees an' skylarks making such a nice noise hummin' an' singin'.       

 

Moors have always had the supernatural connected to them in some way, but they also have the magic of nature too. I find them interesting and beautiful places. The moors aren't the actual setting of the story though they are connect. There is symbolism between the moor and the characters though. For example, the cold, bleakness, un-interesting nature of the moors in winter is symbolic of Medlock's and Craven's attitudes towards Mary. The changes between the winter and spring season could be said to be symbolic of the changes in Mary and her cousin Collin. As like the plants starting to become active, the children's minds and bodies do as well. My favourite symbolism has to be between the moor and the character Dickon, (he is Matha's younger brother) because he represents the wild spirit of the moor and nature.

The description of Misselthwaite Manor is minimal, but you get the impression that this massive house reflects the look of the moor. It is a dark, gloomy, empty and a half abandoned place. I guess some what spooky and mysterious would also fit also and during Mary's secret wanderings of the house the supernatural element is touch upon. Nothing else comes of this, though you do learn that Mary has no fear of things. The house could symbolise the lack of love and the loneliness that Mary has come accustomed too. Since there is nothing for Mary to do inside and the fact that Medlock doesn't want her poking around, she is sent outside to 'play' by Matha. However, because of her up bringing, she doesn't know how to play and finds the Manor's gardens boring.

Mary is told the tale of the secret garden and the reader receives some answers to the questions raised at the beginning. The garden was created by Mrs Craven, who loved roses, but she fell off a swing/ tree Branch and was injured. She died and Mr Craven couldn't get over her death, so he had the garden closed forever and forbid anyone to enter it. This is also the reason why he can't stand to spent the spring and summer months at the manor, as these seasons remind him of his wife. The loss of a Lady at the manor can be seen in the state of the place as well. Mrs Craven wouldn't have let the place get so dull and gloomy! This does stir something in Mary and she becomes interested in finding the garden.

Thus she is led to talking to an old gardener, Ben Weatherstaff and his friendly robin. At first Mary appears her normal self, but as she starts talking to the robin and putting human qualities onto the bird, she starts to become a different child. In away, Weatherstaff takes the role of  grandfather like figure to Mary. He is wise and she does learn things from him. However, he is also a loner and does become bitter and anger later on. As for the robin, he has a very important role to play in the novel. He leads Mary to the garden because it is his home and he also helps her find the key. I love the character of the robin, because he is well written and acts just like a cheeky, friendly robin would do! He symbolises freedom as all birds do in novels, but it is also because he can enter the secret garden when no one else can. He becomes Mary's first friend and does turn the novel around at this point.

So, Mary gets into the garden, but because she doesn't know anything about plants and believes the garden is dead. There's no one around to ask or help her, that is until my favourite character, Dickon, appears. I think its his animal charmer nature and the fact he has the spirit of the moor inside of him, that makes me like him so. He shows Mary that the garden isn't dead and they begin to tidy it up and plant new flowers. One thing that I do love at this point is that they decided to let the garden stay wild and not try to re-tame it and make it fancy as it once most have been. You also get to meet all of Dickon's animal friends, who each have their own story about how he found them. Many were baby animals that he saved and we see this with the newly born lamb that appears later on. These animals have developed a bond with him and see him as one of them. I also like how he can talk to the robin, because Dickon brings a voice to him to confirm his friendship with Mary.

Just as the garden has given up it's secret, the house does too and one night, Mary finally follows the crying noises she has been hearing and discovers her cousin, Collin. She is already changing into a much more caring and less selfish girl. The fresh air and having the garden to look after have given her mind and body fuel that wasn't there before. It is interesting when she meets Collin for a number of reasons;

Firstly, because the reader can see that Mary is mirrored in Collin. He is just like her in manner and nature, but he is also mentally unstable due to his depression, his belief of dying and getting a hunch back like his father. Secondly, because they didn't know about each other. Thirdly, there is a sense that Mary will be the salvation of him and help change him. Mary tells him about the garden and he becomes interested in finding it. However, she is worried he won't be able to keep it a secret and so doesn't let him into the fact that she's all ready been inside. Fourthly, we learn more about Mrs and Mr Craven through him. Mrs Craven died soon after having Collin, who was born too early and it is hinted at that her fall in the garden might have had something to do with this. Collin hates her for dying and doesn't like the portrait of her that hangs opposite his bed. Also, he has no relationship with his father because Collin is blamed for his mother's death and looks too much like her.

There are only three parts in the novel where we get to meet Craven. The first is when Mary goes to him and asked for her bit of earth. Like Medlock, he seems dis-interested in her and lost in his own affairs. He hasn't got the time to deal with her and like his own son, doesn't want anything to do with her. He does agree to give Mary her garden though and her worries about stealing it are put to an end. This also shows how her character is developing, because before she would have just taken the garden  she believed it was her right to do so. Giving the garden to Mary doesn't allow Craven to escape his past though and he leaves the manor to travel around the world.

All the children build a friendship and Mary tells Collin about the garden. When he visits the place, his mind becomes awakened and he realises that he is not as ill as he has been led to believe. He also starts to believe in magic and uses it to explain things. These are mostly connect with Nature and God because it is suggested when Dickon's mother appears. Collin starts to appear like a healthy boy again, though he decides to keep it a secret from the adults as he wants to surprise his father. This soon does happen as his father has a strange dream about his wife calling to him from the garden. For some reason, his mind has been taking in the countryside scenery of the country he is currently in and he begins to feel more alive. He arrives home and on trying to see his son is direct to the garden. He is shocked when Collins runs into him just outside the walk way to the secret garden and he realises how wrong he was about his son.

There are lots of themes in this novel, the main ones are; nature, family, growth, change, secrets and magic. I don't think there is much of a reason for me to go into them because I've touched upon them in talking about the characters and the plot.The writing is simple and aimed at children, however given its publishing date, the language is old fashioned. This doesn't effect the overall reading experience and for me it just adds to the setting of the story. I love the Yorkshire dialogue that is used throughout because it creates a realistic feel to the characters and their words. In some places this can be hard to understand though, but most of the time the speech is then explained. I think it because even more enjoyable when Mary and Collin start to speak it because you can see a real change in their attitude towards other people.

Overall, there are many reasons why I love The Secret Garden. I can easily see why it is a classic children's book and I hope this continues. The story brings nature to life in a different way, through the eyes of children looking upon it for the first time, which is where the magic comes in. It is wonderfully written and very easy to talk about as well! 

The movie

The other thing that really got me loving the secret garden was the 1993 movie adaption of the novel. Okay, so maybe its not the best movie, but it does get the themes and points across well. You can sit down and just watch it as a family. The children actors are quite good and emotions come off strongly. Of course it is different from the novel in places, but this doesn't effect the plot that much. There isn't as much Yorkshire dialect in it as I wise there had been, but I guess there was a worry that some of the characters might not have been understand! There are some wonderful scenes of the moor and gardens coming to life which adds to the magical tone of the movie. I think I like it because it is very enjoyable and you can loose yourself in the joys of creation.   

Images from :

http://leahstps.wordpress.com/
http://www.northyorkshirestay.co.uk/NorthYorkMoors.html
http://www.illustrationcupboard.com/gallery_book_illustrations.aspx?bId=480
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/the-secret-garden
http://distractionsoflola.tumblr.com/post/942844289/the-secret-garden-1993

Coming Soon Posts!

Thought I'd just create a list of posts that I want to write up in the next few months or so. I think the idea is to keep me on track and give me more stuff to do instead of me wondering around being bored. Hopefully, though you'll find this interested and if you've got ideas about other stuff I could review then post below and I'll look into it. (Note: these are in random order.)


1. The Secret Garden - book and movie review.
2. Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - book review.
3. The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy - book review. 
4. Bioshock Infinite - games review
5. New Dungeons and Dragons encounter game. (I'm in the middle of one which I've not been writing up, but I want to do the next one.)
6. Has eduction made us hate Literature? - my opinion on this topic.
7. Adventure in the Lakes - my Easter week spent on holiday in the Lake District.
8. The Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge - book review.
9. Poetry of World War 1 - book review.
10. The publication of my collection of short short stories - announcement.
11. World Book Night 2013 - announcement and review. - I missed it...oops.....
12. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - book review.
13. Is there a better way to edit? - My opinion/research on this topic.
14. Bioshock 1 and 2 - games review.
15. Rapture by John Shirley - book review.
16. Cats -musical review.
17. Wicked - musical review.
18. Lover At Last (BDB 11th) by J R Ward- book review.
19. The Wizard Of Oz - book review.
20. The Tribe - TV show review.
21. The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter -book review.
22. One Day by David Nicholls - book review.
23. Memoirs Of A Gesha by Arthur Golden - book review

*Update- the ones highlighted have now been done!

Kindle Fire HD review; How we read books has been forever changed.

Hi readers,

So finally, I get to write a post about my new kindle and other e-reader devices. I got my kindle fire HD for Christmas and felt that a blog post looking at how reading had now changed would be interesting. In a way not much research has been need to write up this post, because most of it is going to be based on my opinion and didn't want to clouded by other peoples' which can happen often during research. However, it also means that this post should be on the short and simple side!

I put off getting a Kindle for ages for a number of reasons. My main one was the fact that everyone seems to be staring at screens all day everyday and the pages of book make a massive difference and escape from this. To read books off a screen would be adding to this issue, but also I spend many hours in front of my computer screen typing away at my latest creative piece and the idea of them switching to another screen to read a novel never appealed to me.

When it comes to me and books, I really can't be separated from them. I love escaping into other worlds, meeting interesting characters and joining them on their adventures. I surround myself with books because I feel safe and I know I can't be lonely or bored with them close at hand. Parting with books is tough for me to do and often it’s more a case of passing them on to my family, because then they are still in the house! I love shopping for books and in the right mood can spend a whole day drifting from one book shop to another and buying lots of different ones. I believe that part of the reason I started writing was because of this love for books.

My first interest in e-readers was when my mum got a Kobo two years ago. I found that so many books could be got for free and so many more where only a click away. I had trouble getting use to reading off the screen though and having the light weight and slim device in my hand didn't make me believe I was holding a book. I wasn't taken with the Kobo, but I was interested in getting an Ipad -like so many other people- but that was far too expensive and I couldn't come up with a really good reason why I should get one. However, the Kindle Fire did interest me and seems to suit what I'd like to use it for. So, I asked for that for Christmas.

So many doors have now opened since I started using my Kindle. I've been reading so many books and also re-reading some of the classics. I've also managed to still keep reading normal books because the pleasure that I get out of them can't be replaced by the Kindle. However, I love the idea of being able to carry so many books around at once and to be able to buy more with just a wifi connect and a click. It still has take a long time for me to get use to reading off a screen and sometimes if I've not been reading anything off my Kindle for awhile, it can take me a few minutes to get back into things. After though, I get so into reading that I can forget about it.

E-readers are becoming popular for so many reasons, but the two main ones are that self-publishing has been made easier and there is access to so many books! Self-publishing has been around for ages and online publishing has also been now, but it seems that more and more people are turning their hand at publishing their creative pieces and trying to make money off doing so. This has been great for many authors and most have had books published now because of this. I bet that most of the books would have gone un-noticed by many publishers for whatever reason, which is a shame because sometimes a book does feel like it is worthy of being physically published.

On the other hand, this self-publishing route has opened up the flood gates for everyone and there's a lot more 'bad writing' out there now. I've read a few short stories that have got me thinking about this and I know nothing can be done about it and to escape from it going to find a good book to read is needed. Most of the time though this 'bad writing' happens because the writer lacks the experience and knowledge. That is something that will improve with practise and time. No one can be taught how to write, they can be taught about the industry and how to do things, but writing is mostly self-taught and comes from learning about the world. So even if a book looks like it will be bad if the title and tag lines interest me, I'll be taking a look.

The second reason is becoming hard to ignore. Electronic publishing is allowing people anywhere in the world to access a whole range of fiction and non-fiction pieces. This not only includes children and adult classic fiction and poetry, but non-fiction writings and out of print books. Students can get so many books at the touch of their fingers now and the discover of this has made me question why I didn't have a Kindle when I took my degree! So yeah, it’s great for a whole range of people, not just normal fiction readers.

At the end of that the biggest question still reminds, will I and the rest of the world be switching out to reading electronic books instead of paper ones? Right now and in the future it seems that e-readers will not be taking over books, this is because the formatting of the paper book has been around for so long and it has never been changed in all that time. So because of this it seems it will go on forever. Whilst e-readers will help protect more trees, they need charging and put strain on the eyes. They can be lighter then heavy books though and so good on the hands and wrists, but there really is nothing like holding a physical book and finding the weight of it. Granted they also take up less space, but for a person who likes being surrounded by books, it does very little. So, I think that I shall carry on seeking a balance between reading paper and electronic books.

Still Struggling

'Well, I can't give any more, So now I'm giving up. 'Cause nothing's ever good enough.'

 

These lyrics from Good Enough by Hoobstank might be taken out of content, but they really say what I am feeling right. However, the other side of my mind is fighting against that and trying to stay positive, but that's a hard thing to do when you are feeling down and worthless. I don't want this post to be an emotional out pouring of my issues, I'd rather do that in private, but I've not written in awhile and well, I've got things on my mind. So maybe my out pour will help people to think or find their own voices on these matters.

I've just completed my four weeks of work experience. I wrote a few weeks back to say I was starting it and I did want to write another post about my experiences there, but I've been really busy and tried. Plus trying to juggle everything was really hard. Now that's it's over I've gone back to having more time, but I already miss it because I had something physical to do and I was motive. I got on with the people and became a team member too. I liked having different stuff to do each day and though some of the tasks did get boring and I did repeat things, I still give it my all and worked to a high standard. At the end of the day it proved I could work in an office and that I do fit the role of receptionist/admin, which was what I really wanted out of it.

It can be easy to become stuck with certain skills and not be able to expend out. Thinking in terms of a writer this seems true, but actually I know we do a lot more then that. A writer has to take on all the roles in a business team generally; boss, receptionist, admin, PA, account, writer, editor, proof-reader, researcher, mentor, tea maker and drinker. They sometimes become publisher too. I guess we don't realise that though, but it is true. Having a job like a plumber or electrician can bottle the skills and some people feel like they can't gain anything different. That's not true. There seems to be more courses and sessions then ever before now to expend skills and knowledge. I don't believe that a person can say they know everything. They might know a lot, but that knowledge won't be about everything in the world. However, I do think that people can reach a point where they don't think they can gain any more skills or knowledge. Sort of like me. What I lack is the experience and right now I think that is something most people suffer from.

Yes, my work experience went well, but as of yet it hasn't helped me into a job. I have no idea why and if I knew what the issue was I'd be trying to fix it. However, I know everything is fine at my end. The problem seems to be with the employers. So granted I won't be suitable for every job I apply for, but I've not even been given the chance to prove I could do the job with some of the others I've applied for. I don't know why I'm being so over looked and I don't know how to change this. I know there are certain things to put in cover letters and in CVs to attract the eye and make mine standout, but even that seems to have got me no where. Knowing the reasoning behind that would make me feel better, but I guess employers don't have the time for such things.

You know what else gets to me though? This reliance on technology. Grated it is easier to write and send off job applications and its easier to find jobs. But I hate these personality and other quizzes some companies make you take. I get the idea of it is to cut the number of applicants so that only the ones suitable for the job can go of interview, but the problem with these quizzes is that it can under value some people. Like me, because I suck at those quizzes. For example, today I did a quiz for a customer service job at a bank. Now you'd think that I'd be a good person to give an interview to because I've had experience and loved doing a customer service role. I've just proved I can work in an office and do admin duties. Okay, so I've not got an experience selling products to people, but I had to sell my uni to visitors and I was able to do that. I'm young, hard working, wanting to learn and meet new people. I'm good with computers and I've a good phone manner. I'm not so good with numbers, but I've learned how to cope with that over the years. I just don't understand and once again I'm starting to think there's a problem with myself and that's the reason why I'm struggling. The other thing

I also hate is how some companies want you to fill out a form that basically is your CV but just differently formatted. I don't understand why they bother with this, because it means you have to spend more time sending them information that you are already sending to them in your CV and most of the time there's no space for expending on things like the modules you took or else going into detail about your last job. So that seems pointless to me and gets me wondering why they just can't be happy with a CV? I think that applying for jobs in some cases has become a lot more harder and complicated thanks to technology. You spend ages filling in stuff and then don't get anywhere because you forgot to tick one box as it got lost under something else. Worse yet is when the website crashes or doesn't save! I can think of lots of times I've just finished off an applications or part of one and it's not saved or sent because of a problem on their website. Life was easier when you could go into these places and ask to speak to someone about the job. You could hand in a CV and talk to the people. You could leave feeling satisfied that they will call you back, whilst instead when you click that send button it just feels like a relieve to have completed all the forms.

I've not really put this into the actual context I meant to write it under. Basically, this whole thing has come about because my adviser at the jobcentre put me down this morning. I know that I am on her target list to get off jobseekers and into work. She thought it would be an easy enough thing to do and that I'd have got something a few months after signing on. It's not been the case and I keep coming back. I hate going to the job centre and I hate having to sign on even more. It makes me feel so useless and like a bad child at school. I know its not true, because I've a good education and have proven I can do so many things. I've also proven I'm doing all I can to find work and I don't think I could give any more. I feel like they should be offering more support to me and getting me to stay positive. Instead when I leave I feel so upset and depressed by the whole thing. Of course that then means I'm not in the mood to look for a job and like now I end up questioning myself and trying to figure out what's wrong with me. Plus it also impacts on my whole day. I was at the jobcentre for half ten this morning and its now twenty to eight and its still all on my mind, worrying me and making me feel bad and emotional. At the end of the day, that shouldn't be happening and that's not how I should be feeling after speaking to them. Maybe next time I shall have to find my voice and tell her to stop putting me down.

Technically, I shouldn't be there anyway and if I had it my way -job or no job - I wouldn't go. My problem is the money and the hole that would create on my CV. I need the money, so that I can travel to interview places, so that I can have down time with my friends- though its been ages since I was last out drinking and mostly this time has now became dates with my boyfriend-so I can buy stuff and not feel like a teenager begging money off my family. I actually save my money too. I keep it and only spend it when I need to. I buy myself a small treat like a new book or cd or my favourite sweets once a month if that. I'd like more money to become independence, to learn how to drive and to save up to get my own place.

I need to end on a positive note or else I'm just going to go to bed tonight in this depressed mood. So, here is my one good piece of news today. When I got home of the job centre, they phoned me to tell me that a job had come up and that they had recommended me for it. I just needed to send my CV to the place and then hopefully I'd be called for an interview. Now the job is actually something I could do and would be very happy to be doing as its selling books. So, now I'm just waiting to hear back and I'm keeping fingers crossed for it.

For my next post I want to write about e-books and the changing reading habits of people because its been on my list to write for ages and I so need to do it. I also want to get that new review started on my other blog and see how that goes. So, look out for those.