Words that struck fear in my seven-year-old heart:

MISS MINCHIN
SELECT SEMINARY FOR YOUNG LADIES

"Whatever comes cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it ."

Sara Crewe is a child of privilege with a heart of charity. Her father loses all after departing with her at boarding school having spent her early life in India. Miss Minchin, the headmistress, puts Sara to work as a bit of a girl-of-all-work. But Sara’s blessings have not deserted her. There is a rich Indian man and his servant who live next door as well as her new and true friend, Becki.
I grew up watching this movie with Shirley Temple as the eponymous role as many Sunday mornings as I could win against my little brother. It was my favorite: her china doll, her party dresses, her pony and art, and her way of standing up to the adults who stood in her way. I was actually maybe 10before I learned this was a book, but I got both this one and A Secret Garden and was sucked into the England of Hodgson Burnett. These will be books I buy my nieces.

This is a cozy amazing story, full of wisdom and joyful words, overall my pleasure was too intense, I have experienced contrary emotions; excitement, depression, sadness and happiness, I was impressed by the enduring suspense till the last page of the book.

When I told my aunt about the details of this  book that I was reading and how I was enjoying it tremendously, especially Sara's  cleverness and her spunky personality against all of the unbearable conditions she dealt with ; I was surprised because she told me that she already knew the story and it was the same cartoon series called Sally ; I felt like I'm the only person who didn't explore this story yet, but fortunately I had the chance to read the original version of that book . Cheer up!

Sara Crewe or the little princess as she liked to call herself is an Indian rich girl, she has some special traits; she is queer, patient, dreamer and a mature girl !. Her life turned upside down , she became poor and miserable orphan overnight; she lost all of her fortune after the death of her father.

Miss Minchin found herself bound to look after Sara because she has no relatives to take this responsibility, but she was really tough with the little girl.

Sara was obligated to change her comfortable warm room to move to a lame attic. In addition she looked shabby in her new frocks, and she seemed pale and weak.
Despite of the bad conditions she ought to deal with, she kept optimistic and a collaborator with Miss Minchin to teach the girls, and she willingly and perfectly did various errands.

Happily,everything had changed after the arrival of the Indian gentleman, I won't mention more details; story is worth reading and exploring its secrets by yourself.

Sara is a real princess, her crown made of her kindness and her good attributes. Do people like her really exists in our world? If the answer is yes ( I believe so), they deserve to be proud of it , we should cherish them and keep them close because they are the seed of the kindness or rather the goodness in itself.

The book rejoices my spirit and amuses me as well and wakes the child side inside my heart. What struck me the most about this story is the ability of its writer to make it sounds too real and touching although it contains imagining facts.

The story also teachs us many lessons like:

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is the story of a little girl "Sara" whose father’s bankruptcy and death leave her impoverished, alone, and at the mercy of the evil Miss Minchin, i didn't read the book when i was a child but i loved the animation adaptation of Burnett’s book. when I did read it! Meeting the real Sara for the first time it was a completely different experience for me, It makes me feel really old :(




“Never did she find anything so difficult as to keep herself from losing her temper when she was suddenly disturbed while absorbed in a book. People who are fond of books know the feeling of irritation which sweeps over them at such a moment. The temptation to be unreasonable and snappish is one not easy to manage.

"It makes me feel as if something had hit me," Sara had told Ermengarde once in confidence. "And as if I want to hit back. I have to remember things quickly to keep from saying something ill-tempered.”

3.5

Xét về khía cạnh là truyện thiếu nhi thì mình thấy ok, tạo động lực, mơ ước cho trẻ con, khiến ta cảm thấy hạnh phúc, tin vào tương lai, vào giấc mơ của mình, đối xử tử tế với người khác....

Nhưng điều đấy không phủ nhận rằng cuốn sách này có khả năng tiêm nhiễm một hệ ý thức khá là nguy hiểm vào đầu óc trẻ con đó là “toxic positivity” - đây là một dạng lạc quan độc hại có thể ảnh hưởng đến cách trẻ con tư duy và nhìn nhận vấn đề, đặc biệt là sau này khi bọn nó trưởng thành. Sara trong truyện được đối xử như một nàng công chúa từ bé, và đã tự động coi mình là một đứa như vậy, và nó sẵn sàng ban phát đặc quyền của mình cho những người kém may mắn hơn nó. Kể cả khi Sara nghèo khổ thì nó vẫn nghĩ mình là công chúa, cho là “hơn người”, sống tích cực, vân vân. Đây là một triệu chứng của việc chối bỏ thực tại - điều này rất nguy hiểm, khi chúng ta không thích ứng được với hoàn cảnh và chỉ giỏi mơ mộng tưởng tượng, hay là “giả cách” như đúng từ Sara dùng (giả vờ mọi thứ vẫn ổn, giả vờ là nó vẫn giàu có, đủ đồ ăn).

Cuốn này hay, là bởi vì Sara quá may mắn. Nó đối xử tốt với người khác, vì nó coi mình là công chúa mà, nên người khác thấy nó tử tế, nhân hậu, cũng đối xử tốt với nó. Vì vậy mà nó gặp may mắn, nó nhận lại gia tài đã mất của mình. Nếu chúng ta đọc từ khía cạnh hiện thực và xét từ góc độ tâm lý thì rõ ràng là truyện này đang cổ vũ cho một tư tưởng gây ảnh hưởng tiêu cực lên thái độ sống của chúng ta. Lời khuyên từ cuốn sách này là phủ nhận thực tế, hoàn cảnh không may mắn, hãy tưởng tượng cho phù hợp với cuộc sống mà chúng ta mơ ước, để rồi sau đó cuộc sống sẽ “may mắn” ban phát cho ta đúng điều ước đó, thay vì chúng ta cố gắng hiện thực hoá ước mơ bằng hành động thật sự.

Kết truyện vô cùng có hậu. Sara không cần phải nhúc nhích một ngón tay và nó đã lấy lại được tài sản của mình, quay lại trạng thái lúc đầu của bản thân ở đầu truyện. Giàu có, và vẫn không thay đổi gì. Nhân vật không có sự phát triển trong nhận thức và tính cách. Sara thực chất rất khinh thường và đạo đức giả, cho đến tận cuối truyện sự hợm hĩnh của con bé vẫn toát ra rất rõ ràng. Nhìn kĩ hơn thì thực tế là Sara ban phát sự tử tế cho người khác để nó thấy bản thân mình tốt đẹp, tốt hơn hết thảy người khác, chứ sự nhân hậu đó không hề xuất phát từ tấm lòng chân thành nào cả. Thậm chí nó còn tỏ ra sự khinh thị với người bạn Ermengarde, cô bạn chân chất thật lòng yêu quý nó, bởi vì Ermengarde “ngu” (ngu ở đây nghĩa là không đọc hiểu sách và không thích đọc sách).

Qua đó cũng có thể thấy những điểm tiêu cực ở cuốn sách này, nếu như chúng ta không xem xét nó từ góc nhìn của một đứa trẻ.

"She liked books more than anything else, and was, in fact, always inventing stories of beautiful things and telling them to herself."

This book tells the story of a seven year old girl, Sara, whose father got posted in a faraway place and she had to stay in a seminary.

And this is the best description of Sara so far as the story goes at the beginning of the book:

"Her young mother had died, and as the child had been treated like a favorite doll or a very spoiled pet monkey or lap dog ever since the first hour of her life, she was a very appalling little creature."

But what's more important about her character is how she tells stories and being there for those who need some kindness and a pair of listening ears.

Other characters include Miss Minchin (strict without much purpose I feel, very dislikeable) and her other staffs, Ermangarde ("fat", "not clever" *me: I just can't ugh...), Lavinia (almost a bully and a bully), Lottie (with the "small, fat legs"), Becky (the young, "ugly", stunted maid), Miss Amelia (the one with "fat" hands), Ram Das (the man next door) but try to know who are these characters when you read the book: Emily, Mr and Mrs Melchisedec.

*Child labour, starvation, child abuse and neglect

"“I can’t bear this,” said the poor child, trembling. “I know I shall die. I’m cold; I’m wet; I’m starving to death. I’ve walked a thousand miles today, and they have done nothing but scold me from morning until night. And because I could not find that last thing the cook sent me for, they would not give me any supper."

I really do not like the usage of derogatory words like ugly, fat over and over again in books especially in books that are considered classics and meant for the youngsters.

I liked this book and enjoyed it thoroughly but I wasn't ready for the stereotypes it has regarding gender and culture.

To be honest I was bored in between as there was an unending fuss on the main character. And then the book took a turn and it got pretty serious. That's when I started enjoying the book for the story it has.

The book deals with loneliness (and grief) in great detail from the perspective of a child. Sara even made friends with animals and birds to overcome such times.
The best part though is the writing. It made the book so easy to get into and get through with it until the end. It tells how company and imagination comfort during such difficult times. And also, there are a lot of times Sara stood up for herself and spoke her mind. It's liberating!


*Quite relatable:

"People who are fond of books know the feeling of irritation which sweeps over them at such a moment. The temptation to be unreasonable and snappish is one not easy to manage."

"Her imagination was beginning to work for her. It had not worked for her at all since her troubles had come upon her. She had felt as if it had been stunned."

“It’s a lonely place,” she said. “Sometimes it’s the loneliest place in the world.”

"Give her books, and she would devour them and end by knowing them by heart."

“I am growing quite fond of him. I should not like him to be disturbed. I have adopted him for a friend. You can do that with people you never speak to at all. You can just watch them, and think about them and be sorry for them, until they seem almost like relations."
(This sounds so much like me fangirling over my K-pop idols. Creepy me!)

“I don’t want you to give me anything,” said Sara. “I want your books—I want them!” And her eyes grew big, and her chest heaved.

*Lines to reflect upon:

"If Nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that—warm things, kind things, sweet things—help and comfort and laughter—and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all."

“Adversity tries people, and mine has tried you and proved how nice you are.”

“EVERYTHING’S a story. You are a story—I am a story."

"When people are insulting you, there is nothing so good for them as not to say a word—just to look at them and THINK."

"When you will not fly into a passion people know you are stronger than they are, because you are strong enough to hold in your rage, and they are not, and they say stupid things they wish they hadn’t said afterward. There’s nothing so strong as rage, except what makes you hold it in—that’s stronger. It’s a good thing not to answer your enemies."

"While the thought held possession of her, she could not be made rude and malicious by the rudeness and malice of those about her."

“Perhaps you can FEEL if you can’t hear,” was her fancy. “Perhaps kind thoughts reach people somehow, even through windows and doors and walls. Perhaps you feel a little warm and comforted, and don’t know why, when I am standing here in the cold and hoping you will get well and happy again."

(***The iconic lines***)
“Whatever comes,” she said, “cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it."

“Perhaps,” she said, “to be able to learn things quickly isn’t everything. To be kind is worth a great deal to other people.



*This part broke my heart:

“You are nothing but a DOLL!” she cried. “Nothing but a doll—doll—doll! You care for nothing. You are stuffed with sawdust. You never had a heart. Nothing could ever make you feel. You are a DOLL!”

The anguish. The frustration.

No child should feel this way.

The story ends well. Believe in yourself. Believe in the magic. Believe someone cares for you. Kindness matters.

And Miss Minchin, go to H. I really dislike such heartless, abusive, shallow characters.

Well, being yourself and being kind. That's how you conquer everything you want.

I never read this book as a child, and I think if I had I probably would've loved it. There were things I could still appreciate about it. I liked that it promoted kindness and being nice to people, I loved finding out the original story and noticing all the differences between it and the 1995 movie, which I grew up with and which was and still is one of my all time favourites, and most of all I loved that it inspired that movie which I loved a lot more than the book. I know, I know. Blasphemy! But you can stop lighting your torches and you can put your pitchforks back down because I'm going to explain why. Now, I tried ridiculously hard to read it and separate it from the movie that I love so much and for the most part I was able to. However, there were a few things about the book that really bugged me (WARNING: there will be spoilers and probably some swearing):

1) Sara Crewe was quite possibly one of the biggest Mary Sue's I have ever read. She was perfect in every way and I mean every way. She was good at everything, she was nice to everyone, she never did anything naughty, she was always polite, she was intelligent (more intelligent than most of the rest of her class), she was beautiful (but didn't know it, of course), she was funny, she was rich (for the most part), she was cheerful, she never complained, mature beyond her years, loved to read, everyone loved her and the only people that didn't were either mean or jealous. Now I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to be kind and nice and intelligent or any of these things, not at all, but it was all too much. She was irritatingly perfect. All the narrator and anyone in the book kept talking about was how amazing she was. It was treated as if every person she made friends with was suddenly blessed because Sara had chosen to grace them with her friendship. She was kind enough to befriend the stupid, weak, poor girls who were clearly not as good as her. Sara was a saint who may as well have had a gold halo on the top of her head. You know something's wrong when you find yourself understanding how Miss Minchin felt. Now, I'm not saying that movie Sara wasn't a Mary Sue, because she definitely was, but it was to a much lesser extent and she was a lot more likable and realistic for it.

2) I didn't like the way this book talked about people that learnt at a slower pace. Ermengarde is seen and constantly referred to by everyone (including Sara) as stupid, and she's constantly belittled for it. It's written as if being slightly slower at learning is a bad thing and as if intelligence automatically makes you a better person. Ermengarde's intelligence is constantly compared to Sara's throughout the book, being used as another example of why Sara is great and Ermengarde is just the dumb fat girl that Sara is kind enough to spend time with.

3) Becky. I felt so sorry for Becky in the whole book. I know you're supposed to feel sorry for her because she's the servant girl that gets treated like shit but that's not even what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about when Ram Dass takes a shine to Sara (of course, because why wouldn't he?) and starts to feel sorry for her (because she's a cute and obviously well educated girl who shouldn't be in a dingy attic room unlike Becky) he decides to start treating Sara to gifts and new furniture in her horrible attic room. Both the girls are poor and starving yet he only decides to take pity on one of them. The one that acts upper class. Becky is in the room right next to Sara's. Her room is just as shitty and she has been a poor servant girl her entire life. Becky had an old sofa (or couch) for her bed, and Sara had a very old and uncomfortable bed. So Ram Dass decides to buy Sara a luxurious new bed with a soft mattress and lovely pillows and warm blankets, and what about Becky? She gets given Sara's shitty old uncomfortable bed. She gets the bed that wasn't good enough for precious Sara and this is treated like that was the kindest act in the world. He leaves Sara new clothes, new blankets, new slippers, new furniture, and lovely hot meals and tea. Becky gets fuck all. Oh wait, my mistake, on the second day when he leaves the new tray of food and tea, he leaves an extra cup for her. Woohoo. It's ok, though, because at the end when Sara re-inherits her fortune and moves in with her father's friend, Becky gets to go with her ... as her maid. Now I understand, that this book was written at a different time and things were different then and I understand that and I can appreciate that. But I don't have to like it. Becky got screwed over. At least in the movie she was given all the gifts as well and she left with Sara as her equal.

4) Sara's stories. I'm sorry, but Sara's stories were just plain boring in the book. Her stories were about the Bastille and the French Revolution because, didn't we already tell you, she's super smart and mature for her age and she likes weird things. The movie had a beautiful and exciting story that she makes up about India, which includes a princess and a prince and has a lot of action and excitement. When watching that movie, I actually wished that her story had been made into another movie. It was so good and fun and interesting.

5) I didn't like the ending. It was realistic, much more so than the movie ending (more on that in a minute) but it was so rushed and anti-climactic. After all the time of her father's friend (Mr Carrisford) trying to find her and not being able to work out where she was, she literally just walks into his house and goes 'I brought back your monkey' and suddenly everyone realises who she is. Then, boom, it's done. the final confrontation between Sara, Mr Carrisford and Miss Minchin is dull and unrealistic. It's basically:
Miss Minchin 'Sara must come back with me'
Mr Carrisford 'No, she's staying here. Also she is rich now.'
Miss Minchin 'Ah, shit!'
Miss Minchin then leaves and goes back next door. Suddenly her sister yells at her and she decides to ease up on her sister and leaves the children to do what they want while she dwells over the money she never had. the children get a letter from Sara and suddenly everything is resolved. The ending of the movie is completely Hollywood-ized. In the movie, instead of her father investing in diamond mines and dying from stress (??) he goes to war (it's set during the war instead) and goes missing in battle, presumed dead. At the end of the movie, it turns out he isn't dead and he was the one living next door with Ram Dass but he was injured and had a bandage over his eyes. They reunite once Sara realises it's him and he remembers her, after an exciting little roof top escape from the attic room. It's cheesy and ridiculous but I'll be damned if I don't cry with joy every single time they're reunited. That ending makes me feel emotional. The book ending made me feel nothing.

I am glad I read the book (although it may not seem like it from my ranting). I enjoyed seeing the original story and I can appreciate the story. I'm sure if I'd read this as a child, I probably would've loved it but as an adult I just didn't enjoy it all that much.

Some books don’t hold up well over time. Others improve with every reading. This is a book that is firmly in the latter category for me. I liked this book a lot when I was a child. I love it as an adult. Maybe I’ve grown to adore this book because, as I age, the premise of the book and the lessons it teaches strike my heart harder. I’ve never experienced highs quite as high as those Sara Crewe experiences, and I’ve never suffered through lows quite as low as Sara is forced to endure. But, like everyone, I have experienced triumphs and tragedies. The more I go through in my life, the more I respect little Sara Crewe, a little princess if ever there was one, and how she handled everything both happy or horrific that life threw her way. She always carried herself as the little princess she pretended to be, whether dressed in tattered rags or extravagant riches. She shared what she had with those less fortunate, even when she didn’t really have enough for herself. Sara endured. And if Sara can endure, so can I. My story can be her story in the disguise of my times, hidden within the setting of my life.

“Everything’s a story - You are a story - I am a story.”

I don’t want to say much about the story, though I know it’s a classic and thus the plot is probably already known to anyone who reads this review. If you haven’t read this book, please do. It’s short and it’s lovely and it reminds readers that the way we view ourselves and the actions spawned from that view truly matters. It also reminds us to see others as people, no matter their station in life, and to give freely. Is there any better way to wrap yourself in Christmas spirit than by remembering to give unto others as Christ gave to us? That’s what Sara Crewe’s story does for me.

“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart. And though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that—warm things, kind things, sweet things—help and comfort and laughter—and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.”

Merry Christmas. May you remember the true reason for the season. And if your memory should fail, let little Sara Crewe remind you.

Why I chose to read this book:
1. after recently reading and enjoying The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, several GR friends recommended this book; and,
2. February 2023 is my "Books For Young and Old Alike" Month.

Praises:
1. even though MC Sara Crewe had an indulgent upbringing, her positive outlook on life, her self-control, and her compassion for others less fortunate than herself make her character extremely likeable - a character young readers could hopefully emulate, especially when things go wrong; and,
2. Miss Minchin is one of the most terrifying villain(nesses) I've ever come across in literature! She was intent on breaking a child's spirit!

Niggle:
This may be a tricky read-aloud as some words and phrases may be uncomfortable for today's youth to hear in the context provided (e.g. stupid, fat).

Overall Thoughts:
"There but for the grace of God go I."
This story really had me thinking: "What if ...?" my comfortable lifestyle vanished instantly? Would I be able to face my new challenges with the same grace as Sara?

Recommendation?
This story sends a lovely message of empathy, compassion and patience; however, I do recommend reading it to yourself first before sharing it with young listeners.

A guidebook to being a princess--er, to being a better human. That your circumstances don't determine you completely and that you are made of what you are made of--to be strong in the face of adversity; to make friends in the school halls as well as the rat-infested attics.

The film is a great adaptation, perhaps surpasses the vision of the writer by transferring the drama to the states, and by adding racial themes. It is a braver version (plus Alfonso Cuaron is my favorite Hollywood director). The fall from grace--absurdly decorated with tea parties, dolls, preteen gatherings--is harsh. That the solution to the princess's identity lies on the other side of the wall...

I found the reading very significant in its anecdote, very powerful in our modern times.

I can't tell you the number of times I read this as a kid.

And as an adult before I had kids.

And now I've read it aloud to my kids and realized: It's kind of a slow burn. Also, there is a lot about using your imagination, and the importance of stories, and having an inner life to make up for your outer one being terrible. Which was a bit boring to my kids to listen to, but was very pleasing to young writer me, and to adult writer me as well.

I don't think a book can get any closer than this to the idea of the children's classic. This is such a well-known and well-loved story; and the tone, the plot and overall message really feel outdated, but not necessarily in a bad way. And while I can't imagine any child today actually having fun while reading this, for an adult who grew up with this kind of books (Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden etc), it really feels like going back even though I am pretty sure I never actually read this particular one as a child. Towards the end I switched to the audiobook, and almost fell asleep, lulled by this fairytale. A pretty little story.

"she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember any time when she had not been thinking things about grown-up people and the world they belonged to. She felt as if she had lived a long, long time."

I wished Frances Hodgson Burnett stopped explaining about Sara at this point. Because at this point, I like her already. Because at this point, I wish I read this book when I was a child. Because at this point, I start to think that Sara and I have similarities.

Sadly though, couple pages later turned my feelings to Sara 180 degrees. She is perfect. Far, far, far too perfect. Not as a child, as a human being. Whimsically pretty, kind, selfless, rich, adored, and different. Boringly perfect. Unlovable perfect.
The kind of perfect that leaves me with a feeling:
"okay, she got everything, everyone love her, life will turn perfect for her yadda yadda yadda. So why should I give a damn about her?"

But of course, this is just temporary. I'm not even halfway reading it. Time will tell, hopefully.
*shrugs*