The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published as a book in 1911, after a version was published as an American magazine serial beginning in 1910. Set in England, it is one of Burnett's most popular novels and is considered a classic of English children's literature. Several stage and film adaptations have been made.

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «باغ اسرارآمیز»؛ «باغ مخفی»؛ «باغ راز:؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و چهارم ماه ژوئن سال 1994میلادی

عنوان: باغ اسرارآمیز؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: شمس الملوک مصاحب؛ تهران، فرانکلین، 1340، در 338ص؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 19م

عنوان: باغ مخفی؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: نوشین ریشهری؛ تهران، سروش، انتشارات صدا و سیما، 1372، در 203ص، شابک چاپ سوم در سال 1389؛ شابک 9789643769185؛

عنوان: باغ مخفی؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: مهرداد مهدویان؛ تهران، قدیانی، کتابهای بنفشه، 1375، در 280ص، مصور، رمان نوجوانان، شابک چاپ چهارم در سال 1389؛ شابک 9789644170485؛

عنوان: باغ مخفی؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: مریم مفتاحی؛ تهران، آوای کلار، 1392، در 354ص، شابک 9786005395969؛

عنوان: باغ مخفی؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ تصویرگر: گیلی مارکل؛ مترجم: مهسا طاهریان؛ ویراستار عزت جلالی؛ تهران، پینه دوز، 1393، در51ص، مصور، شابک 9789642886258؛

عنوان: باغ اسرارآمیز؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: علی پناهی آذر؛ تهران، همگامان چاپ، 1379، در 248ص، شابک9649194355؛

عنوان: باغ اسرارآمیز؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: علی پناهی آذر؛ تهران، رود، 1380، در 248ص، شابک 9646869262؛

عنوان: باغ اسرارآمیز؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: شیرین صادقی طاهری؛ قم، نسل بیدار، 1379، در 118ص، شابک 9649277102؛

عنوان: باغ راز؛ نویسنده: فرانسیس هاجسن برنت؛ مترجم: شهلا ارژنگ؛ تهران، مرداد، 1382، در 350ص، شابک 9647116144؛

دخترکی دهساله، به نام «ماری (مری) لناکس»؛ پدر و مادر خویش را، در «هندوستان»، از دست می‏دهد؛ او را نزد عمویش، به «انگلستان» می‏فرستند؛ عمویش مرد قوزی، و بداخلاقی است، که در جوانی، زن زیبایش را از دست داده، و از آن پس، در باغ زنش را بسته است؛ «ماری»، به یاری پسر جوانی به نام «دیکون»، درِ باغی را که سالهاست نگشوده اند، باز میکند، و سپس پى میبرند، که پسرعموى معلولش «کالین»، در آنسوى باغ زندگى میکند؛ پاهاى «کالین»، حرکت نمیکنند؛ اما با یاریهای «مارى»، و «دیکون»، و وجود باغ، سبب میشوند، تا او تندرستی خویش را، باز یابد

نقل از متن ترجمه سرکار خانم «آرزو احمی»، نشر پیدایش در 416ص: («مری» دوست داشت از دور مادرش را نگاه کند و فکر میکرد او خیلی زیباست، اما چون خیلی کم مادرش را میشناخت، نمیشد از او توقع داشت که دوستش داشته باشد یا پس از مرگ دلش برای او تنگ شود؛ در واقع، اصلاً دلش برای او تنگ نشد و از آنجایی که دختر خودخواهی بود تمام فکرش، مثل همیشه، مشغول خودش بود؛ اگر سنش بیشتر بود بدون شک از اینکه در دنیا تنها مانده خیلی نگران میشد، اما او خیلی کوچک بود، و چون همیشه دیگران مراقبش بودند، تصور میکرد که همیشه هم وضع همین طور میماند؛ چیزی که فکرش را مشغول میکرد این بود که دوست داشت بداند آیا پیش آدمهای خوبی میرود که رفتار مودبانه ای با او خواهند داشت؛ و مثل «آیا» و دیگر خدمتکاران بومی میگذارند هر کار دلش میخواهد، بکند یا نه؛ میدانست در خانه ی کشیش «انگلیسی» که اول به آنجا رفت، نمیماند؛ نمیخواست که بماند؛ کشیش «انگلیسی» فقیر بود و پنج فرزند داشت، که سن همه شان نزدیک هم بود، لباسهای کهنه ای به تن داشتند، همیشه با هم دعوا میکردند و اسباب بازیها را از دست هم قاپ میزدند؛ «مری» از خانه ی نامرتبشان متنفر بود، و آنقدر با آنها بدرفتاری کرد، که بعد از یکی دو روز، دیگر هیچکس با او بازی نمیکرد؛ بعد از روز دوم اسمی رویش گذاشتند، که حسابی عصبانی اش کرد؛ این اسم اول به فکر «بیزل» رسید؛ «بیزل» پسر کوچکی با چشمهای آبی رنگ گستاخ، و بینی سر بالا بود، و «مری» خیلی از او بدش میآمد؛ «مری» درست مثل روزی که «وبا» شیوع پیدا کرده بود، داشت تنهایی زیر درخت بازی میکرد، با تلهایی از خاک، راههایی برای باغش میساخت، که «بیزل» آمد و نزدیکش به تماشا ایستاد؛ خیلی زود به کار «مری» علاقمند شد، و پیشنهادی کرد؛ گفت: «چرا چند تا سنگ آنجا نمیچینی تا مثلاً باغ سنگی بشود؟ آنجا، آن وسط»؛ و خم شد تا نشانش بدهد؛ «مری» فریاد زد: «برو، من از پسرها خوشم نمیآید؛ از اینجا برو.»؛ «بیزل» لحظه ای عصبانی شد، و بعد مسخره اش کرد؛ او همیشه خواهرهایش را مسخره میکرد؛ دورش چرخید، شکلک درآورد، آواز خواند و خندید)؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 08/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 05/06/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Just finished reading this book with a young student of mine. It was a beautiful, humbling experience to watch the Secret Garden unfold through her eyes, week after week. <3

This story is even more about mental health than it is about physical health. And for such an old book, I was honestly shocked at what a compassionate, yet pragmatic attitude it displays towards depression. Obviously, more than one of these characters could've benefited from medication and psychological counseling, neither of which were available in the 1800s. But the other coping methods the story champions are still perfectly sound even today. YES, by all means, get out in the sunshine and get a hobby. It's not a substitute for therapy, but it's still something any therapist worth their salt will tell you to try.

Brb, crying over the part where Mary realizes the garden is still alive ... and the part where Colin feels the sunshine on his face for the first time ... and the part where ... *snifflessss*

"I shall live forever and ever and ever!"

I seem to be the only woman I know who didn't read and cherish this book as a child. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about...

It took me a while to get in step with the tone of this book. The beginning was Jane Eyre-lite...Mary is orphaned and sent from India to England to live with her uncle, a stranger to her. The story progresses...and then....Mary's talking to a robin, and he's showing her where buried keys are. At that point, the mood shifted, and I sat back to enjoy not a literary masterpiece, but a child's fantasy adventure.

I really lost myself in the beauty of the Secret Garden...it's natural beauty and the idea of its powers to cleanse our physical and spiritual sides. One review claimed that re-visiting this made the reader want to "get back into gardening"...and I felt that. It's a gardener's story--a tale for someone who enjoys the process, from planting the seeds to appreciating the beauty of the end product. I loved the vivid descriptions of all the particular plants, trees, and animals...

But if I'm being honest, this book got a bit intense for me. As Colin begins to feel the healing powers of the garden...as he begins to chant and sing his praises to the "magic"...(and on and on about "the magic"), I really began to feel the author's personal philosphies taking over. The introduction suggests that Burnett infused the comfort she found in Christian Science teachings after her son died into this story about the power of mind over body. Hmmmm.

I think what kept me from totally being sold on this novel is that I did try to read it as an adult. I was unable to enjoy the narrative literally and at face-value. I was digging in....always watchful for the deeper meaning. And Burnett's ideas were already at the surface, perhaps a little heavy-handedly at times.

Overall...a nice story, perhaps best enjoyed through the innocent, unaffected eyes of a child.

n

100 days into 2021 and 100 books have been read. Check out my latest BookTube Video to see which ones are my fave!

n  The Written Reviewn

Orphaned Mary Lennox had a sour face, bitter temperment and dismal dispostion.

But could you blame her? Nine years old and she was barely shown an ounce of affection.

Her parents saw her as an accessory (to be paraded about for parties) and when they died, and Mary shipped off to live with a distant uncle...she felt just as alone as ever.

She spent her time on the Yorkshire moors exploring the surrounding gardens...and that's when she found a key. A curious old key that fit perfectly in a mysterious little door.

And then she realizes what she found. A secret garden.

The garden is rough, neglected and unloved...but Mary sees a spark. And so she pours love into this forgotten garden, and she soon finds out what it is like to be loved in return.

This is my first time I read this one...but wow. It was amazing. Why did I wait so long????

This was such an amazing, gorgeous and touching book.

Mary's story was absolutely compelling to read and I could NOT put it down. The way the garden was described made me want to pick up my shovel and head out to fix things up on my own.

And the conclusion of this story? Absolutely perfect.

Highly recommended!!

The Secret Garden is a "lovely" story in every sense of the word. Primarily, it's about three kids: Mistress Mary, Dickon, and Master Colin--and how just thinking a little differently can change a person completely.

There's a lot of subtle things Frances Hodgson Burnett does right: The way she relates the Garden to Colin's mother and how that affects his relationship with his father--and how all of these things have made him a horribly spoiled brat. That thinking a little differently, and getting some fresh air, and fixing up a Secret Garden can simultaneously fix up his life and his relationship with his father.

Even though it packs a nice punch and does a lot of little things right, the story overall is a tough read. And it goes beyond just being dated and having awkwardly constructed sentences. It's more than the dialogue and the Yorkshire accent most of the characters speak with that makes what they're trying to say almost impossible to decipher for a modern English speaker.

The pacing is awful. There really isn't any conflict. So it's REALLY hard to get into. And that's sad, because it really is a lovely tale.

I love children’s books that don’t underestimate children. I confess that I didn’t read many children’s books when I was a child myself, because a lot of the stuff I could get my hands on seemed asinine and too easy. There is an entire collection of lovely books published by the Courte Échelle publishing house that my mother bought me: they all took me a couple of hours to read at the most and then I never touched them again. I went and stole books for her shelves instead, which may or may not have been a good thing…

I only started getting interested in children’s books in my late twenties. Weird, huh? I had seen the Merchant-Ivory movie adaptation of “The Secret Garden” when I was a teen, and while I would have never admitted it then, I was fascinated by it. Not to get into details, but the themes of abandonment and parents who are emotionally unavailable that we see time and times again in British children literature hit awfully close to home. Watching “The Secret Garden” was the movie equivalent of cutting: it hurt, but I needed it to hurt. I eventually worked up the courage to get a copy of the book.

Of course it is predictable. Of course the characters of Mary and Colin are spoiled little brats – aristocratic British kids, for god’s sake! Of course the resolution is healing. Of course the morals of the story (love is important, nature should be cared for, working on one’s self will make us better people) are big no-brainers. But the writing is so beautiful and evocative. I felt for the children, I could taste their anger and their loneliness. I knew why they were mean and bossy. They were cold because they had never known warmth. And enters the metaphor of the garden.

When Mary first steps into the garden, she is afraid it is dead because there are no leaves or blooms. She soon realizes that with a little care and the change of season, it can be just as glorious and lush as it was in her aunt’s days. It is very, very obvious that the garden is Mary’s heart: not really dead, but in serious need of caring. And if someone who knows how to pull the weeds to make room for the flowers can make the garden beautiful again, a heart can be mended and a person can be made whole and happy again. Once the garden is alive again, she brings Colin in and he eventually gets better too.

“The Secret Garden” made me smile and cry, and it inspired me to work on myself, to make peace with a lot of bad things and to use these bad things as a base from which I could grow to be a stronger and happier person. It helped me get out of my shell, and let my colors shine brighter than they ever had before. I am not sure that Frances Hodgson Burnett meant for her novel to be a lifeline to a lonely girl in Canada, over a hundred years after she wrote it, but I am very grateful for this gorgeous book. I recommend it to everyone.

A favorite from grade school era.

Note: On 12-19-2019 received this B&N leather-bound copy for my permanent collection of all-time favorite books. (Christmas came a little bit early this year)

"Might I have a bit of earth?"

"One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever."

A timeless and magical read for all ages, the story The Secret Garden has more secret lessons than the garden itself. Rereading this as an adult has finally unlocked the door for me to rate and review it deservingly!

This book is pure comfort and delight. It’s like a warm blanket on a winter’s eve. It soothes the soul with its very words. All any of us can do is dream there is a locked secret garden out there somewhere for ourselves that holds the key to transforming our own very existences.

Mary grew up in a poor state of health: neglected, abandoned, spoiled, and quite “contrary.” When she first arrives from India to the unknown moors of Misselthwaite Manor and discovers the secret garden, we get to experience the symbolism the garden has with her very own soul. It’s also in a state of ruin, neglect, and death—having been locked away for 10 years after a family tragedy. But the beauty of the symbolism doesn’t stop there. It isn’t just about the garden blossoming and the lovely animals; it’s about the evolution of all the main characters in their own great states of need. And Mary is very central to this happening. It’s beautiful to watch unfold.

Apparently there is also nothing like the pure air of the moors bringing wellbeing to those in need!! Just after reading this, I’d swear myself that I’d be cured of my own ailments if given the chance to breathe the air of the moors. Oh, how I long to visit this place someday. Adding to my dream travel list now!

“The fact was that the fresh wind from the moor had begun to blow the cobwebs out of her young brain and to waken her up a little.”

“In India she had always been too hot and languid and weak to care much about anything, but in this place she was beginning to care and to want to do new things.”

Anyway, I can’t say enough good things about this book! I actually read this on Kindle using the cool Kindle in Motion version. It was beautiful with the little animations! Frances Hodgson Burnett was a gifted children’s literature writer. Her stories are just pure magical and heartwarming. I’ve experienced her story “A Little Princess” through the film adaptation and fell in love with it for years. Longing to read the actual book someday soon. Now that I’m beaming full of hope and a toasty heart, I shall quietly step away now. ❤️

I am so glad I finally read this book. And reading it in the Spring time (or almost spring time) was perfect! I loved how Mary Lennox changed throughout the story. She blossomed and bloomed just like the garden. So lovely.

“I’ve stolen a garden, it isn’t mine. It isn’t anybody’s.”

Mary is unlikable at first and a bit of a brat, but it’s because she didn’t know any better. She quickly learns and becomes a proper little girl and it’s wonderful to see that development.

I’d like to fight Colin’s father. Grief is something, I know, but to ignore your son for ten years?! That final chapter helps, but I would smack him in an instant for ignoring his son.

I listened to the unbridged version of this audiobook that was narrated by Josephine Bailey and I thought it was a well-done one. I’m not sure if the narrator did a good job or not on the accents, but it was comforting nonetheless and would remind me of my British Nana. Enjoyable to listen to as I pulled weeds on a couple of sunny spring days.



Some broad content notes:
Mary says some things at the beginning that would be considered racist nowadays, but it accurate said for the time this was written in; Mentions of magic (both white and black), using it to benefit you, & believing it (I would argue that you could replace those parts with ‘kindness’ and ‘positive thinking’, but Colin believes in it helping him).

I didn’t know what to expect from this, and don’t normally read “children’s literature” but read this for a challenge.

I’m so glad to have come across it, this book was wonderful. It was touching, funny, happy... I also loved the garden- especially now, as we’re heading into a deep freeze here, it was lovely all the talk of spring and leaves growing and buds popping open.

I’ll gladly put this on the will reread anytime shelf.

Es un libro de corte infantil que nos recuerda el poder que tiene nuestra mente sobre la circunstancias que vivimos. Evoca la magia de la gratitud y de vivir en el presente, alimentándonos de pequeños detalles que nos hacen sentir vivos, como la belleza de la naturaleza, el sol sobre nuestra piel o una risa compartida.