The Secret Garden

Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Narrated by Glenda Jackson

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.

After the death of her parents, Mary Lennox is sent to live in the remote Yorkshire countryside with her rarely seen uncle. With no one to play with, she resents the landscape and the gloomy house. But then she discovers a key, which unlocks the hidden door to a secret garden…

Academy Award Winner Glenda Jackson captures the magic of the story that has been adored by adults and children alike for generations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Sep 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9780008439637

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was an English-American author and playwright. She is best known for her incredibly popular novels for children, including Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.

Reviews for The Secret Garden

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary Lennox is the daughter of an English officer in India. She lives without a care in the world. Until her life is changed forever by disaster. She must live with an uncle in far off England in a large, sad and empty house. Or is it? This story is full of the imagination of childhood. The hopes and dreams and fears. It is the story of the healing ways of nature and love.

[breton07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett is the story of a young girl from India who befriends Collin, the sickly son of Archibold Craven, lord of Missethwaite Manor, located in England.The girl's name is Mary, who has just left India after becoming orphaned by a terrible plague. She slowly pulls Collin out of his sickbed, and into radiant health. She does so by introducing him to his late mother's once-neglected walled garden.I felt this classic was compelling and poignant. I loved the fact that the protagonist was a misfit. She held her own as a quintessential character, along with Collin and Dickon, the young gardener who helps her rescue the quiescent spirit of the garden itself. Mary has an optimistic viewpoint, contrary to the views held by his physician, Dr. Craven, and Mrs. Medlock, the housekeeper. However, Collin is just as complex in his inner character, and his change is just as significant as Mary's.I recommend this book to anyone who has known someone who is ill. It is the story of a child awakening to the power of optimism, friendship, intention, and care.Breton W Kaiser Taylor

[ellb_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Being a mother, I couldn't help but realize how much of an influence on the personality and health of a child is reflected in the care and concern of the parent(s). Reading this as an adult was quite different than reading it as a child.

[purlewe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this is one of the few books I go back and re-read every few yrs.

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun audiobook with Fiona Hughes reading it.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having just re-read "Black Beauty" and being disappointed, i was nervous about revisiting this book but, thankfully, my fears were unfounded. "The Secret Garden" was as delightful as the first time I read it many, many years ago.

[katherine.boykins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary, a spoiled girl, is sent to live with her uncle after the death of her parents in India. Encouraged to get outside, Mary discovers a secret garden, waiting to be brought back to life. With the help of her new friend Dickon, she transforms the garden and the garden transforms everyone who enters. This is another one of my favorite books. This book describes the garden in such detail that it can help students imagine what the garden looks like. The students could write about what they would do if they found a secret garden of their own. They could also compare and contrast this book with the movie version as well.

[bettesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this as a child and reading it as an adult was a treat. A must read.

[angelab86 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite childhood books, about a young girl named Mary who is sent to live with her recluse Uncle in England after her parents die in India. She befriends her spoiled cousin and a local common boy, and together they discover an abandoned garden.

[sarahgracegrzy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A really good read, and a classic, but not really my thing.

[larisaawhite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This charming children’s classic, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is worth reading as an adult, even if you read it first as a child. The story vividly and accurately portrays the emotional journey that many third-culture-kids experience, as they confront the reverse-culture-shock of repatriation.Mary Lennox is a nine-year-old, British military brat, born and raised in British Colonial India. The story begins in the midst of a cholera epidemic, which kills both of her parents. When a pair of British officers discover Mary all alone in her parents’ empty bungalow, she is quickly sent “home” to England, to live with an uncle she has never met. Although the “spoilt and sour” demeanor Mary exhibits at the start of the book is certainly in part the result of attachment issues caused by neglectful parents, it is also very clear that many of the things that trouble her about her new home are simply the result of culture shock. And, as is typical for TCKs “returning home” to their passport countries, her ignorance of local customs is perceived as willful insolence, and any mention she makes of “how things were done” in India, is perceived as boastful arrogance.It is only when she begins applying her TCK skills of “foreign” language acquisition (learning to speak the Yorkshire dialect spoken by the local people), studying the details of her new environment (learning to understand an appreciate the strange natural beauty and wildlife of the moor), and working on collaborative projects with local residents (reviving a neglected, secret garden), that she overcomes her grief, and begins to thrive in her passport culture.And the secret to her success? The “magic” of choosing to change her attitude toward the foreign land she now calls home.

[marie2830-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very sweet, and well written book. A perfect read for February/March/April, and fits the transition from winter to summer. I just disliked Colin so much, that it weighed down my opinion of the book. In the middle of the book you find colin and, after that the focus on Mary disappears almost completely. I was very displeased with that, because she was in sort the main character. That said it is a book that makes you very happy, and makes you think about being outside more.

[HOGS Techs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It took a long time to finally read this book but it's worth it

[lindaweeks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

lovely story about the power of nature and nurture to restore and teach young and old

[pamv-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a sweet story this was. I can't wait to have the opportunity to sit with both my granddaughters and read this out loud with them.

[abergsman-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I cherished this book as a child, and I still adore it as an adult. Not all books hold up well into adulthood, I am thrilled that this one did.

I just finished reading this together with my daughter, who loves The Secret Garden as much as I do. We read a beautifully illustrated (unabridged) edition, by the talented illustrator Inga Moore.

[beccac220 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in you may never get over it as long as you live."Mary Lennox is a 10 year old girl unwanted and ignored by her parents. Self absorbed and obstinate, she is sent to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor, a dark gloomy mansion in the Yorkshire moors of England. When she gets there not much changes-she's ignored by everyone around her, including her grumpy and distracted uncle, and she continues to act ill mannered and spoiled.Things begin to change when a friendly robin leads her to a secret door that leads to a forbidden secret garden. The secret garden opens up a new perspective for Mary, who doesn't know what it is to be loved, and she begins to love the garden and its growing things. With the help of a local "animal charmer", Dickon, and Mary's sickly cousin, Colin, who happens to be more obstinate than herself, the garden is slowly brought back to life. As they nurture the garden back to life, they begin to learn the power of caring for others and of believing in oneself.This book was a real charmer. Whimsical, mysterious, and full of good morals to teach young people, such as the importance of caring for others and the power our thoughts have on our attitudes and consequently our lives. This is a childrens classic I truly look forward to reading to my kiddos when they're a little bit older.

[sumisbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very very close to the movie version that I fell in love with as a child. For a classic it is very easy to read and easy to follow. The story is full of magic and a child's wonder. Very entertaining and captivating. Highly recommend.

[bun65 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I felt a little bit difficult for me.But I was able to enjoy this book.The noble figure of Mary was struck me.The scene was also very impressed to see the garden in their eyes colin.Unfortunately I can not express well, I think this book has very warm atmosphere.

[ladybookhermit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story overall was a good one and I really enjoyed Mary as a character however I did feel as though there were something missing. There was no real climax in the story which made it a bit boring and slow at times. Also feel like some key characters were underdeveloped when they should have been further explored.

[tess_w · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why did I wait so long to read this classic? The plot of this book centers around Mary Lennox, who came to England to live with a brooding uncle who she has never met as her parents both died of Cholera. She was a most disagreeable child. While there, she discovers her most disagreeable cousin who has been told he is an invalid from birth. She also meets Dicken, a Yorkshire lad who introduces the moor to Mary and her cousin. Just delightful!

[kewpie_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was one of my favorite books growing up. While set in a "realistic" historical setting, I thought it was more of a fairy tale. The Manor was like an old spooky castle, the grounds were like an enchanted forest. Dicken was a puckish sprite, his sister somewhat like a fairy godmother. One thing I found appealing about the book was that Mary could be grouchy and sullen. She could throw amazing temper trantrums. She had a very unconventional personality for a little girl. Even when her temper improved, she still did things that she wasn't suposed to do. She played in the dirt, was curious and was never really sweet.

[rosies_38 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I expected a little more from this classic.

[amelia_smith-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book as a child, possibly more than once, and I just finished reading it aloud to my kids. It's a really nice book from over a century ago. It follows a slower, more erratic rhythm than what's written these days.
Although “Mistress Mary” has a pretty strong character arc, the dramatic core of the story is Colin's recovery, and we don't even meet Colin until nearly halfway into the book. There's also a long, reflective denouement, with a jump to Colin's father's point of view in the last chapter, when he's been absent and rarely for most of the narrative. I think it works – in any case, the kids didn't seem to mind it, or the slow-ish pace.
The author's use of Yorkshire dialect was a device that worked really well, but would be hard to replicate in a modern story or context simply because of the way communications have changed in the last hundred-plus years. To my eye, it looked well done, but I'm not familiar with the dialect and found myself wondering if it's recognizable today or if it has faded away as much as the regional dialects in the US have.

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read this one at least three times. I should probably read it again and put a proper review on my blog.

[rubya_32 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A reread of a book I adored as a child.

[theboylatham_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Four out of ten. eBook.

Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way, she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks.

[hopeevey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this book! I think the author would have had a slightly stronger message if she hadn't gone into exposition on the power of focusing on the positive; the narrative carried that message very strongly all by itself. I cried at the end. I will be re-reading this one; it's like therapy in book form.

[cheriedooryard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I hate to rag on a book that many remember fondly, but this poor thing is a waste of great potential. An arch, magical, vaguely gothic first third turns into a middling second third and a downright treacly and tedious end. My kids cna discover this on their own; I'm not reading it to them.

[bacillicide · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I grew up watching the movie, and I'll say this is probably one of the rare instances in which I'll say I really, really like the movie better, even though a lot of the scenes in the movie never actually happened it in the book (I think it would have been an improvement!) but nonetheless, I liked it, it still makes me a little nostalgic even though I've never read the book before now.I absolutely love Dickon, though, he's my favorite in both the movie and the book.