The Secret Garden Annotated

The much-loved tale that has been read by generations of children is now annotated and includes more than 100 stunning illustrations.

"The Secret Garden" is a beloved children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published in 1911. The story follows the journey of Mary Lennox, a young girl who is orphaned after a cholera outbreak in India and sent to live with her uncle in England. Mary is initially a spoiled and unhappy child, but she begins to transform after discovering a secret garden on her uncle's estate. As Mary spends more time in the garden, she learns to appreciate the beauty of nature and develops a love for gardening. She also befriends Dickon, a local boy who has a magical connection with animals, and Colin, her cousin who is confined to his bed due to a mysterious illness. Together, they work to restore the garden and bring it back to life. Throughout the novel, Burnett weaves themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the healing power of nature. Mary's transformation from a selfish and unhappy child into a caring and compassionate one is a testament to the transformative power of love and the natural world. The novel also explores the importance of connection and community, as Mary, Dickon, and Colin form a tight-knit bond that helps them overcome their individual struggles. "The Secret Garden" has been adapted into numerous films, stage productions, and television series, and remains a beloved classic of children's literature. Its enduring popularity is a testament to Burnett's skill as a storyteller and her ability to capture the imagination of readers of all ages.

«Таинственный сад» – любимая классика для читателей всех возрастов, жемчужина творчества Фрэнсис Ходжсон Бернетт, роман о заново открытой радости жизни и магии силы. Мэри Леннокс, жестокое и испорченное дитя высшего света, потеряв родителей в Индии, возвращается в Англию, на воспитание к дяде-затворнику в его поместье. Однако дядя находится в постоянных отъездах, и Мэри начинает исследовать округу, в ходе чего делает много открытий, в том числе находит удивительный маленький сад, огороженный стеной, вход в который почему-то запрещен. Отыскав ключ и потайную дверцу, девочка попадает внутрь. Но чьи тайны хранит этот загадочный садик? И нужно ли знать то, что находится под запретом?.. Впрочем, это не единственный секрет в поместье...

The Secret Garden opens by introducing us to Mary Lennox, a sickly, foultempered,unsightly little girl who loves no one and whom no one loves. At theoutset of the story, she is living in India with her parents--a dashing armycaptain and his frivolous, beautiful wife--but is rarely permitted to see them.They have placed her under the constant care of a number of native servants, asthey find her too hideous and tiresome to look after. Mary's circumstances arecast into complete upheaval when an outbreak of cholera devastates the Lennoxhousehold, leaving no one alive but herself.She is found by a group of soldiers and, after briefly living with an Englishclergyman and his family, Mary is sent to live in Yorkshire with her maternaluncle, Archibald Craven. Misselthwaite Manor is a sprawling old estate withover one hundred rooms, all of which have been shut up by Archibald Craven. Aman whom everyone describes as "a miserable hunchback," Master Craven hasbeen in a state of inconsolable grief ever since the death of his wife ten yearsbefore the novel begins. Shortly after arriving at Misselthwaite, Mary hearsabout a secret garden from Martha Sowerby, her good-natured Yorkshiremaidservant. This garden belonged to the late Mistress Craven; after her death,Archibald locked the garden door and buried the key beneath the earth.Mary becomes intensely curious about the secret garden, and determines to findit. This curiosity, along with the vigorous exercise she takes on the moor, beginsto have an extremely positive effect upon Mary. She almost immediately becomesless sickly, more engaged with the world, and less foul-tempered. This change isaided by Ben Weatherstaff, a brusque but kindly old gardener, and a robinredbreast who lives in the secret garden. She begins to count these two "people,"along with Martha, Dickon Sowerby, and Susan Sowerby, as the friends she hashad in her life. Her curiosity is whetted when she hears strange, far-off criescoming from one of the manor's distant rooms.However, Mrs. Medlock, the head of the servants at Misselthwaite, absolutelyforbids her to seek out the source of the cries. She is distracted from this mysterywhen she discovers, with the robin's help, the key to the secret garden. Sheimmediately sets about working there, so that the neglected plants might thrive.Dickon, who brings her a set of gardening tools and promises to help her bringthe secret garden back to life, vastly aids her in her endeavor. Dickon is a boywho can charm the animals of the moor "the way snake charmers charm snakesin India." He is only a common moor boy, but he is filled with so much uncannywisdom that Mary comes to refer to him as "the Yorkshire angel."One night, Mary hears the distant cries and, flagrantly disobeying Mrs.Medlock's prohibition, goes off in search of their source. She finds Colin Craven,Master Craven's invalid son, shut up in an opulent bedchamber. Colin was bornshortly before his mother's death, and his father cannot bear to look at himbecause the boy painfully reminds him of his late wife. Colin has been bedriddensince his birth, and it is believed that he will become a hunchback and die anearly death. His servants have been commanded to obey his every whim, andColin has become fantastically spoiled and imperious as a result. Colin andMary strike up a friendship, but Colin becomes furious when she fails to visithim because she prefers to garden with Dickon. That night, Colin throws one ofthe infamous tantrums. Mary rushes to his room in a fury and commands him tostop crying. He tells her that his back is beginning to show a hunch; when Maryexamines him, she finds nothing whatever the matter with him. Henceforth, shewill maintain that Colin's illness is only in his mind: he will be well if only hemakes up his mind to be.

Annotated by OWFundation with a biography of Frances Hodgson BurnetThe Secret Garden is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911 following the publication in 1910 of a serial version in a US magazine. 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.The American edition was published by Stokes with illustrations by Maria Louise Kirk (signed as M. L. Kirk) and the British edition by Heinemann with illustrations by Charles Heath Robinson

Presents an adaptation of the classic story of the ten-year-old orphan who goes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors, where she discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

The book opens by introducing Mary Lennox, a sour and disagreeable 9-year-old girl. She lives in India with her father, a British statesman, and her mother, a self-absorbed woman who frequently is out at parties and socializing. Mary has been mostly raised by her Indian servant named Ayah. Ayah and the other servants are extremely docile and will indulge Mary's every whim, which has led her to become a very spoiled little girl who expects others to do everything for her.One day, there is news of a cholera outbreak and Mary finds out abruptly that her nurse Ayah has died. She does't feel much sadness and goes to take a nap. Later she is found by a police officer who tells her that both her parents have also perished from the disease. As a result, Mary is sent to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, at his huge estate in Yorkshire, England. The estate is called Misselthwaite Manor.Mary journeys to England by boat and is met by Mr. Craven's housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock. Mary continues behave very disagreeably, feeling a reluctance to move to this unknown place. In the car ride to the manor, Mary is informed by Mrs. Medlock about her uncle's reclusive behavior. Mr. Craven has become somewhat of a hermit after losing his beloved wife 10 years prior. When they arrive at the mansion, Mary is sent straight to her new room and meets her servant, Martha Sowerby.In the first few days after arriving at the manor, Mary must acclimate to her new environment. She realizes that the servants in Yorkshire behave quite differently from those in India; Martha, for instance, refuses to dress Mary and instead encourages the little girl to be more independent. For the first time in her life, Mary must use her own imagination and is left to play outside in the massive gardens. There she meets a groundskeeper named Ben Weatherstaff, who is initially gruff yet gradually starts to warm up to Mary. Ben introduces Mary to the garden robin, who is very friendly and likes humans.

The novel centres on Mary Lennox, who is living in India with her wealthy British family. She is a selfish and disagreeable 10-year-old girl who has been spoiled by her servants and neglected by her unloving parents. When a cholera epidemic kills her parents and the servants, Mary is orphaned. After a brief stay with the family of an English clergyman, she is sent to England to live with a widowed uncle, Archibald Craven, at his huge Yorkshire estate, Misselthwaite Manor. Her uncle is rarely at Misselthwaite, however. Mary is brought to the estate by the head housekeeper, the fastidious Mrs. Medlock, who shuts her into a room and tells her not to explore the house.