WeBuzz
Reader discussion: The Secret Garden
Public reader discussion about The Secret Garden in the WeRead Catalog by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Found this first edition (2nd printing) of The Secret Garden in a free book library in my neighborhood!
By notebookEclipse1993
Grabbed this from one of those take-a-book/leave-a-book sidewalk spots because I loved it when I was a kid and I wanted my son to read it too. Turns out it’s actually a first edition, which felt pretty neat. The back cover has a little mark, and the binding corners show some wear. Also, there are two pages missing and the next page has a misprinted number, but overall it’s still in pretty good condition. I checked around and found an old listing from about 7 years ago that sold for around $50—nothing wild, but I just wanted to share with other classic lovers 💜
I totally forgot how it ends, so please no spoilers—I just got to the part where she finds the entrance 😅 it’s been over 20 years (maybe closer to 25?) since I read this last time.
If anyone has recs for similar stuff, like good descriptive prose—anything along the lines of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (I LOVE Betty Smith)—I’d love to hear them. I’m also super into classic sci-fi, especially future dystopian reads (Philip K. Dick vibes) or stories with parallel timelines/alternate dimensions.
And I’m into non-fiction too when it’s related to paranormal/ESP/psychic stuff, mythology, ghost stories, etc.
I don’t really connect with a lot of modern authors either; most of what I’ve tried feels like it doesn’t have that 60s/70s (and earlier) descriptive punch.
Read this book around 2012, give or take. The book was fiction, it was about a hidden garden. I think she went to live with her dad in a mansion. I know she wasn’t allowed in a certain wing of the house, and that’s where she found the garden.
By lucky_envelope
I’m pretty sure she’s the one who makes the garden come back to life. I checked it out from my middle school library, and I think it was at the right reading level. If I’m remembering right, the girl on the cover had really bright red hair, but I could be mixing it up with another book—so I might mention that one too in a different post.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
By JohnReads
I just wrapped up John Berendt’s *Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil*. I know it blew up when it came out, and a lot of the reviews I’ve read are pretty favorable. I was told to read it by a college professor, but I can’t remember what she said about it or why she picked it. I feel like I went in with too much hype, because I honestly didn’t find it that enjoyable or even that interesting.
A big part of it was the writing for me. It felt kind of dull and it didn’t really pull me along, so I kept losing interest. I also wasn’t very drawn to the characters or really the setting either. For at least the first half, it seemed like each chapter was mostly its own thing, and I guess that might be because of his magazine writing background. But whatever the reason, it didn’t flow well. And even though it’s nonfiction, since it’s written in first person, I thought I’d get more of the author’s personal voice or perspective.
I also expected there to be more mystery tied to what the book is really centered around (the murder), but maybe that’s just on me for having the wrong expectations.
What year would you consider a book, a 'classic'?
By moonQuantum7858
I keep going back and forth on this. I’ve heard “classic” just means an older book that was popular, but even stuff from the early 2000s is already 20+ years old now. Still, I don’t really feel like Harry Potter is a classic yet, since the author is still around, so it doesn’t seem like it’s fully past its era.
I did see people bring up The Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood) from the 1980s as a classic, too, like something Penguin was calling it.
I’m genuinely curious what everyone else thinks though—at what point does a book become a classic?
a secret garden - for grown ups?
By bluewindow
I really loved Frances Hodgson Burnett’s *A Secret Garden*. The whole English country garden vibe hooked me, and I enjoyed watching the garden develop alongside the characters’ growth. If there’s something similar but aimed at adults (and not too short, ideally), I’d love recommendations.
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
By sunnyDreams
I ended up liking “A Little Princess” more than this one. Also, there’s a decent version up on Gutenberg you can get for free. :)
HELP- My Mom's Favorite Book: Book Where Children Grow Like Flowers/Vegetables in a Garden
By atombrook
Saw this and I’m pretty sure the point is: if you’re trying to find the title of a book you liked, this is the place to ask, but you’ve gotta follow their rules first. It’s one book or series per post, and if your post title is too vague or doesn’t make sense they’ll probably take it down. Also check their submission tips, and if you think someone else already asked the same thing, look at their “Frequently Requested” list. If your post doesn’t show up, you might need to message the mods since it could’ve gotten stuck in spam. And if your question gets answered, you’re supposed to update it to SOLVED (or comment “solved” a bunch of times), since mods sometimes flair stuff as solved too—if it’s not updated after a few days, then go back or message them. They also have a bunch of related subreddits and a couple helpful ones for when you can’t remember titles, like tipofmytongue, etc.
Looking for ghost stories that use the idea of ghosts as a representation of trauma
By poppy_library
I’m wrapping up my English degree and I’m supposed to do a final essay, and I’m thinking about using ghosts as a way to talk about trauma (or maybe isolation). I already know I want to reference things like *Turn of the Screw* (Henry James), *Harry* (Shirley Jackson), and *Playmates* (A.M. Burrage), but I can’t use any of those as my main primary text.
So I’m basically just looking for suggestions for a primary short story or book that would fit that ghost/trauma or ghost/isolation idea. Any ideas? Thanks!
Books like... The Secret Garden, Chronicles of Narnia?
By notebookLunar61
I just finished Hodgson-Burnett’s *The Secret Garden*, and I also grew up on the Chronicles of Narnia, so it really hit the spot. I’ve been craving something kind of similar—some good escapism. I’m in the city most of the time, and it’s always nice to get pulled back into a bit of mystery out in the countryside.
Secret Garden Inspired Story
By Window_Waits8882
I picked this up at the start of high school (2012–2014), but I really can’t tell if it was brand-new or an older one. I think it was aimed at late kids/early teens. It followed a girl who moves—pretty sure with her older brother—and she’s basically trusted to plant or bring back a walled “secret garden.” It felt like it was set in a more modern time than The Secret Garden. The copy I had was the one with a pink cover.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett [Classics](1911)
By PENCILNIGHT
I’m not totally sure how I feel about this one, but I can’t deny it sounds like it has a lot going on. There’s all this sadness and secrets in that house, and Mary’s kind of a mess at first—spoiled, cranky, and not very well—then she’s stuck living with her reclusive uncle on the Yorkshire moors. She ends up running into the housekeeper, some siblings, a grumpy gardener, and even a robin that kind of becomes important. And then there’s Colin, who’s miserable and crying all the time at night, which feels like it would be exhausting.
Once Mary finds that secret garden and starts trying to fix it up in secret, the whole thing turns into this happier, feel-good kind of story. It’s like the garden and everything around it somehow helps them both get better—Colin’s health and Mary’s happiness.
My Bookcover Illustration to „The Secret Garden“ ⭐️
By ProudChilly
Hey! Thanks for sharing your artwork with everyone 😊
If you don’t mind, could you say a bit about how you made it?
Also, what brushes did you use? If you can, name the exact ones (or at least the brush type/category), since that helps others.
Anything else you’d like to add about the piece is cool too.
And if you created it in Procreate Dreams, feel free to post it there as well—I’d love to see it!
Oh, and if you’re using the same tools/process a lot, maybe message the mods so you can get a different auto prompt that fits what you usually do. Thanks!
Looking for books that feel like pure whimsey has just hugged you
By white_paper
Can anyone recommend books that are super whimsical and sparkly? Like, the vibe of those classic fairy-tale things for little girls—glittery and magical for basically everyone (and yeah, the whole “gender roles are stupid” part). I’m basically chasing that Disney princess / early-2000s Barbie movie magic where everything feels colorful and fairy-tale cozy, but without the gross/problematic stuff that usually comes with it.
I want stuff like fairies leaving dew on the forest floor, unicorns hanging out in flower meadows, tiaras, magic clothes that change color, tiny gnomes baking cakes, and tea parties with super little teacups. You know—the kind of magic that would totally come with sparkly wand sound effects.
If this is too weird/doesn’t quite make sense, I can explain more, but I’m honestly just looking for soft escape reads. I feel like my brain needs to get fed wonder for a bit. None of those examples have to be exact, I just used them to describe the mood.
Also: found family vibes would be amazing. Bonus if there are queer characters. Extra bonus if it’s a good audiobook. I’m open to YA or older, but I’ll take anything. Longer books are a plus. Thanks in advance!
Books to read if you LOVED The Secret Garden
By cat_nova
The Secret Garden is honestly one of my all-time favorite books. Does anyone know anything similar that has that same kind of vibe?
books like the secret garden
By QuillIvy1976
I just wrapped up The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and I really, really loved it. 😄 Now I’m trying to find something similar—any book recommendations with that same kind of vibe? Also open to other sweet older children’s classics, if anyone has favorites!
Children’s Chapter book about girl traveling to a secret garden
By DuneFrozen
I read this back when I was in elementary school, around 2013 maybe. I barely remember it, but I keep picturing the cover: a girl crawling, and there’s some kind of garden up above her. I think the idea was that she crawls under vines and into this garden area and then she gets to an old house. Not totally sure, but I feel like she was a tween. It also feels like she didn’t really like her home life and was trying to get away from it.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett [Classics](1911)
By DuneFrozen
I’m not totally sure how much I’ll like this, but it sounds like it’s about Mary, who’s young and basically pretty miserable, ending up at her uncle’s house in the Yorkshire moors after her parents die. The place already feels sad and full of secrets, and she meets all these people (and even a robin) that seem like they’re going to change things.
I like the idea of finding a hidden secret garden that’s been ignored for years, and then Mary trying to fix it up without anyone knowing. The whole “healing” vibe—like the garden helping Colin get better and Mary ending up happier—sounds really sweet, I just don’t know if it’ll hit for me.
Books like The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett
By beaconSecret
I’m trying to find books with a vibe like The Secret Garden—something really simple and calm that makes life feel kind of easy and dreamy. I want to get out of my own world for a bit and end up somewhere else :). Doesn’t matter if it’s middle grade, YA, or anything else.
First illustrated American edition of The Secret Garden from 1911 and a later reprint from 1937
By comet-hidden8
Sounds like you’ve got the real first edition, and even in the second-state binding.
Also, kind of wild: I think the American edition came out a few months before the UK first edition, not after.
I'll never see The Secret Garden the same again...
By ThunderStrange
Kate Beaton feels like a real national treasure to me—love her comics so much.