The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

A little warning: this may be the most beautiful book you have ever seen! I received The Secret Garden as a Christmas present and it took me all of two days to read (everyone knows that Boxing Day is a great day to spend curled up with a good book), and I just did not want it to end! I remember watching the 1993 film years and years ago, but I had never read the novel, so to receive it as a surprise was just so lovely. And as you can see, this is no ordinary edition - it is a fully illustrated, gorgeous hardback with interactive elements and designs by MinaLima design studio (the people behind the graphics for the Harry Potter films). Certainly the most special book I own!

The story is captivating from the outset, but this is made even more gripping and enjoyable by the stunning detail and illustrations. Throughout the chapters are both full-page illustrations, smaller pictures within text, and accents on the tops and bottoms of the pages. As an added surprise, there are a number of 'interactive elements' dotted throughout the book, such as a miniature paper figurine which you can cut out and dress up (there is no way I am bringing scissors anywhere near this book), as well as little fold-out maps of the garden and manor grounds and even letters which you can open up from their envelopes! This attention to detail creates such a magical experience when reading. Pictured above is one of the interactive pages - the robin opens up and behind is the golden key to the secret garden.

The novel follows Mary Lennox, born in India and orphaned after her parents die in a cholera epidemic, and sent to Yorkshire to live with her elusive uncle Mr Archibald Craven in Misselthwaite Manor. The grounds and gardens of the manor house are free for Mary to explore, all except a hidden garden which belonged to her uncle's deceased wife, which has been locked for the ten years since her death. The key is buried in the grounds and the door to the garden is hidden in an overgrown, ivy-covered wall. At the story's beginning, Mary is a bratty and spoilt child who would not dream of venturing outdoors into the open air, but boredom and curiosity encourage her to explore the gardens and she begins to transform into an outgoing and adventurous child. 

The secret of her uncle's hidden son is soon revealed as she hears the young boy crying one night, and discovers that he has been kept in a private room and never ventures outdoors due to his hypochondria and believed health problems. In actual fact, the boy has no real ailments but for his weak and frail stature, a result of lying in his bed in a darkened room for ten years. Once Mary discovers the existence of the boy, a friendship begins to blossom and both children grow strong and healthy, spending their days outside in the gardens.

There is something just so special about reading children's books as an adult, because you can really appreciate the language so much more and get lost in the words. This novel was originally published in 1911, so the prose really is charming. Readers watch the characters of Mary, Dickon and Colin grow throughout the duration of the story, and by the end you are fully attached to the children. If I could give one criticism about this book it is that I didn't want it to end where it did! Though a lovely ending, I want to find out what happened after the garden was found and the boy revealed that he had learned to walk. The author really goes into great detail throughout the novel but I found that the ending was somewhat abrupt - the story just came to a halt all-too quickly for me. The aftermath of the reunion was what I really wanted to see. Pictured above and below are some of the stunning illustrations of the children...

If, like me, you're a child at heart then this is the collector's edition to go for. It is definitely a book that I will keep forever and read to my own children, and what better way to spend the Christmas holidays than getting lost in the magic of the secret garden?