A Childhood Garden

If I had to name a movie that had an everlasting affect on my imagination as a child, it would have to be the 1993 adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. Everything--the costumes, the settings, the cinematography, even the colors--has stuck with me over the years. Both of Mary's homes, Colonial India and rural England, were equally exotic to me. The mysterious manor house with its thick shadows and dark paneling still represents the stereotypical 'spooky mansion' in my mind. It's a beautiful film, a true classic. And besides, who doesn't love Dame Maggie Smith as a strict housekeeper?

When Penguin released a new series of classics for children a couple of years ago, I finally bit the bullet and bought a copy of The Secret Garden to read. For better or for worse, I managed to get through my academic career without reading many 'classics'. After having to suffer through Wuthering Heights and Les Miserables, I've always been very wary about reading classics. I didn't read any Jane Austen, Robert Lewis Stevenson or Charles Dickens until well after graduation. 

I was, therefore, very pleased to discover how much I enjoyed reading The Secret Garden. Granted, I'm sure my reading experience was somewhat influenced by the movie, but I found the atmosphere of the movie matched the book completely, so it wasn't difficult at all to imagine myself in that world. Obviously the people behind the film took extra special care while adapting this story. 

I was reminded about this very special story by a blog post brought to my attention by Etsy's Facebook feed. Penguin seems to love popping out new, attractive editions of classic literature and later this year they are going to release three titles with very awesome covers made by artist, Jillian Tamaki. She designed and hand-stitched covers for The Secret Garden, Black Beauty and Emma for a series called Penguin Threads. Though I already own two copies of the book already, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to add this one to my collection as well. 

Classics are called classics for a reason, I guess, and that's because they have staying power. The Secret Garden is one book that will always stay with me in my imagination. Which 'classic' story has stuck with you throughout the years? I'd love to hear your thoughts!