This is MJ, I'm an author, I'm an artist, I'm an analyzer.
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Prepare yourself for some off the cuff book talk as I tackle another middle grade book
chapter by chapter.
The Secret Garden Chapter 2 was interesting, very interesting, very compelling.
One little complaint I have about it is that I didn't notice, now I'm listening to it
at like 1.5 speed, so I didn't notice the break from chapter 2 into chapter 3.
And I'm not sure why, I mean I'm sure it's because I'm listening to it, not because I'm
not reading it with my eyes, so I would obviously notice a chapter break, or you know, chapter
3, I would notice that.
But it blended in perhaps a little too much, perhaps a little too well, I don't really
know, it could very well be the speed at which I was listening to it, so that's a little
bit of an issue.
Chapter 2 was 16 minutes long, chapter 1 was like 8 or 9 minutes long, I think chapter
3 is similar, it's closer to 8 to 10, did I say inches long?
I meant minutes long, of course, you knew that already because you're smarter than me.
Anyway, so that complaint aside, that it was a little runny together, and there's a lack
of distinctness there is really my issue, is that I do think it stood on its own, it
built on what would happen last, we got to see Mary Lennox in two situations, one where
she's in this home of this family being taken care of, and two where she's being transported
to her uncle's home, which I don't remember the name of, it's a huge estate on a moor
for some reason, on the edge of a moor, it's a 100 room house, which is insane, but I mean
they had those at the time, and I mean they still have them now, but they were a little
bit more prevalent, a little more, let's say used at that time than they are at this time.
So anyway, that was interesting to hear about, and she learns about her uncle a little bit,
and what's really interesting is she's staying with this couple who has, I think five kids
who are all around the same age, so you know, back to back births I guess, and one of them
is an old Notha boy, his dialogue did sound a little fishy because we don't know how old
he is, is he seven, is he eight, is he ten, is he twelve, I don't know, but they could
have a 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 year old, and if she's only six, or perhaps she's seven by this time,
that would all work out that they would all be around the same age, I don't know, maybe,
but the way he spoke was a little bit too clear, a little bit too eloquent without knowing
his age, and assuming that he's supposed to be around her age, because she still feels
pretty young, so that's a second complaint, but still, what he told her about, and what
he did was he actually teased her, because she doesn't know anything like girls usually
do, is that she didn't know that she was moving to the house of her uncle, what the state
was called, what his name is, which, I can't remember what it is at the moment, but it's
kind of an interesting name, it's like, I don't know, it's like, it's almost a little
bit too much of a name, I think, is the issue, but whatever, that's fine.
It's interesting because it sets her expectations, and then it's paid off while she's riding
on the train, and this did confuse me a little bit, too.
The lady who she's riding with, I'm assuming, or my understanding, is that she's the mother
of this know-it-all boy and these other children that Mary didn't like, and who gave Mary the
nickname, the epithet, whatever, of Mary Mary Quite Contrary, because she always would say
no to things, and was very disagreeable, because that's what she learned.
That's what she was shown, that's what she was taught, to go ahead and be disagreeable
all the time, and to not compromise, not give into others.
Anyway, so it sounds to me like this lady is in the service of the Lord, or the man,
the uncle, who, it's kind of bugged me that I don't remember his name right now.
Anyway, it's kind of a great name, though.
Anyway, so it sounds like she's in his employ, and that's why she's traveling with Mary back
to the home, but I also thought she was staying with a clergyman, so I think it's just the
one family.
I think it must be an Episcopalian, or an Anglican, or something, priest with a wife
and children, and his wife is a maid, or a governess, or some sort of staff member at
the uncle's house.
In transition, for her to move from India to his place, he stayed with her for a while,
while they were getting stuff ready, or whatever is what it sounds like.
Anyway, she takes a train ride with Mary, unless, so I'm hoping that there wasn't a
handoff to a second lady, and then she took the train ride with her.
I think it's the same lady throughout.
Anyway, so she takes this train ride with Mary to the uncle's house, and she basically
gets an exposition dump, but it doesn't feel like an exposition dump, and it's interesting,
and it's kind of compelling, and we get to see her character textured.
The lady ends up having a little tiff with her, and she says that she's like a little
old lady, and she's apathetic, and she's like, well, why don't you care about these things?
And Mary, in spite of herself, or whatever, refuses to engage, and refuses to ask questions,
because she doesn't want to seem like she's interested in stuff.
So anyway, it's kind of delightful.
The bickering, and the fighting, and the conflict created by Mary's pigheadedness is interesting,
and I'm enjoying what it's doing in the story, and enjoying how it's creating conflict with
her and other characters, and it's all being done in a very interesting way.
And she's still a little punk.
She's a little kid, so you can forgive her a little bit for that.
Also, she's a character, so it's understandable.
But yeah, she's a little bit of a punk, and again, the book knows that.
It's on purpose.
The author knows that.
The characters know it, and they don't like her because she's unlikable, and that's what
I like.
That's what I like.
But I am interested in being so much in Mary's head, even though this is third person limited,
which is the preferred and the correct way to write things.
Thank you very much, people who like to write in first person.
But anyway, it's the correct way to write things because it can be so interesting.
It gives you the scope where you can be with anybody in the world for your story, but when
you're with your main character, you're allowed to get insights with them by joining them
in their thoughts, and we get to hear some of Mary's thinking and how she's assessing
the situation.
And she goes from feeling bad for her uncle, who's a hunchback and had a beautiful wife
who died, to disliking him after she hears that she's going to be restricted and not
allowed to just have her way entirely because she's this tyrant still.
And it's interesting because you get to see her flip flop, and then you get to see that,
okay, this is going to set up tension and conflict for her and him later on in the book.
But still, there's a little chance that there's going to be some sort of redemption, and there's
that chance for there to be sympathy from him or from her to him, which could help to
grow her as a character.
And we'll just have to see how that turns out in the next chapter, what happens in the
next chapter.
So I'm done with this for now.
Let me know what you thought of the book, what you thought of chapter two of the secret
garden.
And yeah, until next time.
I hope you enjoyed that.
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Until next time, keep reading, be well and do good things.
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