Look at this particularly fantastic cover it just screams out ‘read me’, so I’m not sure why it took me so long to do just that. It wasn’t until I’d read the ending that I realised I had actually watched the wonderful BBC version in the 80′s, back when kids TV was made to be sinister and engrossing. I may have to do a post on that….I have long been a firm believer that silence challenges the reader’s imagination and as ever I chose that medium in which to immerse myself in this wonderful book, a masterpiece the cover says and in its genre it most certainly is that.The book involves our titular hero Tom and revolves around a midnight garden (also titular), I know you had all ascertained that (as my readers are the most intelligent readers out there) but I am loath to say too much more other than that this is a beautiful book with elements of history, a coming of age story and even a bit of love.Exploration, adventure and imagination are the key things for a book enjoyed by the young, if that can be combined with a sense of freedom, timelessness and an element of mystery, then you have something like this book which is very well written and slowly draws you in. The pacing is constant and gradual, never rushed and allows enough time to see the beautiful characteristics of nature and feel the anguish and wonder of our hero in his struggles…okay as a cynical adult probably a little less than a child would but I am working on my emotional side…The garden of the title is almost ethereal, that it is easily imagined boundary wise but has the feeling of an infinitely explorable place where eternity could be spent always with new adventures to be sought and found. Perhaps a lot of children these days find the idea of exploring nature somewhat alien but enticing in its feeling of independence. Flights of fancy and nature are the perfect partners for a fertile mind seeking inspiration.The characters are all rounded enough although it is the feeling of the book, its rich atmosphere which is by far and away the real winner here. Although special mention must be made of my favourite character Uncle Alan and his annoyance at such randomly philosophical questions which Tom pours at him and his inability to think outside the rules that life drills into us…it’s an important point that perhaps we could all dwell on sometime.Overall TMG has that feel of a classic bit of children’s literature with the aspects that make an enchanting read, it rightfully takes its place in the pantheon of timeless books that cross age boundaries and generally help the adult population see that a lot of what we do is a waste of good time that could be used sinking into this book and regressing to the days when life was arguably richer and more mysterious.
I was surprised finding myself that I really liked this book. This is my 98th book this year and just my 2nd children's fiction. If this were not one of the children's books in the 501 Must Read Books, I would not have picked this up. Time Slip is used brilliantly in the plot that you don't know between the two main characters, Tom or Hatty, is the ghost and who is a real human being. To give you an example, in the movie Sixth Sense, you know right away who are the ghosts because the boy character says "I see dead people." Here, at first, I thought Hatty was clearly the ghost until she described Tom and then I did not know anymore. Then in the end, there is another surprise but I will not tell you what as I do not want to spoil your reading.The final scene is the most heartwarming and moving scene in a children's book that I've so far encountered. Prior to this, my most moving scene was in the book Charlotte's Web (1952) specifically when the many baby spiders appear in the barn one morning while Charlotte (the lady spider) is explaining to Wilbur (the pig) the passing of time. The difference between the two is that the characters in this book, Tom and the elderly Hatty, are real people so it is easy to identify with them. They don't talk about anything profound like Charlotte and Wilbur but the revelation is so gripping that would not think that this book was published during the time when your parents were probably not born yet (1958).The grandfather's clock ringing on the 13th hour is for me very imaginative. The ice skater reminded me of the movie Somewhere in Time. There are so many memorable elements in this book that had Pearce only used more complex language, this book could be for adults and maybe classified as either a book under sci-fi or horror genres or maybe a fusion of those. Or throw in a love story between Tom and Hatty and this could be good material for a romantic movie.Intelligent writing. Innovative plot. Immensely imaginative. Why is it that I am only reading these beautiful children's books now that I am past the mid-point of my life here on earth? Mind you, don't underestimate the children's books. Sometimes, they are even more complex and engaging than other popular bestsellers written with adult readers in mind.
What do You think about Tom's Midnight Garden (1992)?
All this time I thought I had already added it to the shelf. This is a true children's classic. It is a beautiful, haunting evocative story of childhood, growing up, adulthood and old age. It's also unbearably sad, in a happy kind of way, if that makes sense. It's the story of life. As a child and a teenager I used to have dreams about the Midnight garden, so did last night. The story is about how two lonely children - a liitle boy named Tom and a little girl named Hattie - found each other's worlds and shared their lives. The ending never fails to move me to tears. I recommend it highly.
—Amalie
I do not have the slightest idea how the hell do such books end up being listed as children's books but i'm planning on finding out. I'd also love to discuss this with kids just to hear what they make out of it.I don't know why exactly but this story will definitely linger with me for a while.---------------------So, I did some research and found that this is what's typically called a chapter book (intended for kids between 7 to 11 years old!) and what really spiked my curiosity was that this book (along with others listed in the same category) raise questions over the nature of time, reality and dreams that might not be entirely dreams after all. These concepts, and many others, I still find very confusing as "an adult". So, what would a 10 year old make of it? Would the story be as confusing to a kid or Would it be easier for him to figure it out? Maybe a kid wouldn't have all these questions and would just enjoy the story without over analyzing it. Maybe a kid would simply think that the garden was a magical garden and that's that and it doesn't matter where it came from... I wonder.
—Radwa Mousa
This book is about a nine year old boy called Tom and his adventures in a magical garden. As his brother Peter has measles and is quarantined, he is sent to stay with his aunt and uncle in a flat. Tom is very resentful at leaving his beloved brother and their garden. His desire to be in a garden is so strong that it becomes true. He climbs trees, run about, makes a tree house etc.Tom cannot sleep as Aunt Gwen makes very rich food. He listens to the clock chiming, he counts 1,2,3,4,...,13 really! Did the clock just chime 13 times? He suddenly questions whether there are 24 hours or 26 hours in a day. He decides to stay awake and the next time it chimes 13 times, he will go and investigate. He pretends to sleep and when all the lights go out, he wedges one slipper at the foot of the door and runs out. He opens the back door and gasps. There is a garden, a magical garden, so beautiful. There is a yew tree which he climbs. The possibilities are endless. Here in this garden he meets Hatty. Each night he creeps down and goes to the garden where the seasons change, sometimes Hatty is a little girl and at other times, she is a young lady.Tom writes to his dear Peter every day, he describes in detail every conversation, every game he plays with Hatty and all the other things he sees.Tom looks forward to night time when he visits the garden and during the day, he thinks about all he did the night before.This is a marvellous book, it is so exciting and full of fun and adventure. It's hard to put down.
—Farhana Imran
