A Little Princess

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Summary: Timeless and ageless
Review: Readers will delight in solemn, wise little Sara Crewe as she goes from riches to rags and back to riches again, without losing a bit of her princessly charm. Captivating characters abound, from the heartless Miss Minchin, head of the boarding school where Sara goes from student to servant, to Ermengarde, Sara's not-too-bright best friend. This is a story anyone can appreciate.

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Summary: Hmmm
Review: I loved working on the book and hope to make a series. For all you kids out there KEEP READING!!

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Summary: The world which grown ups often forget exists.
Review: It had been one of those rare books in which you can't seem to grow tired reading. It's plot is carefully written: explaining and describing every little thing; from it's main characters expression to its setting in which I found very interesting indeed. You can see that the way it is written clearly shows how the writer had really wrote it as if she was really the main character. I think this book got its own charm and magic that I guess it does not need my review to find its readers.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: A Little Princess has always been one of my childhood favorites. The story itself is very interesting and there's certainly never a dull moment. Ms. Burnett wrote the book with such excellency until she keeps the reader anxious to find out what's going to happen on the following page. As a child, I must have read A Little Princess over a dozen of times. To be honest, I've even read it as a full grown adult. As a matter of fact, I still own my personal copy and once my little niece is older enough to read with an understanding, I plan to purchase for her a copy. What drew me to A Little Princess was the fine artwork of Tash Tudor. I would recommend A Little Princess to each and every girl. It's certainly no doubt a story they would read with full enjoyment! C. Linder [e-mail], New York, NY

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Summary: An equisite classic of a young girl's strength and courage.
Review: Sarah Crewe is not a heroine soon forgotten. From her beginnings as a spoiled rich girl to her heroic fight to retain her pride in the face of poverty and social cruelty, Sarah is a character so fresh and equisitely drawn that her grace and courage will stay with the reader for many years to come. Though the story takes place in an age far from the young reader's world, Sarah's struggles and triumphs are close to the the heart of all of us as we take the difficult journey to adulthood. Her strength and character assure us that there can be happiness after loss, joy in sacrifice, and, perhaps most importantly, that our strengh lies in our individuality and that our future lies in our perseverence and our abilty to dream

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Summary: Very good adaption
Review: "A Little Princess" is a fine film for both adults and children. It is visually stunning, for a start, and its music and lighting create many magical images. The plot hews quite closely to the classic F.H. Burnett novel, in which young Sarah Crewe is left at a New York boarding school while her father goes off to World War I. The school is run by the hard-nosed Miss Minchin (expertly played by Eleanor Bron), who, upon learning that Sarah's father is presumed dead, turns Sarah into an impoverished servant. Like most of Burnett's great stories, this one pits one optimistic, winning child against the overwhelming odds of a harsh world. Sarah's ability to bring joy to the other girls she meets builds her a powerful support network, and in the end her triumph is tremendously moving. The film is forced to rely on the acting abilities of many small girls, but they all do their best and overall are engaging. As I say, the cinematography is first rate, and, having seen this film three times, I find I am always glad to have watched it.

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Summary: My Favorite Movie of All Time!!
Review: After all the times I have viewed this movie, it still makes me laugh and cry! Parts of this movie have some of the best and most beautiful filming techniques I have ever seen and the colors and richness of the sets are magnificent. The weaving together of the Indian, shall I say, myth/tale and English boardinghouse storyline is wonderful. When I think of our battered world, I wish it was really so, that all girls are princesses (and all boys, princes). Worth seeing over and over again!!! Liesel Matthews is great!

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Summary: Beautiful, though some liberties were taken with the story
Review: When Alfonso Cuarón was picked to direct the new Harry Potter, many people were surprised because his last movie was definately for grown-ups only. They seem to have forgotten that he is responsible for this beautiful retelling of a classic children's book.

This movie is based more on the classic Shirley Temple version than it is on the book, which means that it takes some creative liberties. Gone are the diamond mines (the best part!) and back comes the father. I did not really like these changes. The movie is also transfered from London to New York, so it's a little unclear what they were doing in India.

Despite those qualms, though, this is a brilliantly filmed fable. The girls are wonderful: dorky Ermegard, prissy Lavinia, spoiled Lottie, and Sarah pulls off the admirable feat of not being completely insipid (if you think that this is an insult, then you haven't read the book).

It is good for all ages. My friend, for reasons still unclear to me, dragged me to see this in the theater when we were about 15... if a cynical teenager thought that a movie about little girls at a Victorian boarding school was really good, then you know it's gotta be great!

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Summary: Wondeful classic - but is Sara too good to be true?
Review: "A Little Princess" is perhaps the only book I have read which determedly sticks to its title. Motherless Sara Crewe is sent from India to school at Miss Minchin's in Victorian England. Her father was tremendously rich, and Sara is treated accordingly - as a little princess. Her classmates nickname her Princess Sara, some in affection and some in scorn, but in this space of about four years, Sara befriends a poor, overworked little scullery maid about the same age as herself, Ermengarde, a rather fat, awkward little girl without many friends, and a very small girl called Lottie who has lost her mother. Then her father dies and his wealth disappears, and Sara must learn to cope with being demoted from show-pupil to scullery drudge. but Sara carries with her a loving heart and a quick imagination, and through this continues to hold herself as a princess would. Her princess status is eventually reinstated, with the discovery of her late father's best friend, who has been holding Captain Crewe's fortune for him and just looking for Sara.

The book is of course a truly wonderful classic, highlighting severe social concerns around the Victorian era, but the only problem I have ever had with it is Sara's sheer perfection. Modern children may feel at times as if they are being preached at. It is however, a book that both children and adults can read again and again to share Sara's fortune, her joys and her love.

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Summary: Where's the Book!!
Review: A Little Princess has been one of my favorite books since I was a child. In the book, Sara is a complex and genuine character who handles enormous tragedy and hardship with courage, grace, and dignity. As other reviewers have pointed out, the main message of the book is that you can behave like a princess even if you're not treated like one.

Not so the film. I don't know WHAT message the filmmakers were going for, but unless it was "look how well we can massacre a beloved classic," they failed. This movie should never, ever claim it's based on the book. Only a handful of similarities remain between the two, everything else is changed, much to the detriment of the story. The behavior of the characters, the story, the ending, the setting, the time-frame...everything. I was horrified.

There are some beautiful sets and camera angles, but the acting, the writing, and the costumes are dreadful. And what's with all the green? I'm sure it was partly to contrast the vibracy of India with the dullness of New York (which is really supposed to be London), but it got very boring.

Hopefully someday someone will make movie version of this wonderful story that is true to the book. I wish.