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A review by pridiansky
The Secret Language by Ursula Nordstrom
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
*Contains some spoilers*
I feel bad because I think this book is probably a beloved classic for some, but I just don't have that attachment to it. It was published in 1960, so I'll cut it some slack. I don't think a lot of children's books were exactly innovative or cutting edge back then. It's supposed to be a sweet story about girls at a boarding school and their shenanigans. They're just doing their best to enjoy some of their time at boarding school, even though they don't want to be there. Their bond with each other and the fun they get up to makes the experience more tolerable. I definitely didn't hate it, but what I do hate is the title. This book isn't really about a "secret language," which is annoying, because I think it would've been a way better book if it had been. Their "secret language" consists of only three words, with the meanings being "cool," "not cool," and "disgusting." Yeah, really. That's it. I went into this expecting a code that they write each other notes in and stuff, the way I did with my classmates when I was in school. But instead it was just this, and I was disappointed. Calling this The Secret Language is like if The Secret Garden was actually just a couple potted plants on a window sill. It's a little lame. ^^;;; It definitely tricked me into thinking it was more intriguing than it actually is. In general, the writing style feels a little too condescending and goody two-shoes for my tastes, like it was supposed to be an etiquette lesson for little girls. Oh, and at the end of the book the house mother tells them how having a secret language "isn't thoughtful," which struck me as pretty hilarious. Like as if their three words weren't obvious in meaning already. I guess she would prefer them to call someone disgusting to their face instead of saying it in a way that the person won't understand? You decide which is worse. XD
As for characters, I started off really not liking the main character, Victoria, because she's such a self-pitying crybaby, and loving Martha, who is sort of this sassy, color outside the lines kind of girl. She brings Victoria out of her shell, which was nice. But then as time went on, Martha becomes a little insufferable and Victoria is better as a character, but still too boring. Martha is contrarian to a degree that became irritating to me and she kind of strong-arms Victoria into situations she's not necessarily comfortable with. Martha also keeps talking about going home and attending day school. She says it so often that I really thought there was something weird going on with her family life, but it turned out to be nothing? The way the character is written, I was almost positive her mother was dead or something, (especially when she won't call the house mother "Mother Carrie") but there is no such reason. She's just kind of a brat. It would have made more sense if she acted out because she had some tragedy in her life, but nope. I just found it a strange choice not to elaborate. She would have been more sympathetic if they had revealed something at the end and she had grown as a character despite that. I guess that was too much to expect. I did enjoy some of their activities together and thought it was sweet when they built a fort and played pretend with dolls inside of a dresser drawer. It definitely felt reminiscent of childhood, even though I can't identify with the boarding school aspect. I think the best thing about this book were the occasional illustrations in my edition, but if this wasn't the original copy from 1960, I probably wouldn't be keeping it.
I feel bad because I think this book is probably a beloved classic for some, but I just don't have that attachment to it. It was published in 1960, so I'll cut it some slack. I don't think a lot of children's books were exactly innovative or cutting edge back then. It's supposed to be a sweet story about girls at a boarding school and their shenanigans. They're just doing their best to enjoy some of their time at boarding school, even though they don't want to be there. Their bond with each other and the fun they get up to makes the experience more tolerable. I definitely didn't hate it, but what I do hate is the title. This book isn't really about a "secret language," which is annoying, because I think it would've been a way better book if it had been. Their "secret language" consists of only three words, with the meanings being "cool," "not cool," and "disgusting." Yeah, really. That's it. I went into this expecting a code that they write each other notes in and stuff, the way I did with my classmates when I was in school. But instead it was just this, and I was disappointed. Calling this The Secret Language is like if The Secret Garden was actually just a couple potted plants on a window sill. It's a little lame. ^^;;; It definitely tricked me into thinking it was more intriguing than it actually is. In general, the writing style feels a little too condescending and goody two-shoes for my tastes, like it was supposed to be an etiquette lesson for little girls. Oh, and at the end of the book the house mother tells them how having a secret language "isn't thoughtful," which struck me as pretty hilarious. Like as if their three words weren't obvious in meaning already. I guess she would prefer them to call someone disgusting to their face instead of saying it in a way that the person won't understand? You decide which is worse. XD
As for characters, I started off really not liking the main character, Victoria, because she's such a self-pitying crybaby, and loving Martha, who is sort of this sassy, color outside the lines kind of girl. She brings Victoria out of her shell, which was nice. But then as time went on, Martha becomes a little insufferable and Victoria is better as a character, but still too boring. Martha is contrarian to a degree that became irritating to me and she kind of strong-arms Victoria into situations she's not necessarily comfortable with. Martha also keeps talking about going home and attending day school. She says it so often that I really thought there was something weird going on with her family life, but it turned out to be nothing? The way the character is written, I was almost positive her mother was dead or something, (especially when she won't call the house mother "Mother Carrie") but there is no such reason. She's just kind of a brat. It would have made more sense if she acted out because she had some tragedy in her life, but nope. I just found it a strange choice not to elaborate. She would have been more sympathetic if they had revealed something at the end and she had grown as a character despite that. I guess that was too much to expect. I did enjoy some of their activities together and thought it was sweet when they built a fort and played pretend with dolls inside of a dresser drawer. It definitely felt reminiscent of childhood, even though I can't identify with the boarding school aspect. I think the best thing about this book were the occasional illustrations in my edition, but if this wasn't the original copy from 1960, I probably wouldn't be keeping it.