From the movie to the book

I normally watch either MBC 3 (when it's in English) or the English SpaceToon channel. Of course, I remember when the TV cartoon shows were new. Heck, I remember watching some of the cartoons when they were only a few months old (that's how long it took them to get out to the countryside cinema where I could see them) and were shown as part of the cinema package, along with the newsreel and short subject, and when Mel Blanc was still alive to provide the voices.

Not long ago, on one of the two channels (I forget which) I saw an animated movie called 'The Secret Garden.' I'd heard females raving about the book for years, but had managed to avoid it; however, I enjoyed the movie so much that that I had to buy the book.

The movie was about a 10 year old girl who could talk to animals, and who was trying to save her cousin from an evil doctor who was trying to poison him. She would discuss the situation with the animals, and they would help her try to thwart the evil doctor's plans.

The book has a doctor, but he's not evil, and while the girl talks to the animals, and they seem to listen, actual communication is somewhat limited: It's all very well for the girl to tweet, and the birds to tweet back, but they can't really discuss plots and counterplots very effectively.

So it's probably just as well that the book is lacking in nefarious plots and counterplots.

Since I've been spending my free time reading, I haven't had time to watch any more animated movies, but, once I've finished The Secret Garden, I suppose another movie will send me running out to buy another book.