Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote three children's classics that are still beloved by people today: The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. When I was putting my Classics Club list together three years ago, Little Lord Fauntleroy was the only one of those three I hadn't read. Accordingly, I put it on my list. I made it a part of my Then Versus Now Challenge this year, and it also fit in with the "Classic with a Person's Name in the Title" prompt for the Back to the Classics Challenge, so I decided to give it a shot this month. I was interested to see how it compared to Burnett's other work and to see if it would become another favorite children's classic for me.

The plot follows a little boy named Cedric Errol, who is growing up in New York with his beloved mother. His father, the third son of an English earl, died a few years prior, but Cedric hasn't let that dim his light. He is an utterly winsome little boy, with a head full of blonde curls and a kind, friendly manner. He makes friends everywhere he goes and is adored by everyone he meets. His mother has raised him to be a little gentleman, and he fits that description perfectly.

His fortunes take an unexpected turn at the start of the story when he receives the startling news that both of his father's brothers have died, leaving no children to inherit the earl's lands and title. Cedric is now a little lord, and stands to inherit Dorincourt Castle, a vast estate in England. His grandfather sends for him and his mother to come live with him, so that he can take charge of Cedric's education. At once, Cedric and his mother sail across the Atlantic to begin a new life as English nobles.

Cedric's grandfather, John Arthur Molyneux Errol, is a cranky old man plagued by gout. He is known for his stingy ways and short temper. He hates Americans, and thus, he hates Cedric's mother and isn't predisposed too kindly towards Cedric either. He has sent for the boy only out of necessity; he wants to have some influence over the person who will inherit his estate, and this is his only remaining heir. However, when he first meets his grandson, he can't help but start falling in love with him. Cedric believes the best about his grandfather, as he does about everyone, and this innocent belief in his inherent goodness begins to work its magic upon the earl, pushing him to start becoming the kind and generous man that Cedric believes him to be.

Little Lord Fauntleroy is a very sweet story, but it is paper-thin. It's a slim little volume, and there are very few plot events to fill its pages. That's not to say it's bad--it's just shallow. I did enjoy reading about Cedric very much. Burnett's characterization of him is utterly adorable and his faith in the goodness of the people around him was refreshing to see. After a while though, I started to wish there was more going on. Most of the tension in the story comes from the earl's refusal to acknowledge Cedric's mother, who he believes is little more than an American, money-grubbing opportunist. She is also characterized by Burnett as an impossibly good and lovable person, so the reader roots for the earl to come around and become friendly with her. It's very obvious throughout the text that this is where things are headed, so it's not a very suspenseful story element. Aside from a last minute twist thrown in right at the end that is resolved by an extremely unlikely coincidence, there is little to hang onto.

Despite that, I did like watching the earl change under the influence of Cedric's goodness. The trope of grumpy old men being charmed by cute kids generally plays well with me. I loved it in Heidi and I liked it well enough here too. I think it's true that seeing kindness is very inspiring; watching someone be good to others motivates us to do the same. I enjoyed reading about the earl gradually shifting his opinions and attitude and trying to live up to the image that Cedric had of him.

So, while there were definitely elements of this story that I liked, in comparison to The Secret Garden, this novel doesn't really come close. It's a charming little read, but its lack of a story limited how much I could get into it. I'm still glad to have given it a shot though, because now I have experienced Burnett's three biggest novels. It didn't become a new favorite, but I enjoyed the journey.


Challenge Tally
Then vs. Now: 6/27
Classics Club (#23 on my list): 67/100 

Total Books Read in 2020: 16