Elizabeth von Arnim (1866–1941)
Author of The Enchanted April
About the Author
Disambiguation Notice:
Also wrote under the name of Alice Cholmondeley, and in first publications only under her pen-name "Elizabeth"
Series
Works by Elizabeth von Arnim
Elizabeth von Arnim's Collected Works: The Enchanted April, The Solitary Summer, The Benefactress, Vera, and More!… (2023) 24 copies
Delphi Complete Works of Elizabeth von Arnim (Illustrated) (Delphi Series Eight Book 16) (2017) 9 copies
Prisoners 1 copy
A Devotee 1 copy
The Complete Works of Elizabeth von Arnim (12 Complete Works of Elizabeth von Arnim Including The Enchanted April, The… (2015) 1 copy
The Danvers Jewels 1 copy
The Lowest Rung 1 copy
1993 1 copy
Elizabeth's children 1 copy
Sigurd Eckdal’s Bride 1 copy
Associated Works
Gender in Modernism: New Geographies, Complex Intersections (2007) — Contributor — 12 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Arnim, Elizabeth von
- Legal name
- Beauchamp, Mary Annette (birth)
- Other names
- "Elizabeth" (pen name)
Cholmondeley, Alice (pseudonym)
Countess von Arnim-Schlagenthin
Elizabeth Russell, Countess Russell - Birthdate
- 1866-08-31
- Date of death
- 1941-02-09
- Burial location
- St Margaret's Church, Tylers Green, Penn, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Kirribilli Point, New South Wales, Australia
- Place of death
- Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Cause of death
- influenza
- Places of residence
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Valais, Switzerland
London, England, UK
Berlin, Germany
Nassenheide, Pomerania, Germany
Charleston, South Carolina, USA - Education
- Royal College of Music
- Occupations
- novelist
- Relationships
- Mansfield, Katherine (cousin)
Russell, Bertrand (brother-in-law)
Wells, H. G. (lover)
de Charms, Leslie (daughter)
Walpole, Hugh (friend)
Forster, E. M. (friend) (show all 8)
Earl Russell (2nd husband)
von Arnim-Schlagenthin, Henning August (1st husband) - Short biography
- Born Mary Annette Beauchamp in Sydney, Australia. Married first to Count Henning August von Arnim-Schlagenthin, then to Francis, 2nd Earl Russell. Australia was the setting of the family's vacation home, and when she was three years old, they returned to England. After her first husband's death in 1910, she lived in Switzerland, England, and the USA, and entertained a large circle of literary and society friends. She produced some 20 novels, semi-autobiographical works, and memoirs, beginning with Elizabeth and her German Garden (1898), and including The Enchanted April (1922), which was adapted as a Broadway play in 1925; a successful film in 1992; a Tony Award-nominated stage play in 2003; a musical play in 2010; and a serial on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
- Disambiguation notice
- Also wrote under the name of Alice Cholmondeley, and in first publications only under her pen-name "Elizabeth"
Members
Discussions
April Read: Elizabeth von Arnim in Virago Modern Classics (May 2017)
Elizabeth von Arnim in Tattered but still lovely (October 2014)
GROUP READ: The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim in 2013 Category Challenge (April 2013)
Reviews
Unexpected travel companions all yearning to get away from something or someone find friendship and self-discovery at a lovely Italian villa in the 1920s.
I hadn’t heard of this classic gem until a review for it popped up in my Facebook group. It turned out to be a fun & quick read, a pleasant surprise.
Story:
Where the book truly shines is in its characters. The four ladies who go on holiday are the four main characters in the book. In addition, there are two husbands, one owner of the castle, and two castle servants who come in the storyline randomly. All of these eight characters are so wonderfully well-sketched that you will be able to understand their thoughts and motivations and believe their character turnarounds when they occur. Lottie is the timid one who discovers her inner strength in Italy. Rose Arbuthnot is a religious person who believes any extravagance to be against the will of God. Mrs. Fisher is a snooty widow who believes that the past was much better than the present. Lady Caroline Dester is the typical gorgeous rich socialite with one exception: she is fed up of the male attention and wants to be away from those dazed by her beauty. The way the author has woven these four disparate women seamlessly and realistically makes for an enjoyable reading.
The story is insightful and witty at the same time. Considering that it was written almost a hundred years ago, in 1922, some of the content is a little dated. But to an intelligent reader, the book will still offer a lot of points to ponder upon.
The writing style is the only minor flaw. The content sometimes sounds a little repetitive as the author tends to use the same words again and again, sometimes within the same paragraph. Some sentences are duplicated within a same chapter, a few paras later. This becomes more obvious when you are listening to the book. I’m not saying that the writing is bad. On the contrary, it is quite intelligent. While depicting Mrs Fisher, for instance, the words become pompous. For Mrs. Wilkins, the words are utterly simple. That proves the author’s prowess. I guess the recurrence of the phrases just indicates the natural and genuine writing flow in the days before Microsoft Word, online thesauruses and other editing tools available to the writers of today.
All said and done, this book is a classic for a reason. Its content and writing flow won’t suit everyone. At the same time, it is not as heavy on the head as some classics are. So if you want to begin with classic novels, this could be a wonderful one to start off with. If you are a classics fan, don’t read this book looking for the classy style of a Jane Austen; you will be a teeny bit disappointed. Just read it as a historical women’s fiction and you will enjoy the book.
My rating: 4.5.
If you are an audiobook fan, you can give a try to the audio version by Helen Taylor. This narrator is a joy to listen to with her pitch-perfect enunciation and mellifluous voice. As the book is in the public domain, this audio is available for free on Librivox. Make sure you go for the Helen Taylor version; the other narration isn’t so great.
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Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever!, for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.… (more)
Story:
Lottie Wilkins spots an advert in The Times, promoting a holiday in a medieval Italian castle for “those who appreciate wisteria and sunshine”. Fed up of her daily routine and boring marriage, she decides to use her nest egg and go for a month-long holiday in this castle. She can’t afford it on her own, but fate puts her in the path of three more ladies who are eager to make their escape from the dreary April in London. Under the Mediterranean sun, these four ladies, who are distinct from each other in almost every way, find themselves slowly breaking their shells and bonding with each other, finding unexpected friends amid strangers.
Where the book truly shines is in its characters. The four ladies who go on holiday are the four main characters in the book. In addition, there are two husbands, one owner of the castle, and two castle servants who come in the storyline randomly. All of these eight characters are so wonderfully well-sketched that you will be able to understand their thoughts and motivations and believe their character turnarounds when they occur. Lottie is the timid one who discovers her inner strength in Italy. Rose Arbuthnot is a religious person who believes any extravagance to be against the will of God. Mrs. Fisher is a snooty widow who believes that the past was much better than the present. Lady Caroline Dester is the typical gorgeous rich socialite with one exception: she is fed up of the male attention and wants to be away from those dazed by her beauty. The way the author has woven these four disparate women seamlessly and realistically makes for an enjoyable reading.
The story is insightful and witty at the same time. Considering that it was written almost a hundred years ago, in 1922, some of the content is a little dated. But to an intelligent reader, the book will still offer a lot of points to ponder upon.
The writing style is the only minor flaw. The content sometimes sounds a little repetitive as the author tends to use the same words again and again, sometimes within the same paragraph. Some sentences are duplicated within a same chapter, a few paras later. This becomes more obvious when you are listening to the book. I’m not saying that the writing is bad. On the contrary, it is quite intelligent. While depicting Mrs Fisher, for instance, the words become pompous. For Mrs. Wilkins, the words are utterly simple. That proves the author’s prowess. I guess the recurrence of the phrases just indicates the natural and genuine writing flow in the days before Microsoft Word, online thesauruses and other editing tools available to the writers of today.
All said and done, this book is a classic for a reason. Its content and writing flow won’t suit everyone. At the same time, it is not as heavy on the head as some classics are. So if you want to begin with classic novels, this could be a wonderful one to start off with. If you are a classics fan, don’t read this book looking for the classy style of a Jane Austen; you will be a teeny bit disappointed. Just read it as a historical women’s fiction and you will enjoy the book.
My rating: 4.5.
If you are an audiobook fan, you can give a try to the audio version by Helen Taylor. This narrator is a joy to listen to with her pitch-perfect enunciation and mellifluous voice. As the book is in the public domain, this audio is available for free on Librivox. Make sure you go for the Helen Taylor version; the other narration isn’t so great.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever!, for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.… (more)
"La autobiografía de una escritora tan cautivadora, sagaz y avanzada a su tiempo como Elizabeth von Arnim recorre sus recuerdos a través de los perros que la acompañaron desde Pomerania a Inglaterra en sus amores, desilusiones, matrimonios, cambios, amistades y duelos en el viaje de la vida". (Descripción editorial).
Lists
Schwob Nederland (1)
Five star books (1)
Female Author (1)
A Novel Cure (1)
Out of Copyright (1)
Folio Society (1)
Garden-fiction (3)
Best Beach Reads (2)
Comfort Reads (2)
discontinued (1)
1920s (1)
Spring Books (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 43
- Also by
- 8
- Members
- 7,202
- Popularity
- #3,404
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 268
- ISBNs
- 764
- Languages
- 14
- Favorited
- 47
I cannot really air my grievances without spoiling things, however.
1. Briggs proposes to Lady Caroline, she refuses, he pleads, she slaps him, he departs in shame.
2. Lady Caroline delicately tells Mrs Arbuthnot that her husband is pursuing other women under his pen-name. Mrs Arbuthnot confronts Mr Arbuthnot, who cannot deny it. She slaps him, he departs in shame.
3. Mrs Wilkins is dismayed by these events and hugs them both. Mrs Fisher gives supportive advice.
4. Mr Wilkins proposes his services to Lady Caroline and Mrs Fisher as solicitor, they both turn him down as they already have representation. Mr Wilkins gets angry about this to Mrs Wilkins, she realises his ulterior motives and slaps him. He departs in shame.
5. Mrs Fisher admits to the other three that she is lonely. The other three hug her.
6. Lady Caroline announces that she has no intention of going back to England, but is going to rent a villa in Spain next. She invites all three to join her. They accept and spend the time contemplating their next steps in life.
7. Lady Caroline gets her hair cropped, takes to wearing masculine garb, and becomes a travelling freelance journalist. Mrs Fisher adopts three pugs and writes a best-selling memoir. Mrs Wilkins and Mrs Arbuthnot get divorces, become life partners, and open a travel agency. All four go on holiday together every year.
The end.