Wednesday, March 8, 2023

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim: A Review



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What would you do if you happened to see, one day in your newspaper, an advertisement that says: "To Those Who Appreciate Wisteria and Sunshine. Small mediaeval Italian Castle on the shores of the Mediterranean to be Let Furnished for the month of April." ? I would have sighed contentedly and imagined what it'd be like for a while, but more likely would have soon dismissed it from my mind.

๐ŸŒบ For Lotty Wilkins, though, it becomes her only way to escape the struggle of unhappy marriage with a stingy lawyer she's always afraid of. Usually shy and awkward in social life, this young woman impulsively persuaded a woman in the club she didn't know before, a Mrs. Arbuthnot, to join their little nest-eggs and spend a holiday - alone, without their husbands - they rightly deserve for having been a good housewives in their dull marriage lives.

๐ŸŒบ Rose Arbuthnot is a reserved, pious young housewife, whose husband is a writer of scandalous books she disapproves of. She plunges herself in charities, serving the poors in order to expiate, what she feels as, her husband's sins. After a struggle, she is eventually persuaded to realise their plan. But, as they need two more women to afford the rent, they published an advertisement.

๐ŸŒบ Thus, two other most dissimilar women finally joined them to the little castle of San Salvatore, Italy. Lady Caroline Dester is a young, very pretty girl who's sick of continually being worshipped, both by women, and especially, by men. Mrs. Fisher, on the other hand, is an elderly, pompous woman, who still clings to her Victorian ideals.

๐ŸŒบ San Salvatore proved to be the enchanting, beautiful place it has been advertised for. These four ladies of very different backgrounds, with their own reasons to escape, found delicious peace and freedom amidst the rustic beauty of mother nature.

๐ŸŒบ However, when four dissimilar persons gathered, there were more likely frictions. Lady Caroline aka Scrap disliked Lotty Wilkins and Rose Arbuthnot, whom she thought were 'originals' (boring). Mrs. Fischer was even more extreme, she's rude to Lotty all the time, disgusted by her impulsive and awkward nature.

๐ŸŒบ However, and here's the beauty of this book, Lotty Wilkins' warmth and positivity gradually infected these other women. She's the only one who, from her first arrival at San Salvatore, has found... love! Her first act when entering the castle (after a hilarious 'adventure' of arriving in the darkness of the night) was warmly kissing Rose!

๐ŸŒบ The beauty of mother nature seems to change everybody there. The first one to be affected is Lotty. In place of that awkward, dubious woman, there stood a cheerful, self-esteemed woman, burst with love and longing to please others. What a change! Scrap is now fond of her; even Mrs. Fisher in the end finds her bearable, and calls her 'my dear'!

๐ŸŒบ Then came complications. Lotty felt she must invite Mellersh Wilkins, her husband, to enjoy their holiday together. She even persuaded Rose to also invite her husband Frederick to join them. Scrap was aghast, since she came to San Salvatore precisely to avoid men, and now there will be men around them. Even the castle's owner, Mr. Briggs, came uninvited because he's attracted to Rose. How would they avoid the coming 'storm'? These parts proved to be the most hilarious passages of the book, you'll see!

๐ŸŒบ To conclude, I love everything about this book. The beautiful scenery (wisterias, periwinkle, and all), the theme (nature compels love), the hilarious scenes, and the intriguing women's characters (of whom we get to know through their continuing self-dialog). Lotty Wilkins is my favorite, she is an amazing character. I will write a character analysis on her very soon! In short, such a perfect book!

Favorite quote:
"Beauty made you love, and love made you beautiful."

More interesting facts about the flowers and from where von Arnim had drawn inspiration to write this book could be found in my 1st Impression of this book.


Rating: 5 / 5

Read from: combo of printed and audio book (narrated by B.J. Harrison - my new favorite narrator)

 

11 comments:

  1. I love this book, too! You've made me want to reread it; it's such a beautiful experience.

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    1. It is! I think I will keep rereading this book every few years.

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  2. I'm so glad you loved this too. I found the whole idea of the beauty of the place immediately capturing Lottie, so wonderful. The magic of nature, truly!

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    1. It is wonderful. The celebration of the magic of nature, the book is!

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  3. I absolutely loved this book, too! Next month would be a perfect time to reread.

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    1. Wonderful idea! Especially if you read it surrounded by flowers and trees. Or maybe you would like to listen to the audiobook? Mine is narrated by B.J. Harrison; I loved his voice - soothing and perfectly fitted the book's vibes.

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  4. I love everything about this book, too! :D

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  5. I loved everything about this book, too! :D

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    1. How many have you read it? I feel like wanting to re-read it every now and then.. :)

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  6. I love this book so much! I've re-read it a couple of times but it has been too long! (Jean @ Howling Frog)

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    1. This book does need to be reread every now and then!
      Thanks for stopping by, Jean!

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What do you think?