The Enchanted April (Classic Collection

Much like the film this book by Elizabeth Von Arnim inspired, there is something peaceful here on these pages. This is a gentle novel about gradual internal changes brought about by the beauty of our surroundings. It is a book that reads itself as much as it is read, the author writing with the flow of the characters' thoughts and feelings, as their hearts are changed by the surprise of beauty.

An ad to rent a castle in San Salvatore on the Italian Riviera will prompt two British women of slight acquaintance named Rose and Lottie to inexplicably leave their husbands behind for a summer that will change their lives and their marriages forever. Joining Rose and Lottie for this holiday is Mrs. Fisher, an older woman living in the past, and Lady Caroline Dester, a gray-eyed society beauty tired of being gawked at like a majestic statue. Diverse in nature and temperament, not to mention background, the three women interact uneasily together until flowers and the sea bring about a change in their very souls.

Surrounded by fig and olive trees, plum blossoms and Tamarisk daphnes, and the fragrance of fortune's yellow rose and blooming acacias, the women begin to discover their roles at this castle by the sea and, in doing so, find themselves as well.

This is a novel about life and love, told gently through the emotions of these women, as the surprise of beauty, and the warmth of being suddenly admired and seen as beautiful -- when they had not been before -- changes their simple lives, which were not so simple at all.

A peaceful yet breathtaking portrait of love is painted by the author, in a pleasing and gentle manner readers will find enchanting. A beautiful read on paper, one that refreshes the soul and calms the spirit. It is about love restored and love discovered, along the wistaria-covered steps leading down to the sea. You will definitely enjoy this novel if you enjoyed the lovely film it inspired.

A thoroughly delightful read - charming, beautiful and witty.

n  “It was, that year, a particularly wonderful spring, and of all the months at San Salvatore April, if the weather was fine, was best. May scorched and withered; March was restless, and could be hard and cold in its brightness; but April came along softly like a blessing, and if it were a fine April it was so beautiful that it was impossible not to feel different, not to feel stirred and touched.”n

One of my aunts recently introduced me to fruit infused water. In the scorching Texas heat, which has already begun its brutal descent, cucumber lemon water has been extremely refreshing and invigorating–a definite heat repellant. That’s exactly how I would describe the taste and effect of this book on me after my previous reading choices.

Four British women, all strangers and unique to each other, let a castle high up on the Italian Riviera in April to escape the dismal London weather. Although initially all seem to be evading the weather and personal living situations, the magical effects of their surroundings in Italy produce profound effects on each of them. At once introspective, each begins to realize what they yearn for most, and go about setting things to rights.

While the theme reminded me of several of E.M. Forster’s novels, I loved the unique female perspective of each character. At turns hilarious and romantic, I enjoyed every aspect of it so much so that I color coded each character with sticky note flags so I could easily find passages when a good laugh is needed. I was smitten by all of the women, and found bits of myself in each of them. Von Arnim's poetic descriptions of gardens and the lush landscapes also enriched the novel; I felt like I was there. What an affordable and ideal way to travel!

Who would have thought that a novel written almost a hundred years ago can bring so much pleasure and delight during our present troubled times? When safe distancing is mandated and travel outside one’s country fast becoming a thing of the past (hopefully not), it is especially refreshing to take a trip somewhere, even if only in our minds.

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, published in 1922, is dedicated to all who ‘appreciate wisteria and sunshine.’ Four women in England, strangers to each other, answered an advertisement to rent a medieval castle in Italy for the month of April. Each needs to get away from her family for different reasons and harbors hopes that leaving the greyness and dreary rain in Hampstead for vistas of spring flowers, the mountains, and the sea will be restorative.

The four guests at San Salvatore include two housewives (Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot) whose marriages have lost their shine, an elderly widow (Mrs. Foster) who lives in the past, and a very beautiful, single, aristocrat (Lady Caroline) fleeing suffocation from her adoring fan club. I was the unseen guest and had a fine time getting acquainted with the idiosyncrasies of each person. It was like a mini study in human behavior. How do strangers who had to share close quarters (albeit in a gorgeous castle) relate to one another? However, what lent this book its charm is the way the beautiful locale worked its magic and brought out the best in people who had little in common with each other.

As is true when traveling with others, the foursome have to adjust to their companions’ quirks and habits. It was not at all surprising to observe them sizing each other up, protecting their own turf, and subtly (or firmly) making their preferences known. Hence, it was lovely that the ladies became friends when initially there was quiet competition for special corners in the castle or rooms with the most fetching views, and even who sat at the head of the table.

I was as excited as Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arburthnot who arrived at San Salvatore when night had fallen and could not wait to look out of the window when morning dawned. Picture this: ‘The wisteria was tumbling over itself in its excess of life, its prodigality of flowering; and where the pergola ended the sun blazed on scarlet geraniums, bushes of them, and marigolds so brilliant that they seemed to be burning, and red and pink snapdragons, all outdoing each other in bright, fierce colour.’ Picture also its impact: ‘They stood looking at this crowd of loveliness, this happy jumble, in silence. No, it didn’t matter what Mrs. Fisher did; not here, not in such beauty.’

The irony is not lost on me that I read The Enchanted April set in Italy at a time when the coronavirus has cast a darkening gloom across the globe. I enjoyed this vicarious vacation in Italy, a country I have visited and love, and am saddened by how horribly it has been affected by the scourge. I am grateful for this lovely book that offered amusement and laughter. The vacation turns out pitch perfect for all four guests. It is too good to be true, but who cares?

One of the real pleasures of reading is discovering those hidden gems, those novels that I had never heard of, that turn out to be perfectly enjoyable. The Enchanted April is somewhat of a fairytale, a fantasy that could happen, probably has happened somewhere before. It's the story of four English women, Londoners, who are unhappy with their personal lives, especially with the romantic side. They see an advertisement in a London paper for the April rental of a castle in an Italian fishing village and the magic begins.

Mrs. Wilkins (Lotty), Mrs. Arbuthnot (Rose), Mrs. Fisher, and Lady Caroline Dester (Scrap), are the four vacationers, not friends, just acquaintances, each with their personal reasons for wanting to get away, to reflect on the past and renew their outlook for the future. Elizabeth von Arnim so beautifully describes the setting and the characters that you feel part of the story. The characters are wonderful, I especially liked Lotty and Rose, and the descriptions of the flowers and gardens surrounding the castle made the setting seem capable of changing the lives of the characters. Change them it did, the magic happens and how it affected each one of them is what makes the story so enjoyable.

Check out my discussion of this book and its movie adaptation on Booktube!

Non mi capitava di addormentarmi leggendo un libro dai tempi delle elementari. Potrei dire che sono stanca, che non dormo la notte, che ero così rilassata da abbandonarmi a me stessa. Oppure potrei semplicemente dire che è stata una noia mortale. L’unica delizia le descrizioni del giardino, uno splendido castello italiano in cui mi piacerebbe passare non un mese, ma tutta l’estate!
A mai più Mrs von Armin. Due tentativi mi sembrano più che sufficienti.

Elizabeth von Arnim strikes me as an interesting character. A writer brought up in influential circles, she married no less than five times in her life, and also enjoyed an affair with writer H.G. Wells after he ended his own affair with Von Arnim's rival Rebecca West. When one of von Arnim's disastrous marriages ended in 1921, she decided to spend a month at Italian castello Portofino as a way to clear her head. The idea for her classic book The Enchanted April has been born. Von Arnim had the book published in 1922, and today it merits inclusion in Erica Bauermeister's book 500 Great Books by Women. This book is as charming as the spell cast by Portofino castle, and is still widely read today.

Lotty Wilkins and Rose Arbuthnot lived a life of relative obscurity in the Hampstead section of London. Both were virtually ignored by their husbands and had the longing to get away from it all. One day, Lotty Wilkins noticed an advertisement in the Times to rent an Italian villa named San Salvatore in April for £ 60. Mesmerized by the idea but not wanting to spend her entire nest egg on the castle, she recruits Arbuthnot to join her. Later, the women ask Lady Caroline Dester and a Mrs Fisher to join them as well, making the pair into a foursome, and, more importantly, making the castle rental into an affordable getaway.

Even though Wilkins and Arbuthnot made the initial arrangements, Mrs Fisher and Lady Caroline shrewdly arrive at the castle first to claim the better rooms for themselves. The latter two women enjoy a higher standard of living than the former and want to ensure that they have an enjoyable holiday. Almost instantaneously, San Salvatore works its magic on all four women. An air of happiness overtakes them and rather than being bitter with their station in life, they talk of love being in the air. Wilkins and Arbuthnot originally came to the castle to get away from their husbands, but within a week, both women write their husbands asking them to join them in this enchanting setting.

Within the month, all four women are the best of friends, although this takes time, especially with Mrs Fisher. I thought the writing was basic yet descriptive and the plot to be straightforward with few twists and turns along the way. Von Arnim was writing from personal experience and recreated the Portofino castello where she enjoyed a monthlong holiday. This book was originally published within a year of her excursion, so the memories were fresh, especially the descriptions of the sea air and ever changing flowers. These descriptions of time and place ended up working for me much better than the plot developments.

While Von Arnim's novel is considered her greatest book, it did not captivate me completely. I enjoyed the seaside setting of the Italian castle, but I enjoy a complex plot of intrigue as well as multilayered character development. The ladies here while pleasant do not pack the punch for me as protagonists, although I give them much credit, especially in their era, for desiring a holiday independent of their husbands. The Enchanted April was a pleasant read for a lazy summer afternoon. I am sure the castle itself would have cast its spell on me as it did the ladies in this book, but the novel will not be an all time favorite for me. Still, The Enchanted April is a worthwhile read, which I rate 3.5 stars.