Old Bestseller: The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim

Old Bestseller: The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim

by Rich Horton

Elizabeth von Arnim (1866-1941) came to prominence with her first novel, Elizabeth and her German Garden (1898), a lightly satirical novel about an Englishwoman trying to adjust to life in German high society after her marriage, and also trying to grow a garden. That novel was rather autobiographical -- though Von Arnim was born in Australia, maiden name Mary Annette Beauchamp, she was raised in England and Switzerland from the age of three. She married the German Graf (or Count) von Arnim in 1891, and had five children with him, though the marriage was largely unhappy. Later she married another Count -- Frank Russell, the elder brother of Bertrand, so she was twice a Countess. She split her time as an adult between England, Switzerland, and Germany, and as World War II impended she moved to the US, where she died.

She took her mother's first name for her pseudonym, and eventually was widely known by that name. She had numerous literary connections -- Katherine Mansfield was her first cousin once removed, and they became close. E. M. Forster and Hugh Walpole tutored her children. She had a three year affair with H. G. Wells. She also had a long affair with Alexander Stuart-Frere, a major figure in publishing circles. (Both Mansfield and Forster wrote pieces about von Arnim -- a  short story (names changed) by Mansfield, and a memoir of his time as tutor by Forster.) 

While as I suggested above, her first novel was a great success and made her name, she is at this time much more widely known for The Enchanted April (1922), primarily because of the 1991 film. In fact, that novel was filmed at least twice, and other novels among her two dozen or so were also filmed, perhaps most notably her last, Mr. Skeffington, which (like Enchanted April) was nominated for Oscars. The only one of her novels I'd previously read was The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight (1905), so I figured I'd read The Enchanted April. I read it via audiobook, from Librivox, narrated quite nicely by Diana Kiesners.

The book begins with Lotty Wilkins, a 30 year old woman living in Hampstead, reading an ad in the newspaper offering a castle in Italy, by the sea, for one month's lease. She daydreams about taking a vacation there, perhaps using her "nest egg" of £90, but realizes she can't afford it. Then she sees Rose Arbuthnot, a woman she knows from church (though they aren't directly acquainted) looking at the paper, and they begin to talk and rather wildly, decide that they will inquire about the castle. It's clear they are both unhappy -- childless middle class woman in their early 30s in unhappy marriages. Mellersh Wilkins is a solicitor, and seems to barely tolerate Lotty, and to keep a tight rein on finances, while Frederick Arbuthnot, a successful writer of scandalous books about the mistresses of various Kings, is rarely at home. (It's never said in so many words, but it seems clear he is sleeping with other women.) To save money, Lotty and Rose find two additional women to accompany them: an elderly woman, Mrs. Fisher; and a young and very (put as many verys as you want according to the way von Arnim describes her) beautiful noblewoman, Lady Caroline Dester.

Lady Caroline and Mrs. Fisher are both extremely selfish and rather stuck up, in different ways. We quickly have some sympathy for Lady Caroline, who was spoilt by her indulgent family, and who also has been badgered throughout her life by men who want to "grab" her, as she puts it. Mrs. Fisher is a harder case, though it's apparent that her husband too was quite awful. These first chapters, introducing the four women, are in von Arnim's best mode, one of gentle satire, and they are at times laugh out loud funny. 

The four women arrive in Italy, and start enjoying the scenery and weather and all, they begin to -- blossom, I suppose, though there is some stress with the way Mrs. Fisher and Lady Caroline occupy the best rooms, and try to control the food ordering and such. But all in all, the women are happy, and soon Lotty -- who has blossomed the most -- decides she must invite her husband to come. And she badgers Rose to also invite her husband, though Rose is reluctant. Rose, indeed, has been doing some soul searching, and has fully acknowledged to herself her unhappiness, even while she is still in love with Frederick, and she is deathly afraid of him rejecting her if she asks him to come to Italy.

Meanwhile, Lady Caroline too is doing soul searching -- realizing that despite all her privilege and her money, her life is rather empty. She begins to, against her will in a sense, open up to Lotty. Mrs. Fisher remains a rather mean snob, alas. And when she starts to hear that "husbands" may start showing up, she gets her back up rather.

The resolution, then, turns on the arrival of the men -- both husbands, and also their landlord, the owner of the castle, Mr. Briggs. I won't go into any detail about this -- some of it is very cleverly done, and there are some sweet scenes, and some very funny scenes. (Mr. Wilkins, a crashing bore, is in particular quite a funny character. And Frederick's arrival is, well, interesting!) The end result is, I think, roughly what we've expected all along, but I have to say I found it in some ways disappointing.

In the two novels of hers I've read, The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight and The Enchanted April, von Arnim's best writing by far has been satirical* -- rather gently so, mind you. She can be very funny indeed. Alas, in neither of these novels is that sustained as fully as I'd have preferred, and the machinations to bring about the expected romantic conclusions don't fully convince. The Enchanted April is the better novel of the two, however, and while as I said I was not fully satisfied, I'm glad I read it, and it was enjoyable. I do plan to seek out the movie.

(*I am told that von Arnim's personal favorite of her novels, Vera (1921), is much darker, indeed perhaps a "nightmare", so von Arnim did have a wider range.)