The Enchanted April (original 1922; edition 2009)

[The Enchanted April] is exactly what the title describes. A month in Italy where the four main characters are "enchanted" during their stay at an old castle in San Salvatore. Each lady has her reasons for escaping London, although the horrid weather is the given excuse. Each wants to be alone with her thoughts, problems and loneliness. The stay in the Italian countryside gives them time to reflect on their problems away from their normal routines. Each eventually sees themselves as part of their own problems.

The novel wraps things up a bit neatly as most "romantic" type novels do, but I do like the bit at the end where both Mrs. Fisher and Mr. Melleresh Wilkins are horrified as Lotty calls Lady Caroline and Mr. Briggs, The Briggses Back to form so quickly and not even on British soil yet. What I found delightful was that Lotty didn't care what they thought. A trip to Italy might not be life changing for most, but it gave her a courage that was new for her. ( )

There was much to like about The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim, wonderfully descriptive writing, four interesting, individualistic women characters, and who can resist the idyllic setting of a castle set in flower strewn grounds perched on the romantic coastline of Italy. I was enjoying the book immensely up until the last third or so. The resolution of the book was simply horrible and I felt quite unbelievable.

Spoilers

The very idea that taking a holiday, staying in a magical, peaceful place can restore a troubled marriage is quite ridiculous. These marriages were of long standing, their problems were also of long standing. Simply joining your wife on her retreat isn’t going to make any lasting changes in these marriages. The basic issues were never addressed as couples, they were heading home to England, where their lives would obviously fall back into the same pattern as before. For heaven’s sake, one of the men didn’t even come to Italy to see his wife, he was chasing after another woman. Meanwhile, the other husband was being nice to his wife while still being attracted to Lady Caroline and sizing up Mrs. Fisher for the size of her bankbook.

So yes, beautiful writing, a setting that I would love to escape to, and the development of friendships amongst four interesting women. I am glad for the friendships because I have a feeling that both Lotty and Rose will need support and guidance when they return to their everyday lives in England. My final thoughts are yes, these characters enjoyed an enchanted April, but unfortunately they are now headed into an ordinary May. ( )

This book is amazing, and it's one of my favorites now. Elizabeth von Arnim is such a gifted writer. ( )

This book is quite charming. It's a quiet character study of four women taking a brief escape from their everyday lives, by renting a castle in Italy for a month. The descriptions of the villa in Italy are total wish fulfilment for me, and are well-written. The four women are distinct and interesting characters. The male characters are not nearly as sympathetic and the ending is all a bit too convenient, but it was a lovely light read. I'm renting the movie next! ( )

http://leavesandpages.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/review-the-enchanted-april-by-eli... ( )