The Solitary Summer (1899)

"May 2nd.—Last night after dinner, when we were in the garden, I said, "I want to be alone for a whole summer, and get to the very dregs of life. I want to be as idle as I can, so that my soul may have time to grow. Nobody shall be invited to stay with me, and if any one calls they will be told that I am out, or away, or sick. I shall spend the months in the garden, and on the plain, and in the forests. I shall watch the things that happen in my garden, and see where I have made mistakes. On wet days I will go into the thickest parts of the forests, where the pine needles are everlastingly dry, and when the sun shines I'll lie on the heath and see how the broom flares against the clouds. I shall be perpetually happy, because there will be no one to worry me. Out there on the plain there is silence, and where there is silence I have discovered there is peace."

"Mind you do not get your feet damp," said the Man of Wrath, removing his cigar."

This sequel to Elizabeth and Her German Garden is another delightful adventure in gardening with Elizabeth, the Man of Wrath and the April, May and June babies. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, Elizabeth and Her German Garden and The Solitary Summer are two semi-autobiographical novels in diary form about Elizabeth von Arnim and her attempts to escape her hectic German upper-class social life by retreating to the garden of her country house. It sounds like the sort of situation that might be difficult to sympathise with (how awful it must be to have so much money etc.) but Elizabeth is surprisingly down to earth about what I think of as the important things in life (books, peace and quiet, absence of annoying people) and her frustrations at the restrictions imposed on upper-class women at the end of the 19th century are genuine. ( )

I loved this book, but its appeal is probably limited to those that find Nature and gardens particularly interesting. From Amazon: "a witty, lyrical account of a rejuvenating summer. Descriptions of magnificent larkspurs and burning nasturiums give way to those of cooling forest walks--and of clambering up a mud bank when the miller is not in view. Rainy days prompt a little philanthropy, until the sun returns the gardener to the refuge of her beloved plants." I read this while laying in the sun in my own very small garden. Its enchanting and beautifully written. If you would enjoy an escape to a summer idyll then I highly recommend this book. ( )

As the narrator of the book determinedly spends a summer alone in her garden, (with various interruptions), she sets down her delightful observations of nature, and her wonderfully amusing and insightful musings on her family life and human nature.

This book was written with an abundance of charm and wit. I loved it unreservedly, and have added it to my ever-growing list of favorites. ( )

Well this is definately one of my favorite books ever. I kept checking to see how much was left and winced to see the right side of the book dwindling. Yes it's true that this seems to be a book about nothing. Well, let me set you all straight, this book is about just who exactly, deep inside, for real and goodness' sake this woman was. And who she was, first of all, brave, for sharing it all with us. She was also very funny and had this beautiful sense of just what beauty is. I loved her witty sarcasm and astonishment at ignorance and customs the village poor that she, as lady of the "big house" felt responsible for. She tells of a few summer months and the things that she loved, people she loved and was annoyed or irritated by. She speaks to my soul, she made me laugh, made me think. She speaks mostly of her garden, which must surely have been a sight to behold. Like my other favorite book of hers, Enchanted April, this one whisks me away to a dreamland for grownups filled with beautiful flowers whose scents I can almost perceive. I know this will be one I turn to again and again when I need comfort or soothing. ( )

This is a lovely little book about the summer Elizabeth spends by herself in her garden. Or did she? As in Enchanted April, the story is about women who need a break from routine but can never get away from it all. Even if one tries, obligations creep back in to demand time and attention. I loved the descriptions of her garden. ( )