Elizabeth von Arnim (1866–1941)
Author of The Enchanted April
About the Author
Disambiguation Notice:
Also wrote under the name of Alice Cholmondeley, and in first publications only under her pen-name "Elizabeth"
Series
Works by Elizabeth von Arnim
Elizabeth von Arnim's Collected Works: The Enchanted April, The Solitary Summer, The Benefactress, Vera, and More! ( 11 Works) (2023) 24 copies
Delphi Complete Works of Elizabeth von Arnim (Illustrated) (Delphi Series Eight Book 16) (2017) 11 copies
Elizabeth's children 1 copy
Prisoners 1 copy
»Mein himmlisches Königreich«: Gartenglück mit Elizabeth von Arnim (insel taschenbuch) (2015) 1 copy
The Danvers Jewels 1 copy
The Lowest Rung 1 copy
1993 1 copy
A Devotee 1 copy
Sigurd Eckdal’s Bride 1 copy
Associated Works
Gender in Modernism: New Geographies, Complex Intersections (2007) — Contributor — 12 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Arnim, Elizabeth von
- Legal name
- Beauchamp, Mary Annette (birth)
- Other names
- "Elizabeth" (pen name)
Cholmondeley, Alice (pseudonym)
Countess von Arnim-Schlagenthin
Elizabeth Russell, Countess Russell - Birthdate
- 1866-08-31
- Date of death
- 1941-02-09
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Royal College of Music
- Occupations
- novelist
- Relationships
- Mansfield, Katherine (cousin)
Russell, Bertrand (brother-in-law)
Wells, H. G. (lover)
de Charms, Leslie (daughter)
Walpole, Hugh (friend; tutor of her children)
Forster, E. M. (friend) (show all 8)
Earl Russell (2nd husband)
von Arnim-Schlagenthin, Henning August (1st husband) - Short biography
- Born Mary Annette Beauchamp in Sydney, Australia. Married first to Count Henning August von Arnim-Schlagenthin, then to Francis, 2nd Earl Russell. Australia was the setting of the family's vacation home, and when she was three years old, they returned to England. After her first husband's death in 1910, she lived in Switzerland, England, and the USA, and entertained a large circle of literary and society friends. She produced some 20 novels, semi-autobiographical works, and memoirs, beginning with Elizabeth and her German Garden (1898), and including The Enchanted April (1922), which was adapted as a Broadway play in 1925; a successful film in 1992; a Tony Award-nominated stage play in 2003; a musical play in 2010; and a serial on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
- Cause of death
- influenza
- Nationality
- England
- Birthplace
- Kirribilli Point, New South Wales, Australia
- Places of residence
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Valais, Switzerland
London, Middlesex, England, UK
Berlin, Germany
Nassenheide, Pomerania, Germany
Charleston, South Carolina, USA - Place of death
- Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Burial location
- St Margaret's Church, Tylers Green, Penn, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- Map Location
- Australia
- Disambiguation notice
- Also wrote under the name of Alice Cholmondeley, and in first publications only under her pen-name "Elizabeth"
Members
Discussions
April Read: Elizabeth von Arnim in Virago Modern Classics (May 2017)
Elizabeth von Arnim in Tattered but still lovely (October 2014)
GROUP READ: The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim in 2013 Category Challenge (April 2013)
Reviews
Short review: What a crock of über-privileged shit!
Slightly longer review: I went into this knowing that "Lives of the rich and privileged" is not the genre for me, and after struggling for 30 pages, had this preference resoundingly confirmed. Had there been an element of authorial knowingness about the main character's disdain for her servants, that would have been some kind of redeeming quality, but the reason given for Elizabeth's (both the character and, presumably, the author) dislike show more of "boxing the maids ears" is not because it is abusive and manifestly wrong in principle, but because she herself would feel "wretched" to have her tranquility disturbed by the necessity of chastising intransigent staff.
It's a pity, as behind the aristocratic elitism there seems to be a good story being told about an introverted, socially anxious, bookish woman who prefers the company of nature and children to bourgeois society and men. She's just stuck too far up her own arse for me to keep that in sight. show less
Slightly longer review: I went into this knowing that "Lives of the rich and privileged" is not the genre for me, and after struggling for 30 pages, had this preference resoundingly confirmed. Had there been an element of authorial knowingness about the main character's disdain for her servants, that would have been some kind of redeeming quality, but the reason given for Elizabeth's (both the character and, presumably, the author) dislike show more of "boxing the maids ears" is not because it is abusive and manifestly wrong in principle, but because she herself would feel "wretched" to have her tranquility disturbed by the necessity of chastising intransigent staff.
It's a pity, as behind the aristocratic elitism there seems to be a good story being told about an introverted, socially anxious, bookish woman who prefers the company of nature and children to bourgeois society and men. She's just stuck too far up her own arse for me to keep that in sight. show less
I plan on watching the film sometime, so I wanted to read the book first.
It's over a century old now, and yes, I like reading older novels sometimes for the language: when it's different and clever and I can't predict how the author will string all the phrases together. I was hoping for a read with characters engaging enough to hold my attention even if the story wouldn't be in a rush to make "stuff" happen. I certainly got that here, being fully interested in the characters despite my not show more liking some of them some of the time.
But I didn't know the novel would be so delightfully funny! The imagery is lovely, as I expected, and the characters evaluate their lives while they're on their holiday, as I also expected. I expected the human transformations as well, though I couldn't tell ahead of time what each transformation would be. (Possible that not all of those transformations would really last too far past April, but hey. I'm fine leaving practicality out of it for certain shimmering fiction.)
But the humor! How refreshing. Wonderful wit pointing out the unfortunate, the ridiculous, the curious, and the dear.
A tale a century old, yet holding enchantment. show less
It's over a century old now, and yes, I like reading older novels sometimes for the language: when it's different and clever and I can't predict how the author will string all the phrases together. I was hoping for a read with characters engaging enough to hold my attention even if the story wouldn't be in a rush to make "stuff" happen. I certainly got that here, being fully interested in the characters despite my not show more liking some of them some of the time.
But I didn't know the novel would be so delightfully funny! The imagery is lovely, as I expected, and the characters evaluate their lives while they're on their holiday, as I also expected. I expected the human transformations as well, though I couldn't tell ahead of time what each transformation would be. (Possible that not all of those transformations would really last too far past April, but hey. I'm fine leaving practicality out of it for certain shimmering fiction.)
But the humor! How refreshing. Wonderful wit pointing out the unfortunate, the ridiculous, the curious, and the dear.
A tale a century old, yet holding enchantment. show less
4.0 stars
A simple, lovely story of four women of different ages and backgrounds who break free of the strictures of their lives through female friendship and empathy. The descriptions of the Italian castle are a treat, and the long meanderings through the women's thoughts are delightful.
I would probably rate this higher if it weren't for one aspect of the ending.Lady Caroline's whole characterization is built around the fact that other people's expectations and assumptions about her weigh show more her down into depression. All she wants is to escape from others' gaze (especially the male gaze) and be herself. So how on earth am I supposed to accept an ending where, for no reason, she ends up with a man she barely knows? This is compulsory heterosexuality at its most annoying. I expected the married women to reconcile with their husbands (even if there husbands don't deserve it), but there is zero reason for her to end up with a random man who treats her just like every other man has treated her. I wasn't expecting a sapphic ending, this being written when it was (despite the fact that, characterization-wise it would work for several of the characters) but is it too much for her to end up single and happy???? . It almost spoiled the whole book for me. show less
A simple, lovely story of four women of different ages and backgrounds who break free of the strictures of their lives through female friendship and empathy. The descriptions of the Italian castle are a treat, and the long meanderings through the women's thoughts are delightful.
I would probably rate this higher if it weren't for one aspect of the ending.
Ew! What a character that Wemyss is. Didn't take him long to wheedle himself into the life of a very recently bereaved and now unprotected Lucy. He's 45; she's early 20s and attractive and naive. Only a few months previous he lost his wife, Vera, under scandalous circumstances. But within days of meeting Lucy, he's calling her his "little love" and having her sit in his lap, plus has a thing for tousling her short, bobbed hair. Ew!
He grows steadily more obnoxious but by the time his bad show more behavior starts showing up, Lucy is too far "in love" and too naturally sweet to change her high opinion of him. There were moments where I audibly groaned at his audacity and my creep alarm was by then sounding non-stop. No wonder Lucy was tired all the time. Every time this guy opened his mouth, he was exhausting.
Now we would readily recognize him as a psychopath. Although high functioning, his relationship with the World is warped. He has that inner emptiness: where his soul should be is only gaping, insatiable need for power and flattery. And, oddly but characteristically, he poses himself as a victim with righteous indignation at the smallest slight or contrary opinion. (Sound like someone we all know here in September 2020?) Just to prevent him spinning off into overwrought drama at a misplaced word or sigh is the new Mrs. Wemyss' full time occupation.
But, man this was a good read! Von Arnim grows in my esteem. Nothing like The Enchanted April or Elizabeth and Her German Garden, she rocked this genre and even pre-dated du Maurier's Rebecca. Published in 1921, she adeptly presents this man as menacing and sexually revolting well within the constraints of her era. Nothing explicit but that doesn't mean she didn't describe some twisted stuff.
I read where Wemyss was based on the "Wicked Earl" Frank Russell, who von Arnim married but was separated from him after a very short time together. Having a personal relationship with a psychopath would explain her acuity, even if "psychopath" wasn't bantered around back then like it is now. Apparently it was common knowledge at the time that this novel was written that it was based on Russell, so that bit had to have been some sweet bonus revenge for her.
Lifted from the wisdom of this novel, here's some sound advice for a young person considering marriage:
I "read' this novel by listening to the free recording, well done by Greg W at Librivox.org . show less
He grows steadily more obnoxious but by the time his bad show more behavior starts showing up, Lucy is too far "in love" and too naturally sweet to change her high opinion of him. There were moments where I audibly groaned at his audacity and my creep alarm was by then sounding non-stop. No wonder Lucy was tired all the time. Every time this guy opened his mouth, he was exhausting.
Now we would readily recognize him as a psychopath. Although high functioning, his relationship with the World is warped. He has that inner emptiness: where his soul should be is only gaping, insatiable need for power and flattery. And, oddly but characteristically, he poses himself as a victim with righteous indignation at the smallest slight or contrary opinion. (Sound like someone we all know here in September 2020?) Just to prevent him spinning off into overwrought drama at a misplaced word or sigh is the new Mrs. Wemyss' full time occupation.
But, man this was a good read! Von Arnim grows in my esteem. Nothing like The Enchanted April or Elizabeth and Her German Garden, she rocked this genre and even pre-dated du Maurier's Rebecca. Published in 1921, she adeptly presents this man as menacing and sexually revolting well within the constraints of her era. Nothing explicit but that doesn't mean she didn't describe some twisted stuff.
I read where Wemyss was based on the "Wicked Earl" Frank Russell, who von Arnim married but was separated from him after a very short time together. Having a personal relationship with a psychopath would explain her acuity, even if "psychopath" wasn't bantered around back then like it is now. Apparently it was common knowledge at the time that this novel was written that it was based on Russell, so that bit had to have been some sweet bonus revenge for her.
Lifted from the wisdom of this novel, here's some sound advice for a young person considering marriage:
1. TAKE YOUR TIME. Get to know the person long enough for those hormones to settle down.
2. IF YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS DON'T LIKE HIM/HER then listen. They probably see something you don't see yet. But if you marry them, you surely will.
3. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN FEELINGS. Feeling smothered, having self-doubts, missing alone time, and feeling tired are not healthy signs. And if you find you are spending time trying to "figure them out" in order to explain their unpleasant behavior, that would be a big red flag against your chances of future happiness with this beloved.
4. AND DON'T MARRY A WRITER unless you are 100% sure you'll never get divorced or separated. Or only if you are 100% sure you are not a psychopath.
I "read' this novel by listening to the free recording, well done by Greg W at Librivox.org . show less
Lists
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Out of Copyright (1)
Folio Society (1)
discontinued (1)
MPLClassics (1)
1920s (1)
Female Author (1)
Persephone (1)
Garden-fiction (3)
Best Beach Reads (2)
Comfort Reads (2)
el (1)
Spring Books (1)
Reading LIst (1)
Schwob Nederland (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 47
- Also by
- 9
- Members
- 8,078
- Popularity
- #2,998
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 302
- ISBNs
- 802
- Languages
- 14
- Favorited
- 52
