Illyrian Spring

This 1935 novel, until recently mostly forgotten, was an absolute gem. The novel opens as our protagonist, Lady Kilmichael, is running away from her life and family for an indeterminable amount of time. Although an eminent artist, she feels belittled and out of step with her youngest daughter and husband (who she suspects of having an affair), so decides to secretly take off on a solo adventure to Split and Dubrovnik to find herself. En route in Torcello outside Venice, she has a random encounter with a young Englishman, and their paths become inexplicably entwined as they find themselves travelling along the remote Illyrian coast.

This was a novel full of heart with a tremendous sense of place. Despite the ending being a little show more pedestrian, I thoroughly enjoyed it - I'd had a bit of a fiction hiatus for a couple of months, and this was exactly what I needed to lose myself in a book once more.

4 stars - if you enjoy The Enchanted April, I would recommend this. show less

"Freedom is within. It does not live in Dalmatia any more than in London", June 21, 2015

This review is from: Illyrian Spring (Kindle Edition)
This is an absolutely charming light read which will have you booking a holiday to Croatia.
Written in 1935 it is the story of well-to-do artist Grace Kilmichael who is 'running away' from her family to decide what to do next. Her economist husband seems to belittle her and her work (and perhaps to be getting overly friendly with a female colleague) while her 19 year old daughter Linnet is starting to belittle her too. As the author observes:

"Tenuous, elusive but tenacious, this tradition of inferiority persists - subtly imposed by the husbands; tacitly and often unconsciously acquiesced in by the show more wives. Their views, somehow, are worth less than men's; the moral initative has passed from them; in some strange way - whether consciously or not - they are subordinate. Now this subjection was tiresome and fatiguing enough while it was subjection to one person only, the husband, but for Lady Kilmichael's generation it had suddenly become subjection to their children as well, and when it reached that stage it became insupportable."

So our heroine makes her way to Venice and thence to the Dalmatian coast (Croatia) (the Virago edition has a helpful map at the front showing the places, many of which have changed since the book was published.) While painting, wandering round ancient buildings and taking in the beautiful scenery she meets up with a young man, Nicholas, deeply unhappy at his father's insistence that he abandon his beloved painting for a 'proper' career in architecture. The two of them spend some sublime - and innocent - weeks in Illyria, and Lady K starts to 'find herself'...

Ann Bridge's descriptions of the country are quite exquisite - hills covered in irises, obliging and picturesque locals, wonderful little restaurants. Somehow I couldn't massively warm to Nicholas: perhaps it was his slight grumpiness, or maybe his gastric problems ("my tummy") . The author has a serious message about the true nature of freedom, but expect a rather convenient ending. I could imagine this making a 1930s movie.
Probably more 3.5 than 4 *. show less

LT thinks that I will love Illyrian Spring, and having just finished it, I can say that LT is exactly right. I was charmed by this little period piece in which Grace, Lady Kilmichael runs away from her London family to regroup in Illyria/Dalmatia/Croatia. She is a lovely woman, a world-class painter, and an under-appreciated wife and mother. On her journey she finds young Nicholas Humprhies whose family is forcing him to give up his life's passion, painting, in order to learn a more secure profession. As is the way with such stories, they move through an enchanted world, face some home truths about themselves, nod at love, and come out in the end with the very best of all good and possible conclusions.

Bridge's description of the show more countryside, especially of the gorgeous flowers is idyllic. The characters behave in the best possible taste however passionate they may be. All's very well that ends well, and I am nostalgic for a time that never was. show less

When I read fiction, it's normally of the romance or sword & sorcery varieties, so when a friend recommended I try this, I was a bit dubious. A middle-aged coming-of-age story / fictional travelogue, really? But, I decided to trust her and - oh, I'm so glad I did! This is such a lovely book.

The descriptions of Grace's travels are beautifully, crisply done and the characters themselves are all quite charming. The perspective of the writer/narrator displays such grace, maturity, and unexpected humor that, as soon as I finished this book, I began to look for the next of hers to try.

Everyone wants to get away at some point and Grace, Lady Kilmichael, is no exception. Frustrated and embarrassed by her husband and children, she runs off to Dalmatia (part of modern-day Croatia) to find a place where she can be herself. Along the way, she meets Nicholas Humphries, in whom she sees a similar lost soul. Together, the two travel and paint and help each other fix their lives. Eventually, reality reenters their paradise, but by then they are ready to face it in ways they were not before. Illyrian Spring is a story of new beginnings and reminds us that it is never too late to change.

I really enjoyed Ann Bridge's characters, each one is enjoyable and a unique personality. They bounce around Dalmatia having such a splendid show more time that you want to go and join them. Their relationship was very realistic and I liked the way their used each other to sort out their personal issues. Linnet's letters to her friend were amusing diversions, which helped remind us that the world of the story is bigger than than just Grace and Nicholas. Another plus was the delicate way the author described the landscape they travel through, it's very subtile and yet incredibly detailed so that you almost don't realize that you are being given a kind of travel guide to Dalmatia. Illyrian Spring is a light read with serious undertones, perfect for a relaxing day and a good cup of tea. show less

Though written in the 30's this novel still has lots of relevance. I enjoyed it for the insight it gave me into how far women have come...and how far we still have to go. Plus it's a lovely travel fantasy; nothing wrong with that!

As a member of the Virago group on LibraryThing, I would often hear, of the incredible difficulty in getting hold of a green copy of Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge. Green edition or not though – I really wanted to read it, and so was delighted to learn recently of a new edition being published by Daunt books. I ordered it immediately, and was impressed upon its arrival with the attractive high quality of this lovely new edition. In fact when I was with Virago reading friends over this last weekend I showed my copy off – and they pronounced it gorgeous and some of them pledged to buy it. Thankfully the contents are every bit as wonderful as I had been expecting and I enjoyed it hugely.

Lady Grace Kilmichael is a well-known painter, she show more is also a 40 something wife and mother. However she is now running away. Often feeling harried by her daughter and unappreciated by her husband, whose friendship with another woman is some cause for concern, Grace seeks an escape. The Europe, through which Grace travels, is a different place – geographically from the Europe of today – but Ann Bridge’s descriptions of the landscape are breath-taking. En route to Split and Dubrovnik, Grace travels through Paris, Venice and Torcello – where she meets a young man half her age, an aspiring painter in need of help and guidance. However when Grace arrives on the spectacular Dalmatian coast she finds the peace and tranquillity she requires to start and answer the questions at the heart of her flight.
“To get to Clissa from Trau one follows at first the shore road towards Spalato, along that strip of fertile coast sheltered from the bora, the bitter north wind, by the mountains behind, and ennobled with the seven fortresses, each with a village at its foot, which still recall the dominion of Venice in the days of her power. At Salona the road forks; the right-hand branch crosses the Giadro towards Spalato, the left-hand one passes through the modern village of Salona, and then climbs in great loops towards Clissa and the pass.”
Nicholas and Grace strike up a friendship that allows Grace to help him with his painting, but Grace is soon made aware that Nicholas’s feeling for her may have become a little more complicated, and in turn must face up to her own changing emotions.
I have no experience of the area of Europe that the book talks about – having never really been anywhere outside the UK. However Ann Bridge’s amazing sense of place allowed me to encounter the landscape of 1930’s Europe, with its colourful peasant peoples herding goats through ancient ruins, works of art, small unspoilt communities untouched by the modern world.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read –and I envy those who still have it to look forward to. I can now understand fully why so many people enthuse over this book. It certainly deserves to be read and read, and I am so glad Daunt books re issued it for us. show less