The Enchanted April

Written by Elizabeth Von Arnim

Narrated by Nadia May

Four very diverse women, all seeking revitalization from the dreary February rains of 1920s London, rent the small medieval castle of San Salvatore, nestled high above the bay of Portofino, Italy. Arriving at San Salvatore, they find it awash with the scent of flowers, its olive groves terracing down to the sun-warmed sea.

Each has her reasons for desiring escape. Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot are glad to leave behind their insipid duties and unresponsive husbands. The elderly Mrs. Fisher wishes only to sit in the sun and replay her youthful memories, and the bewitchingly beautiful Lady Caroline Dester desires to have seclusion from all her adoring suitors. Amid the canopies of fragrant wisteria, in the sweet sunshine and melodious silence, fate has some surprises in store for all of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9780786104765

Elizabeth Von Arnim

Elizabeth von Arnim was born in Australia in 1866 and her family moved to England when she was young. Katherine Mansfield was her cousin and they exchanged letters and reviewed each other’s work. Von Arnim married twice and lived in Berlin, Poland, America, France and Switzerland, where she built a chalet to entertain her circle of literary friends, which included her lover, H. G. Wells. Von Arnim’s first novel, Elizabeth in Her German Garden, was semiautobiographical and a huge success on publication in 1898. The Enchanted April, published in 1922, is her most widely read novel and has been adapted numerous times for stage and screen. She died of influenza in 1941.

Reviews for The Enchanted April

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story of four women who answer an advertisement to spend a month at a castle in Italy. The atmosphere and the influence of one of the women (Mrs Wilkins) on the others bring about changes in each of them.While this was a little slow in places, overall I found it amusing and enjoyable. The four women are well characterized and the initial suspicion felt by Caroline and Mrs Fisher was very well done. The scene where Rose's husband arrives and is introduced to Caroline was fabulous.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charming with gentle humor.

[shereadsnovels · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Enchanted April, first published in 1922, is the story of four women who rent a castle in Italy together one April. The women are strangers to each other at the beginning of the novel, but each of them has her own reasons for wanting a holiday. Spending a month at San Salvatore surrounded by sunshine and flowers gives each woman a chance to resolve her problems and try to find happiness.I'm so glad my first experience with Elizabeth von Arnim was a good one. I hadn't expected something so readable and full of gentle humour and wit and yet with so much depth and such a lot of character development. I also loved the setting and the atmosphere. The images of Italy in the spring were beautifully described, with the sun shining and the flowers bursting into bloom. I defy anybody to read this story and not want to immediately book a trip to Italy this April!As the title suggests, The Enchanted April is a lovely, enchanting story! After enjoying this one so much, I'll definitely be reading more of von Arnim's work.

[lowie35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I so wanted this short novel to have the charm of the movie! I know. Silly of me, but this 1920's story of four women from London who rent a beautiful Italian villa based on an advertisement in the newspaper hoping to escape their various lives, left me wanting. The women are not particularly likable and the lengthy internal monologues just wore me down. And then the men arrive! Why? Oh well. Guess I'll just have to watch the movie again.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is delightful. Mrs Wilkins, or a dreary February day in London, sees an advert for a castle in Italy for the month of April. And so she strikes up conversation with Mrs Arbuthnot and the two of them plan to escape their humdrum lives for a month. They decide to invite 2 additional ladies, in order to keep the costs down, so place an advert of their own for some ladies to share. Hence the unlikely assortment of women who find themselves arriving at San Salvatore for the month. Each has her reasons for wanting to escape, each of them has some space and quiet in order to re-assess their lives. It's quite brave to just run away. It can be very difficult to change your way of thinking, especially when it is o deeply ingrained. For the selfless do-gooder, it can be hard to be selfish at times. Each of them undergoes an emotional journey while barely moving from a comfortable chair. It remains surprisingly undated, while society has changed, the feelings and relationships between people have changed little. Hence it is still possible to feel for all of them, in their different ways, their hopes, fears, worries and aspirations. Lovely - and I'm looking at Italian holidays...

[alisony-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Someone keep me off the internet or I'll be booking tickets to Italy to find San Salvatore before the evening's out... What a funny, clever observation of life this little classic is. Published in 1922, this novel could as easily have been written yesterday. Social graces may change over the years, but the intricacies of human interaction stay the same.Lotty Wilkins finds herself reading an ad for a castle to rent in Italy one day at her London lunch club, and not having done anything spur of the moment or exciting for years decides on a whim to invite a relative stranger sitting nearby - who she's only seen before at church - to join her in renting the castle for the month of April. Somehow she manages to persuade the quiet, good living Rose Arbuthnot to join her on her mad adventure, and to lessen the damage to her rainy day nest egg they place an ad for two other women to join them to share the rent.Thus begins the madcap tale of their month in an Italian castle with a wealthy, churlish widow and a beautiful young socialite who is tired of the world falling at her feet. Funny yet tender, von Arnim so accurately depicts how differently people can feel on the inside to how they appear on the outside, how we can fear those who threaten our own perceptions of ourselves, and how different people can bring out totally polar sides of our characters, making us bloom or cutting the wind out of our sails.The depictions of the two marriages in the story were particularly cleverly observed - for different reasons, both parties in the two marriages were feeling cut off and unloved, yet it only took for one person in the marriage to reach their hand across the chasm and the other happily reached out to grab hold. I thought that was so smartly executed - actions that come so naturally in the good times can seem such big steps to take when the going gets tough, and yet sometimes it only takes a little change to make everything fall into place again.4 stars - a smart and humorous classic that's still very relevant today.

[theokester · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This hundred year old classic novel tells the tale of four English women who are looking for an escape from their lives and decide to take a month-long vacation in an Italian castle...with each other. The women are strangers to one another and come from different walks of life. Two are married and part of the escape is to get away from their husbands and clear their heads. Apart from the initial vacation preparations and character introductions, the entire book takes place in the castle that the four women rent out. They don't go on lavish adventures around the countryside. They don't find mysterious romance with locals. They just enjoy their surroundings and learn about themselves. In our fast-paced adrenaline driven 21st century, the concept may sound terribly boring...and if you go in with that expectation, you'll surely be let down. It is slow paced and lacking in adventure, but from an aesthetic and thoughtful point of view this is an elegant and beautiful piece of work well worth reading. (I understand that there is a movie version as well, but I haven't seen it so I don't know how well it compares)The initial chapters of the book introduce us to Lotty Wilkins, the woman who has become dissatisfied with her life in London and the humdrum relationship with her husband. She reads and advertisement for an idyllic month among the wisteria at an Italian castle and she's decided that she absolutely must go. Unfortunately, she can't afford the entire rent on her own and she doesn't want to ask her husband for the money. She approaches an acquaintance (Mrs. Arbuthnot) who Lotty feels may be similarly dissatisfied and convinces her that they should rent the place together. They then decide to advertise for an interview two other women to join them and before long the entire plan is set. As an interesting twist by the author, as Lotty prepares to tell her husband about her vacation plans, he announces that he would like to take her on a trip...to Italy. This sudden invitation catches her off guard and she nearly changes her mind but then remembers all of the reasons she wants this "girl's month out" and announces that she's committed to this trip and she must go.We get to know the other two women very briefly through the interview process and then meet them more vividly upon arrival in Italy. Mrs. Fisher is an elderly aristocrat and Lady Caroline is a young socialite and each initially seems somewhat stereotypical. As the four women interact, Lotty Wilkins strives to turn them all into close friends and to help each of them experience all of the wonderful possibilities she believes this trip will offer them. To Lotty's dismay, both Lady Caroline and Mrs. Fisher seem only to want to be left alone. Lady Caroline (who in her self-reflection is known as "Scrap") is trying to get away from the noise and chaos of life and constant suitors in an effort to be fully introspective and figure out what she wants. Mrs. Fisher wants a certain amount of decorum and respect and really just kind of wants to be alone to indulge in the location. This leaves Lotty to befriend Mrs. Arbuthnot. Within a short time they are on first name basis (Lotty is comfortable much quicker but soon Rose Arbuthnot acquiesces). Lotty takes on a sense of romanticism and love of life that she tries to share with everyone. Little by little she works to wear down the resolve of the other ladies and turn them all into friends.There are a few revelations and plot surprises that come up so I won't go into detail of everything that happens in Italy. In reality, the main plot elements are less important than the character development and the realizations that each woman comes to about her own character and her views on life and those around her. The novel is filled with thoughtful and insightful introspection as well as great interaction between the characters that transitions them from stereotypical archetypes into more fully fleshed out women. The language and structure of the book is poetic and romantic which serves as a nice framework for the kind of character growth we experience. This is a nice classic that's worth reading.***3 out of 5 stars

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An enchanting story with enchanting characters who are transformed by their holiday in an enchanting locale. Simply loved this book with its well-drawn female characters, magical setting and happy ending for all.

[pbjwelch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you follow my reviews, you'll know I almost never read fiction, but an article in the November 7, 2016 issue of TIME magazine entitled "Read a novel: it's just what the doctor ordered" caught my eye and this was the only title my local library had from the recommended list--in a new Vintage edition with an excellent introduction by Brenda Bowen.

The Enchanted April was written in 1922 by an author who was very popular at the time...and as such it would have been easy to assume that Enchanted April would be a novel that could be picked up, read, and discarded as 'light reading'. The TIME listing of a 100-year old work that appeared to fall into the 'light romance' category called, however, for a more generous approach. This proved absolutely correct because what I discovered was the sort of story P. G. Wodehouse would have written had he been female--funny, full of amusing concocted situations and misunderstandings set in those delightful 1920s years of propriety and 'place', that when considered is as relevant today as it was then. Human nature hasn't changed much in 100 years, and the four main female protagonists who decide to rent an Italian villa on the sea for the month of April--each to escape their own individual unhappy states--is the perfect platform for that discovery. I won't divulge the story but three men also enter into the story as well as Jeeves-like staff (had he been Italian) and enchanting descriptions of springtime flowers. Von Arnim certainly knew her gardens (and Italy in the spring).

I also loved the language--its wit and sophistication, its perfect choice of words that all seem quite normal until at sentence-end you find yourself smiling or even laughing out loud. The Enchanted April was later staged, and I'm sure if it were staged again today, would have a second run on life as did Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. As for TIME's proposal that select novels can "improve one's mental health" or "your ability to empathise with your fellow man," you must judge for yourself.

[mooingzelda · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the idea of this book, but the execution is sadly lacking. I was hoping for a novel combining the beauty of the Italian coastline with some sparkling female wit and a compelling plot, but The Enchanted April is basically about a group of women attempting to philosophise about their lives - treating the reader to some random and dull internal monologues in the process - who then forget about it all when some men turn up and make everything happy and smiley again. There are a few good bits in the book, mainly at the beginning, and at least the arrival of the men drives the plot forward a bit (although why *should* it be the men who propel the story along, feminists cry), but the rest of it does unfortunately show its age.

[etxgardener · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a perfectly enchanting book about a month spent in an enchanting place. Lottie Wilkins and Rose Arbuthnot are two rather depressed suburban housewives living in Hampstead. outside of London. Lottie is oppressed by her penny pinching husband, and Rose is totally ignored by her bon vivant writer spouse. One day, while in London doing their shopping, they meet at their women's club and happen to see an ad in The Times for a villa in Tuscany for rent in the month of April. Suddenly, an image of something different appears in both their minds and they decide they must rent it it and get away. To ease the costs they recruit two other women: Mrs. Fisher, a Victorian widow who lives in the ghostly past with her photographs and Lady Caroline Dester, who is trying to get away from all the men pursuing her in London.How this odd assortment of characters lives together and become transformed by the magic of the villa and of April in Italy makes for the most delightful reading. If this book doesn't make you smile, you have no joy in your soul.

[liliannattel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel tells the story of four women in the early 1920′s who share a small, remote Italian castle for a month, and in doing so their lives forever change.The women range in age from late 20′s to early 60′s. Each of them has a central problem that has caused them to become stultified. But the beauty of the Italian countryside, the contrast with dreary England, and the serendipity of the company of strangers whom they’d never spend time with at home because of class and personality differences, cause each of them to bloom and their authentic selves to emerge in all their vibrancy.Lottie Wilkins and Rose Arbuthnot are the best developed of the four characters. Mrs. Wilkins, an intelligent, imaginative, loving, accepting woman is stuck with a self-admiring, respectable, stingy–emotionally as well as materially–husband who cares only for what will enhance his image and thereby his career. As a result she has become bland, self-effacing, shabby in presence and in dress.Mrs. Arbuthnot holds a secret passion for her husband which she has suppressed for years. Ashamed of his occupation, she has sublimated her passion for him and her shame into good works. Her religiosity is of the stern and judgmental sort, and she has become someone who allows herself no pleasures even though her husband would delight in her having them.I especially enjoyed Arnim’s wit in describing Lottie’s and Rose’s marriages. She perfectly depicts them gradually coming out of their shells because of their growing friendship and the adventure they undertake together.The other two women in the castle foursome are Mrs. Fisher and Caroline Dester. Mrs. Fisher is dedicated to the past, obsessed by the glory of her youthful acquaintances, all of them giants compared to the paltry (to her mind) figures of the 1920′s literary and political scene. Caroline Dester is a cynical young woman who detests her own beauty because, along with her wealth, it causes her constant and unwanted attention from men. She craves solitude. These women, too, find themselves changed in the castle.Elizabeth Von Arnim, born in 1866, wrote The Enchanted April in the early 1920s. (As an aside, I was interested to discover that Katherine Mansfield was her cousin–quite the literary family, at least the women.) Her first husband was domineering, the “man of wrath,” she called him, and this intimate knowledge of a difficult and painful marriage enlivened The Enchanted April: "Mr. Wilkins, a solicitor, encouraged thrift except that branch of it which got into his food. He did not call that food, he called it bad housekeeping. But for the thrift which, like moth, penetrated into Mrs. Wilkins’ clothes and spoilt them, he had much praise. "The Enchanted April is brilliant in its first half, enjoyable in the second, which is padded with a bit too much description of weekly changes in the flora. Overall it’s a great read for summer, sickness or stress. Uplifting, pleasurable, and available for free on Gutenberg if you have an e-reader.

[emilymcmc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful, a little tart and snappy. A perfect book to read for pleasure.

[lizzysiddal · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

DNF’ed at page 120. It’s tedious in comparison to the two historical chunksters I’m reading at the same time.

[avidmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"The kindred points of heaven and home," continued Mrs. Arbuthnot, who was used to finishing her sentences. "Heaven is in our home." "It isn't," said Mrs. Wilkins, again surprisingly.Mrs. Arbuthnot was taken aback. Then she said gently, "Oh, but it is. It is there if we choose, if we make it.""I do choose, and I do make it, and it isn't," said Mrs. Wilkins.One day Mrs. Wilkins, due to the misery of her loveless marriage and the un-lovely weather in London, is drawn to an advertisement to let a castle in Italy that promises a lot of sunshine and wisteria. She accosts the equally miserable and pious Mrs. Arbuthnot and convinces her to share the expenses and escape from their lives for one glorious month. They decide to advertise for two other women to come along and share expenses and meet the curmudgeonly and oh-so-proper Mrs. Fisher and the very beautiful Lady Caroline. The month in Italy proves very healing and surprisingly, romantic. Last year I read von Arnim's [In The Mountains] and loved it. Books written like this usually bore me to pieces, but for some reason, Elizabeth von Arnim manages to pull it off, and very, very well. She writes mostly about the inner thoughts of her characters and while not much is going on externally there is very much happening in the inner lives of all of her characters. There is an undercurrent in her writing, judging by the two books I have read by her so far, of the Divine healing power of nature, "In the warmth and light of what she was looking at, of what to her was a manifestation, and entirely new side of God, how could one be discomposed?" and a very dry sense of humour. "Ought they to pay him? Not, they thought, if they were going to be robbed and perhaps murdered. Surely on such an occasion one did not pay."My only complaint of the book is that it does seem to end rather abruptly. Also, I think it should come with a warning. I have a terrible urge to pack up everything and go on vacation, preferably Italy. Short of that I'm finding it very hard to not go and spend every last penny I have on flowers.A slow moving book like this is probably not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who can handle the slow-to-a-crawl pace, it is a lovely vicarious vacation and a great lighter read when your soul longs for a "gentle read."I would give it a solid four stars.

[tess_w · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a cute romance written in 1922. It wasn't romance as most of us would know it; but it was more of a comedic romance; just a very sweet story. Three very disenchanted, bored, middle-aged housewives who could not be more unalike decide to rent an Italian villa for the summer and split the costs. They found a 4th roommate, a member of the aristocracy who just wants to be left alone, or does she? When the women arrive abroad, they find that the beauty of the Italian April truly enchants them—and that it begins to make them feel not only more connected with their inner self, but also more generous and loving to the world around them. A delightful read, if not slow in a few places.

[herenya_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Four women respond to a newspaper advertisement and together rent a house in Italy for the month of April. This is delightfully funny and observant, with idyllic descriptions of spring in Italy. I liked the friendships which develop between four very different women, and the way they are challenged -- or perhaps it’s more accurate to say, inspired -- to reconsider their opinions about others.The ending is very tidy and conventional, but that is not so surprising. (I have the impression that there were not very many options for happy endings that a 1920s novelist could easily give to unhappily married women -- if those character made choices that were too unconventional they would likely face disapproval from their community and the author might face disapproval from hers, too.)Reading nothing but sunshine and fairytale endings would become unsatisfying, no matter how wonderful the prose, but, sometimes, sunshine and fairytale endings are just want one wants.Worse than jokes in the morning did she hate the idea of husbands. And everybody was always trying to press them on her -- all her relations, all her friends, all the evening papers. After all, she could only marry one, anyhow; but you would think from the way everybody talked, and especially those persons who wanted to be husbands, that she could marry at least a dozen.

[2wondery_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this paperback at the library. Partway through, the flow of words was so strikingly old-fashioned and pleasant that I was not surprised to learn the copyright date was 1922. No wonder I was enjoying it so much!Listen: a sour old woman – “Dignity demanded that she should have nothing to do with fresh leaves at her age; and yet there it was – the feeling that presently, that at any moment now, she might crop out all green.”Four London women, of varying unsatisfying circumstances, combine resources to rent a castle in Italy for a month. The sun and beauty surrounding them begin to work a subtle magic on their souls.The author knows a few neat secrets of human nature.Elizabeth von Arnim originally published by her first name only, and I found a used copy at my local bookstore in the E’s.I’ve read one other book by this author – Introduction to Sally, which begins hilariously, but the tongue is set so deeply in the cheek that muscle cramp sets in.Enchanted April was filmed in 1994 (hence the paperback re-issue.) The movie is a faithful rendering, but some of the action would be obscure without having read the novel first.

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a cute romance written in 1922. It wasn't romance as most of us would know it; but it was more of a comedic romance; just a very sweet story. Three very disenchanted, bored, middle-aged housewives who could not be more unalike decide to rent an Italian villa for the summer and split the costs. They found a 4th roommate, a member of the aristocracy who just wants to be left alone, or does she? When the women arrive abroad, they find that the beauty of the Italian April truly enchants them—and that it begins to make them feel not only more connected with their inner self, but also more generous and loving to the world around them. A delightful read, if not slow in a few places.

[laugal-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book! I love the author's style of writing,poetic and lilting.The characters made me giggle and laugh and at time scrunch up in frustration.Well written,wonderful story. The descriptions of scenery just abt transport you there!I will have to see if I can get the movie!
Highly suggested.Loved it!

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A short but sweet tale of four women, two middle-aged, one young and one older widow, who discover more about themselves when they are presented with a wonderful opportunity to rent a castle in Italy. The story is an inter-war one, a mild sadness of what had happened in the war lingers as an echo but isn't on the agenda. The four women find that they have a greater chance to be more themselves away from their ordinary lives, when they have a chance to look back and reflect rather than being caught up with it. Things change when two of them decide to invite their husbands.I enjoyed this gentle, engaging read and then went down a rabbit hole of researching women's clubs in Ireland and England. I would love to be able to afford a month away from my life.

[lucybrown_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

fluffy and atmospheric, but at time the observations are just the wrong side of twee.

[sbsolter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It started a little slow, but turned into a lovely love story set in a spring-kissed Italian riviera. Appropriately, I read it in April and thus could readily picture and relate to the descriptions of flowers and trees in bloom.

[jamesfallen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best book I have ever read. The description of the castle and the people made me feel the peace that they found.

[libstaff2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.25-3.5 StarsFour women travel to exotic Italy to rediscover themselves in this historical novel. The Italian countryside is described and discussed so well it's like it's a character unto itself. I love the journey that the MCs take to attempt to find themselves. It feels just a little dated, but if you are into classics, then this book may be up your alley.Penguin First to Read Galley

[amy_marie26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was so excited to read this, hearing nothing but positive and glowing reviews. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I found this so insipid and fluffy. Each and every character thoroughly annoyed me at some point (and several at most points). I kept reading because everyone seemed to find the ending particularly enjoyable, but by the time I reached it, I was just thankful it was over. It was a very sweet, very light, not particularly interesting book. The most compelling passages were describing the scenery, which I usually skim. I think this needed just a little more edge, which if you know me at all, is saying something.

[eachurch-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A charming fairy tale which is a delight to read. Underneath its simple exterior, however, there lies an interesting exploration of the importance of beauty and being seen, and how much of who we are is determined by where we are, and how we respond to others.

[renrav · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this primarily for a challenge for which I needed a book with a month in the title. It was a good and interesting book, but too slow-paced for what I am in the mood for at the moment. I saw that there is a movie based off it and I actually think this book would be very enjoyable as a movie so I may try to check that out.

[maureencean · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a pleasant read, quite funny at times, a good 'tweener if you are doing some heavy books. The end wrapped up rather quickly after a slow and kind of draggy start in England. I think she could have drawn that out a bit more. The descriptions of the locale in Italy were lovely. Had a hard time at the end as the last three chapters wouldn't download on the app I was using, but thanks to another GR member, Leslie, I worked it out! Now if I could only get the .wma I borrowed from my library onto my ipod or discs. Not my week!

[musichick52 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This addition to Penguin's Classics catalog is being released together with Brenda Bowen's tribute tale, "Enchanted August." Both stories concern four strangers who take a vacation rental for a month to escape their dreary or over-complicated lives. In this novel, four women run off to Italy and use the time to rediscover themselves. In "August" the three women and one gent use the weeks to reinvent themselves, their marriages, their careers. I enjoyed reading this volume as well as it's contemporary homage. The writing style from 1922 can seem a bit out dated, but it retains its elegance for me. My thanks to Penguin's First to Read program for a complimentary copy of both books.