Audiobook · read by volunteers
Enchanted April
Elizabeth von Arnim (1866–1941)
Read by Diana Kiesners · 22 chapters · 10 h 02
About the book
It is a dreary February in London, after the First World War, and Mrs. Wilkins, a woman with little joy in her life, spots a notice in The Times: a small medieval castle on the Italian coast, to let for the month of April. She notices that another woman at her club, the reserved Mrs. Arbuthnot, has seen the same advertisement.
Together they decide to take it, and find two more companions to share the cost. When the four arrive, they discover a garden bursting with wisteria, sunshine, flowers and sea. Slowly, the place begins to work its charm on them, and each finds that what she needs is quite different from what she expected.
Elizabeth von Arnim’s novel is light, witty and deeply restorative. Twenty-two chapters, about ten hours. A delightful listen for a grey day, and a reminder that a change of scene can change a life.
Introduction
Elizabeth von Arnim (1866-1941) was born in Australia and raised in England. She became a Countess through marriage to a German nobleman, and after his death married the brother of Bertrand Russell, Frank Russell, though the marriage did not last. She wrote many novels, often satirical and keenly observed, and her first book, Elizabeth and Her German Garden, published in 1898, made her famous.
The Enchanted April appeared in 1922, in the years after the First World War, when many readers were looking for escape and renewal. The idea of four women leaving behind their routines and their worries to spend a month in Italy has an appealing freedom, and von Arnim uses it to explore marriage, friendship and the restorative power of beauty. The setting was inspired by her own experiences in Italy, where she had spent time on the Riviera. The novel has been adapted for film and for the stage.
Her style is warm and humorous, with a gift for sharp portraits. Each of the four women is distinct, and their gradual transformation provides much of the novel’s charm. The mood is a mixture of satire and sincerity, and the descriptions of the Italian spring are vivid enough to be felt on the skin.
This recording is divided into twenty-two chapters and lasts about ten hours, read by a LibriVox volunteer. It is a gentle, uplifting listen, well suited to long evenings and to anyone in need of a little imaginary sunshine.
Public domain
Elizabeth von Arnim died in 1941: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text