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Audio Source: Librivox, Public Domain
The Benefactress
Elizabeth von ARNIM (1866 - 1941) Anna
Estcourt, twenty-five and beautiful, is the penniless ward of her
distant brother and his exasperating wife. Turning down all offers of
marriage, scornful at the thought of leaning on a man for help and
comfort, she thinks only of the independence which seems an impossible
dream. But out of the blue Uncle Joachim, her mother's brother, leaves
her a handsome property in Germany. Her longed for independence is
within her grasp, and though it's a rocky beginning with the locals, she
loves her new home. Keen to use her new-found wealth for the benefit of
others, she embarks on a plan to throw open her doors to distressed
gentlewomen - a project which takes a far greater physical and emotional
toll than she could have imagined. Although she maintains that she is
not interested in men, might the friendship of her neighbouring
landowner, Axel Lohm, make her new life a little easier to bear?...
A
warm, charming story which is packed with Elizabeth von Arnim's
trademark humour and wry observation of character. It's also a
perceptive critique of society's constraints on women, holding up a
glass to all the artfulness and falseness of 'femininity' - but despite
its strong feminist overtones, it manages simultaneously to be a
wonderful romantic comedy! - Summary by Helen Taylor
Genre(s): Published 1900 onward
The Enchanted April
Elizabeth von ARNIM (1866 - 1941) Four
very different women, with very different reasons for wanting to escape
a cold and dreary London, come together to share a month's holiday in a
medieval castle. They are brought there by the promise of the
advertised 'wisteria and sunshine', but they find so much more than they
bargained for, as the place transforms them and changes their lives in
ways they could never have expected. The novel is dominated by four
wonderfully drawn characters: timid Lotty Wilkins, terrified of her
domineering husband; sober and religious Rose Arbuthnot; rigid and
judgemental Mrs Fisher; and the breathtakingly beautiful but
disillusioned and unhappy Lady Caroline Dester. Von Arnim's story of
their transformation under the Italian sun is warm, witty, intelligent,
and as enchanting as the title suggests. - Summary by Helen Taylor
Genre(s): General Fiction
Elizabeth and her German Garden
Elizabeth von ARNIM (1866 - 1941) Elizabeth
and Her German Garden is a novel by Elizabeth von Arnim, first
published in 1898; it was very popular and frequently reprinted during
the early years of the 20th century. The story is a year's diary written
by the protagonist Elizabeth about her experiences learning gardening
and interacting with her friends. It includes commentary on the beauty
of nature and on society, but is primarily humorous due to Elizabeth's
frequent mistakes and her idiosyncratic outlook on life. She looked down
upon the frivolous fashions of her time writing "I believe all
needlework and dressmaking is of the devil, designed to keep women from
study.' The book is the first in a series about the same character. It
is noteworthy for being published without a named author. (Summary by
Wikipedia)
Elizabeth von ARNIM (1866 - 1941) Written
by an author born in Australia, grew up in England, married in Germany,
and then flew to the United States. A tale about a young woman, freed
up from the bonds of her family life, to wonder all around in search of
all things feminist. The story seems somewhat autobiographical,
surrounded in disillusionment and humor. Written on the eve of World War
I and just back from married life in Germany. (Summary by JCarson)
Genre(s): General Fiction
The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight
Elizabeth von ARNIM (1866 - 1941)
The
Princess Priscilla of Lothen Kunitz finds court life stifling and runs
away to England with the elderly court librarian. Her intention is to
live a pure and simple life filled with good works. But life among
ordinary people in an English village is not what she expects it to
be... (Introduction by Tabithat)
Genre(s): General Fiction, Humorous Fiction
Vera
Elizabeth von ARNIM (1866 - 1941)
Vera
(1921) by Elizabeth von Arnim is a black comedy based on her disastrous
second marriage to Earl Russell: a mordant analysis of the romantic
delusions through which wives acquiesce in husbands' tyrannies. In
outline the story of this utterly unromantic novel anticipates
DuMaurier's Rebecca. Naive Lucy Entwhistle is swept into marriage by
widower, Everard Wemyss. His mansion "The Willows" is pervaded by the
spectre of his dead wife Vera, with whom Lucy becomes obsessed. ... Here
the servants are partisan for both wives, and lose no opportunity to
disrupt Everard's unctuous, oppressive household routines. An
extraordinarily black vision of marriage, also continuously funny, the
novel's power lies in the wit and economy of the usually prolix Von
Arnim.(Introduction by Wikipedia)