I am always happy (out of doors be it understood, for indoors there are servants and furniture) but in quite different ways, and my spring happiness bears no resemblance to my summer or autumn happiness, though it is not more intense, and there were days last winter when I danced for sheer joy out in my frost-bound garden, in spite of my years and children. But I did it behind a bush, having a due regard for the decencies.
Whenever I try to compose a list of my favourite books, an almost impossible task, Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim invariably claims one of the first spots so, of course, I had to read it again for Carolyn and Rachel’s Virago Reading Week. I have lost count of how many times I’ve read it, always picking it up at least once during the year, usually in the depths of winter when, like Elizabeth, I’m dreaming of spring plantings and June roses. Like Elizabeth, I may be ignorant about gardening (her blunders seem more delightful than mine) but I am certainly enthusiastic.
After five years of marriage, all spent in urban gloom, and the births of three daughters, the April, May, and June babies as she refers to them, Elizabeth finally visits her husband’s Prussian estate and falls in love with it, despite its rather dilapidated state. With her indulgent husband’s approval, she stays on to oversee improvements to both the house and the gardens, falling more in love with the place every day. Delighted by her new life, full of light meals – the kind no proper German husband could ever approve of – taken casually in the garden, Elizabeth happily relinquishes her city life and devotes herself to the enjoyment of her beautiful surroundings. Her family is not altogether pleased to have been so easily abandoned and forgotten:
The first part of that time of blessedness was the most perfect, for I had not a thought of anything but the peace and beauty all round me. Then he appeared suddenly who has a right to appear when and how he will and rebuked me for never having written, and when I told him that I had been literally too happy to think of writing, he seemed to take it as a reflection on himself that I could be happy alone. I took him round the garden along the new paths I had had made, and showed him the acacia and lilac glories, and he said that it was the purest selfishness to enjoy myself when neither he nor the offspring were with me, and that the lilacs wanted thoroughly pruning. I tried to appease him by offering him the whole of my salad and toast supper which stood ready at the foot of the little verandah steps when we came back, but nothing appeased that Man of Wrath, and he said he would go straight back to the neglected family.
Though the lure of the rural idyll is certainly a common enough basis for novels and memoirs now, with city folk happily running away from their hectic lives and demanding careers to pursue the good life, Elizabeth’s acquaintances are aghast at her decision to live in the country, demanding that her husband remove her to town for the winter and not keep her captive any longer. None of them believe that she could really be happy in such obscurity and such isolation, though she is blissfully so:
What a happy woman I am living in a garden, with books, babies, birds, and flowers, and plenty of leisure to enjoy them! Yet my town acquaintances look upon it as imprisonment, and burying, and I don’t know what else besides, and would rend the air with their shrieks if condemned to such a life. Sometimes I feel as if I were blest above all my fellows in being able to find my happiness so easily. (p. 26)
Indeed, Elizabeth enjoys her solitary lifestyle so well than the intrusions of neighbours and visitors provoke some of the most memorable lines of the books, perhaps because I so identify with her on this issue:
The passion for being forever with one’s fellows, and the fear of being left for a few hours alone, is to me wholly incomprehensible. I can entertain myself quite well for weeks together, hardly aware, except for the pervading peace, that I have been alone at all.
But visitors, guest who stay and who can not be got rid of after a cup of tea or even a meal but who must be entertained for days at a time, are the bane of her existence, taking over her private places and giving advice where none is desired. Being always a little resentful of those who disrupt my peace and who tear me away for the things I would much rather be doing, I can sympathize:
I have been much afflicted again lately by visitors – not stray callers to be got rid of after a due administration of tea and things you are sorry afterwards that you said, but people staying in the house and not to be got rid of at all. All June was lost to me in this way, and it was from first to last a radiant month of heat and beauty; but a garden where you meet the people you saw at breakfast, and will see again at lunch and dinner, is not a place to be happy in. Besides, they had a knack of finding out my favourite seats and lounging in them just when I longed to lounge myself; and they took books out of the library with them, and left them face downwards on the seats all night to get well drenched with dew, though they might have known that what is meat for roses is poison for books; and they gave me to understand that if they had had the arranging of the garden it would have been finished long ago – whereas I don’t believe a garden in every finished.
Reading this immediately after another of von Arnim’s novels (The Pastor’s Wife) I was struck by some of the similarities. Here, our eccentric heroine seems to share Herr Dremmel’s passion for manure and von Arnim again displays her talent for humourous writing, though the tones of the novels are very different with Elizabeth and Her German Garden being infinitely warmer and less cynical:
The longer I live the great is my respect and affection for manure in all its forms, and already, though the year is so young, a considerable portion of its pin-money has been spent on artificial manure. The Man of Wrath says he never met a young woman who spent her money that way before; I remarked that it must be nice to have an original wife; and he retorted that the word original hardly described me, and that the world eccentric was the one required. Very well, I suppose I am eccentric, since even my husband says so; but if my eccentricities are of such a practical nature as to result later in the biggest cauliflowers and tenderest lettuce in Prussia, why then he ought to be the first to rise up and call me blessed.
Yes, as you can see, this ‘review’ was really just a chance to share some of my favourite passages from this delightfully quotable book. Elizabeth is a charming, honest narrator who I love more and more on each rereading. If you have not read it yet, please do, preferably before the planting season as it’s quite impossible not to be inspired by Elizabeth’s horticultural passions!
That was one beautiful review and you can tell how much you love this book. I’ve added it to my wishlist.
I always fell guilty and thorn about preferring solitary occupations to big parties. There’s always something happing in a heavily expatriate community so what I do not to calm my conscience is to go to parties but leave a bit early. I think I’m starting to gain a Cinderella reputation 😉
Is it, I wonder, necessary to be one of life’s gardeners to enjoy this as fully as you do? When I read of someone dancing for joy in her frost bound garden I look out of my window at a similar frost bound space and think, “Not this morning, than you very much.” Oh well, the book is lying unread on my shelf so there is only one way to find out.
Thank you for sharing those passages – I think they convinced me to read it more than anything could have! I can’t believe I’ve read The Solitary Summer but not this.
I so enjoyed reading this book last year. Thank you reminding me of that joy.
I have this one and am looking forward to reading it at some point! So glad to hear it is one of your favorites… I also have The Enchanted April (even though I’ve only seen the film version and didn’t much care for it). I think von Arnim is an author I will love.
I have not yet read any of von Arnim’s books. This one sounds like it would be my best bet when I finally give her a try.
I just started reading this last night! And I think it will become a favourite, with all my love of flowers (although I’m no gardener), I don’t know why I didn’t pounce on it sooner.
DIVINE. That is all I can say. I am getting my coat on right now and going to the library! Serious! I am embarrassed to say that I have had a copy of this for years and never read it. And now it is in my mother’s attic. WHAT a missed opportunity!
I’ve had this novel for about six or seven years, and still not read it! In fact, I have loads of E von As, and have only read one (The Enchanted April) which I loved – so must read more! I think the reason I *haven’t* read this yet is that I’m put off by the idea that I should know something about gardening to enjoy it… but I’m sure I should love it nonetheless.
[…] of The Captive Reader has continued reading Elizabeth Von Arnim, today posting a fantastically alluring review of Elizabeth and Her German Garden. The quotes she has picked out have made me want to drop […]
How wonderful to be reminded of those passages in German Garden! One of my friends discovered Elizabeth. We both read Elizabeth and Her German Garden and were immediately enchanted. Two other friends joined us in a search for books by “Elizabeth”. At the time we didn’t know about any reprints. We had many joys discovering books in various used bookstores, in several states and later on the internet. My friend Mary and I now have a complete collection of books by Elizabeth. We had read them all. Some day I intend to read them all again in order. I have written a memoir of our adventures searching for Elizabeth.
Well. I started reading this last night too. Funnily it was the first VMC I ever owned, goodness knows why I had never read it. Enjoying it so much I have ordered Enchanted April, Summer Solitude to read.Can’t wait to get them.Are all her books as good? Enjoying everyones blogs. I’m on the hunt for VMC books.
Wow, great review. I’ve never read any of von Arnim, so must keep my eyes peeled for her. It does sound like the perfect book for the cold weather moving in!
I’ve read this one and Enchanted April and both them were delightful and left me feeling light and happy. She is a real gem.
This book has been on my TBR list for a long time. You’ve just inspired me to bring it up closer to the top.
[…] read Claire’s review from earlier in the week if I’ve got you longing for more from this delicious book! […]
[…] Elizabeth and her German Garden wouldn’t normally be a priority. But then Claire wrote this amazing review which make me add it to my wish-list, and recently it was mentioned on Downtown Abbey, so how could […]
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I would never have discovered this book if my grand daughter had not invited me to join a book club with her. I love the voice and identify with her need for solitude and love for babies, blooms, books and time for them all. It will be one of my favorites.