Buy new:
$15.35
FREE delivery Friday, May 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: CTB Sales LLC
List Price: $17.95 Details

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Save: $2.60 (14%)
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, May 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 6 hrs 47 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$15.35 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.35
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
CTB Sales LLC
Sold by
CTB Sales LLC
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Friday, May 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 6 hrs 47 mins
Used: Good | Details
Sold by Martistore
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Elizabeth Von Arnim
Follow
Common Classics Dyslexia-Friendly
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Enchanted April Paperback – April 3, 2007

by Elizabeth von Arnim (Author), Cathleen Schine (Introduction)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,368 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.35","priceAmount":15.35,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"35","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Kn%2FnYCDWCmrYj7o20tRXfgJ2yfr71aDsYnWW%2Bkz%2FbDHiedsLa2TSGMi1RI3qICY6qZJufUR%2FP5t%2BzV63beZ8H6%2BMiqmVNqz%2FfBNvM62fPnr%2BreVZwM0D7QmRqWYz4xeYwuXNSYpZgggdMd6tXVeHB4CK0HhN%2FOIZ2fblc8YrjoraC%2FNlAzfkiQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.82","priceAmount":13.82,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"82","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Kn%2FnYCDWCmrYj7o20tRXfgJ2yfr71aDsoWCS686FmpXP2ypRS77simRsxt7M5zczxviSJfQ9BlUcMIWmX5KjWvX%2BrLljlfhp6KK2%2B2XCJgMOec9hLm6LeMIc8IiVB4amumD3EqkZw2Wu3syFDTDm0WixqI54OdugAR8SKFwgQOhynLBcE5B6HwzDOjpV7JLz","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A recipe for happiness: four women, one medieval Italian castle, plenty of wisteria, and solitude as needed.

The women at the center of The Enchanted April are alike only in their dissatisfaction with their everyday lives. They find each other—and the castle of their dreams—through a classified ad in a London newspaper one rainy February afternoon. The ladies expect a pleasant holiday, but they don’t anticipate that the month they spend in Portofino will reintroduce them to their true natures and reacquaint them with joy. Now, if the same transformation can be worked on their husbands and lovers, the enchantment will be complete.

The Enchanted April was a best-seller in both England and the United States, where it was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and set off a craze for tourism to Portofino. More recently, the novel has been the inspiration for a major film and a Broadway play.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    376 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    NYRB Classics
  4. Publication date
    April 3, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    5.03 x 0.55 x 7.99 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1590172256
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1590172254
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

The Enchanted April
$15.35
Get it as soon as Friday, May 3
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by CTB Sales LLC and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
Enchanted April
$23.15
Get it as soon as Monday, May 6
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by RapidPrimePros and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
Elizabeth And Her German Garden
$4.95
Get it as soon as Friday, May 3
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A pleasant...little story, with some neat phrasing and a genuine feeling for color and for beauty."--The New York Times

"The Enchanted April sounds as if it would be an appallingly cloying cream puff of a fairy tale, but that would be to ignore that the author habitually kept a pot of lemon juice mixed with vinegar beside her ink-pot. With this bracing element there is additionally what can only be called a feast of flowers, hanging from every wall and pouring scent over the company."--Times Literary Supplement

"[A]n expression of the propensity of people to be blind to the real secret of happiness, and that it showed how exquisitely men and women get upon each others' nerves and how they suffer from each others' egos."--National Review

"...extraordinarily well written...it is witty, human, often very beautiful."--Punch

"[A] comedy of absolutely flawless mirth...a very beautiful...and touching book."--Chris Morley

"[A] restful, funny, sumptuous, and invigorating vacation for the mind and soul." --500 Great Books By Women

A particular kind of witty and well-constructed fiction, a sort of sparkling Euclid, which nobody else can touch.
— Rebecca West

About the Author

Elizabeth von Arnim (1866—1941) was born Mary Annette Beauchamp in Sydney, Australia. Her first book, the autobiographical novel Elizabeth and Her German Garden–inspired by the grounds of the estate she shared with her husband, Count Henning August von Arnim–was an enormous success. After the death of her first husband, Elizabeth married Francis the second Earl Russell, brother of Bertrand Russell. It was a disastrous marriage and the two eventually separated. Von Arnim moved to the US at the start of World War II, and spent her final years there.

Cathleen Schine has received wide acclaim for her five previous novels: Alice in Bed, To the Birdhouse, The Evolution of Jane, and the international bestsellers Rameau's Niece and The Love Letter, both of which were made into feature films. She lives in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ NYRB Classics (April 3, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590172256
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1590172254
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.03 x 0.55 x 7.99 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,368 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Elizabeth Von Arnim

    Elizabeth Von Arnim

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
  2. Common Classics Dyslexia-Friendly

    Common Classics Dyslexia-Friendly

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Common Classics aims to make classic literature accessible for all readers.

    Common Classics Dyslexia Friendly books update your favorite classic titles with easy-to-read dyslexia-friendly OpenDyslexic font (11 point). Some titles may also be available in large print dyslexia-friendly font (16 point).

    Dyslexia-friendly fonts are specifically designed to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. Unique letter shapes, heavy weighted bottoms, and wider letter spacing may help some symptoms of dyslexia.

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
2,368 global ratings
Size matters ;)
3 Stars
Size matters ;)
This review has nothing to do with the content of the book, but rather the size of the book. I have included a picture of my new book and what I call a regular, typical size adult paperback. This copy is half the pages (124) but double the dimensions. It really shouldn't matter, but I feel as though I'm reading a school text book now, and it's awkward to read in bed. Note to self: check the dimensions of the books before you buy. Size matters ;)
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Wyoming Bas Bleu
5.0 out of 5 stars Italy
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is as enchanting as a story as it was a movie. Wonderful tale of how a trip changes people’s lives.
Helpful
 Report
Travelmom
4.0 out of 5 stars Feel good but slow
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the book, it has the rhythm of another era. It is beautifully written and the intertwined description of the gardens and feelings is exquisite.
It ends abruptly wish is confusing though.
Helpful
 Report
E. Strickenburg
5.0 out of 5 stars Whimsical and refreshing
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
Whenever I find myself bogged down by read too much Faulkner or Steinbeck (or other heavy, serious literature), I take the time to re-read this book. Or  Anne of Green Gables . It's that sort of book: warm, tender, refreshing.

Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot are weary. Weary of social pressures and distant husbands, weary of constantly giving and never receiving anything in return, weary of pretending to be something they're not. All this weariness is bundled up under the dismal weather that is London in the winter. On a whim, after seeing an advertisement in the paper, they decide to inquire about a castle for rent in Italy.

One thing leads to another, and in April they find themselves (along with two other renters they picked up through inquiries in the paper) embarking on a venture unlike anything they've ever dared before. The time in Italy is a time of transformation, and we watch as each woman in turn comes alive again, surrounded by sun and wisteria.

The changes that take place in each woman's life are subtle and wholesome. This is not a dump-my-husband-to-go-to-Italy-and-try-desparately-to-get-the-most-out-of-life sort of story. It's a story of personal growth and rejuvenation. Of spouses rediscovering what they first loved about each other. Of the way that human love begets more love, and how true human sympathy can unlock depths in even the crustiest of souls. This story of deep and memorable characters, which intertwines humor and compassion, is heartfelt without being sappy or sentimental. It's a book to treasure over and over again.
26 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Deborah Paul
3.0 out of 5 stars Movie Better Than the Book
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2013
Verified Purchase
I admit, I'm rather picky when it comes to literary writing, so others may rate this higher. I feel that the writing isn't as sensually appealing as the dialogue in the movie. I love the movie so much, I've probably seen it at least 8 times. The idea for the story is awesome, so I can understand why the film industry took to it and created a movie full of eye candy and charming dialogue. I, personally, didn't feel the magic in the book that I felt in the movie.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mel
5.0 out of 5 stars Go for it!
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
I am partial to stories about people who successfully escape a mundane life and find magic, either the magic of fantasy stories or the more potent magic of discovering what one really has needed to live a rich life. The Enchanted April is the latter type of story.

I was first acquainted with the story via the Golden Globe award-winning movie of the same name. Housewives Lottie Wilkins and Rose Arbuthnot, bedeviled by rain, dreary routines and joyless marriages in post WWI Hampstead, England, determine to spend an April at San Salvatore, a "Small mediaeval Italian Castle on the shores of the Mediterranean to be Let furnished for the month of April". Says Mrs. Wilkins to Mrs. Arbuthnot, "I'm sure it's wrong to go on being good for too long, till one gets miserable. And I can see you've been good for years and years, because you look so unhappy [. . .] and I--- I've done nothing but duties, things for other people, every since I was a girl, and I don't believe anybody loves me a bit--a bit---the b-better. . ."

To San Salvatore they go, reducing the expenses further by recruiting two more women. Wealthy and elderly Mrs. Fisher and beautiful socialite (in fact, she is too beautiful for her own good) Lady Caroline Dester have their own reasons for wishing to take a break from their lives.

Unusually enough, I like the movie a smidge more than the book. I think the movie handles certain situations more deftly and amusingly than the book. What the book provides, that the movie does not, is a touch of kindly social satire that reminded me of Jane Austin, and a clearer account of the mistaken notions that have landed all four women in their individual pickles. Author Elizabeth von Arnim clearly likes her characters, but she does not present them as saintly women put upon by a wicked and unappreciative world. They are flawed. Their flaws, however, are presented in such a way as to evoke sympathy and, rather unexpectedly, amusement.

In fact, I believe that the character portraits of the women, and the men in their lives, are the book's strength and the best reason to read it. Van Arnim's characters blossom from their pinched and unsatisfactory lives like the flowers of San Salvatore, and it is a pleasure to watch them bloom in their several quirky ways. I think the other strength of the book is the gorgeous descriptions of San Salvatore, with its gardens, its spacious rooms, and its magnificent views. The book is a testament to the healing and clarifying effects of living in the midst of natural beauty.

Reading The Enchanted April is itself a vacation from modern-day melodrama, angst, and ugliness. Bask in van Armin's sometimes lush and always light-hearted prose, and imagine yourself in felicitous company in the gardens of San Salvatore. I know I did!

Don't forget to view the movie, too.
31 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Wendy M.
4.0 out of 5 stars Charming, but so wordy
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
By the end I loved the characters , but not in the beginning! I suppose the author meant to inspire our indignation.
I found the 65 word sentence quite daunting, such that I considered stopping. However, by reading some sentences twice I found my way through what seemed a thicket of interlocking phrases.
The descriptions and inclusion of each person's inner dialogues pulled me into the story.
I doubt I'll seek more by this author, but this story was worth reading and left me with a smile.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Albina Baumung
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great purchase, came in timely and in perfect condition. This is a book very few people know of, a very simple and sweet story from the 1930s of for women spending a month in Italy and Darrel lives being changed. It is old-fashioned, sweet and clean. Only people who like descriptional and classical literature will appreciate this.
Report
Jeffrey
5.0 out of 5 stars A charming story of four lost women finding themselves
Reviewed in Germany on January 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
Vey well written. I was surprised that once I started I wanted to read this in one go, more than five hours. Then I watched the film.
Report
Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabuloso
Reviewed in Spain on June 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
Fácil de leer, lectura muy agradable y amena. Inspira paz y alegría de vivir
Report
barrocat
5.0 out of 5 stars un livre parfait pour le mois d'avril
Reviewed in France on April 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
je relis ce livre quasiment tous les ans au mois d'avril depuis des années. je ne m'en lasse pas. Un vrai bonbon anglais ! on aurait toutes envies de réunir les copines et de partir un mois à San Salvatore en avril et d'en revenir transformées comme les héroïnes de ce roman !
Report
Crazygoangirl
5.0 out of 5 stars An Enchanting Read :)
Reviewed in India on September 14, 2018
Verified Purchase
Such an enchanting read this! I wasn’t sure quite what to expect but I really wasn’t prepared to be drawn as deeply into it as I was, complete with highlighter and all :)

This is my first Von Arnim, and she is already a favourite because of the way she writes women! We meet four women in the pages of this book - Lotty, Rose, Scrap and Mrs. Fisher - each one unique in her character and in the nature of her unhappiness - yet thrown together by their chosen common cure - a holiday in an Italian castle in the Spring - that season of rejuvenation, renewal and rebirth.

Von Arnim is a master at character sketches. The women leap off the page, each with their unique foibles and I was transported to San Salvatore, lost with them, as they roamed its magical gardens or hid away in quiet niches contemplating perceived problems or meditating on possible solutions. When they reached journey's end, I was as reluctant to leave as they were but equally renewed and perhaps in a not so insignificant way - reborn :)

Von Arnim's language, her excellent wit and sense of irony, her piercing observations into the hearts of her characters and the times they live in, coupled with her incisive prose and layered narrative made this an utterly unforgettable and entirely remarkable read. It's been a while since I read such marvellously written, authentic, grounded women, and truth be told it was hard to pick a favourite. I loved Lotty for her indomitable optimism, her willingness to be joyful, to 'let the light in' as it were; Rose for her serenity, fortitude and courage; Scrap for her madness, reserve and humanity and dear old Mrs. Fisher for her perseverance and willingness to embrace change when it came! I think everyone who reads this book will recognise themselves and their friends in these wonderfully complex, layered women. I know I did.

There are many lines I've highlighted throughout the text. Here are just a few...

And Frederick, from her passionately loved bridegroom, from her worshipped young husband, had become second only to God on her list of duties and forbearance. There he hung, the second in importance, a bloodless thing bled white by her prayers. For years she had been able to be happy only by forgetting happiness.

...the very way Mrs. Arbuthnot parted her hair suggested a great calm that could only proceed from wisdom.

...her life had been a noise all about nothing.

She wanted to be alone, but not lonely.

Those last two sentiments especially are ones that I'm uncomfortably familiar with, as I'm sure are most of us. I cannot recommend this book enough, especially to my girlfriends! READ IT NOW :)
3 people found this helpful
 Report