2024 the best of me film summary review

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(as of Nov 30, 2024 02:41:08 UTC - Details)

Four very different women, all wanting to escape cold and dreary London for different reasons, come together to share a month's holiday in an Italian medieval castle. There’s 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. They are lured to the castle by the advertised 'wisteria and sunshine', but they end up finding there so much more than they had bargained for. The place transforms them and their lives are unexpectedly changed. Von Arnim's story of their metamorphosis under the Italian sun is warm, witty, intelligent, and as enchanting as the title suggests.

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Elizabeth von Arnim (1866-1941), née Mary Annette Beauchamp, was a British novelist. Born in Australia, her family returned to England when she was three years old; and she was Katherine Mansfield’s cousin.

She was first married to a Prussian aristocrat, the Graf von Arnim-Schlagenthin, and later to the philosopher Bertrand Russel’s older brother, Frank, whom she left a year later. She then had an affair with the publisher Alexander Reeves, a man thirty years her junior, and with H.G. Wells. Von Arnim moved a lot, living alternatively in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, before dying of influenza in South Carolina during the Second War.

Elizabeth von Arnim was an active member of the European literary scene, and entertained many of her contemporaries in her Chalet Soleil in Switzerland. She even hired E. M. Forster and Hugh Walpole as tutors for her five children. She is famous for her half-autobiographical, satirical novel "Elizabeth and her German Garden" (1898), as well as for "Vera" (1921), and "The Enchanted April" (1922).

Reviewer: E. Strickenburg
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Whimsical and refreshing
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Wendy M.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Charming, but so wordy
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Pressly
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Wonderful! Incredible!! Superb!!!
Review: This is one of the most amazing and wonderful books we've ever read (allow me to say that we have 9 bookcases in our home ... all packed to overflowing!). My husband and I both enjoy writing and we also enjoy reading a good book together. This one has the most incredibly developed characters that it kept us enthralled waiting for the next unexpected twist in the story. Definitely one of the finest books we've ever read. We strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book. We have now purchased 4 more of her books and are eager to delve into each one.This story was written about the same time as the setting for "Downton Abbey", so if you enjoy that time period, you will definitely enjoy this book. Any book beginning with the promise of wisteria and sunshine is bound to be delightful.As one reviewer pointed out, there are indeed some typos, however, they are not so horrific that it destroys the story. If you are at all literate, and are following the story, you immediately understand what was meant. It wasn't a big deal for us.

Reviewer: Deborah Paul
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Movie Better Than the Book
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Mel
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Go for it!
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Albina Baumung
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Jeffrey
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Cliente Amazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Fácil de leer, lectura muy agradable y amena. Inspira paz y alegría de vivir

Reviewer: barrocat
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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 !

Reviewer: Crazygoangirl
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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 🙂