Elizabeth and Her German Garden

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

pick

I see that the rest of my group who read this for the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead had mixed feelings about this one & I totally understand where you all are coming from. I didn‘t love this book but found it oddly enjoyable. Elizabeth & her friend Irais were pretty funny imo & I love how she calls her husband the Man of Wrath 😆 & we don‘t even know his name (he was an ass lol). I can totally see why LMM loved it because she was absolutely crazy ⬇️

BarbaraJean

JenlovesJT47 About flowers and her garden & I‘m sure she could relate to Elizabeth as a kindred spirit. Does she talk about this book in her journals? I haven‘t gotten around to reading them yet. So like I said, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would but can understand everyone‘s complaints about it. 🤓 4⭐️ #HauntedShelf #FrightClub #TBRread #LMM @Jadams89 (edited) 3w

BarbaraJean Yes, LMM does talk about it in her journals! (That's the main reason I added it to our buddy read) She loved it and said Elizabeth was her “twin soul“ when it came to gardening 😊 3w

JenlovesJT47 @BarbaraJean awesome, I had a feeling! I‘ve read a bunch of books about LMM and she was obsessed with flowers & gardening & was an amateur photographer as well. If you haven‘t read this one I‘d highly recommend it

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables: The Enchanting Island that Inspired L. M. Montgomery

BarbaraJean I've had that one on my list!! I think I've seen it on Hoopla. Maybe we'll have to add it into the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead sometime in 2025! 3w

JenlovesJT47 @BarbaraJean awesome! They have a bunch of LMM‘s photographs in this book, the ones she took of her gardens. 3w

38 likes5 comments

JenlovesJT47

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

I couldn‘t agree more!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
#BookQuotes
#Bibliophile

BarbaraJean

BarbaraJean 💜💜Yes! I love this! 3w

37 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

🌹What memorable scenes or quotes stand out to you from the second half of the book? The book overall?

🌸Any further thoughts you‘d like to share?

🌷There are two other “Elizabeth” books: “The Solitary Summer” and “The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rugen.” Are you interested in reading more of Elizabeth?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, Vansa, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean I went back through my highlights in my ebook version, and found several passages I thought were hilarious! I loved the part where Elizabeth narrates what a big deal birthdays are in Germany and how she always tries to avoid them... and how she and Irais always exchange the same exact two presents back and forth every year 😂 1mo

BarbaraJean I also loved this: “I certainly prefer buying new rose-trees to new dresses, if I cannot comfortably have both; and I see a time coming when the passion for my garden will have taken such a hold on me that I shall not only entirely cease buying more clothes, but begin to sell those that I already have.“ I feel the same way about books vs. clothes 😆 1mo

BarbaraJean And, I do still want to read other books by Von Arnim--but not the other two “Elizabeth“ ones any time soon! The Enchanted April has been high on my list for a while, and that's probably the Von Arnim I'll pick up next. 1mo

TheAromaofBooks I actually also had several passages that I thought were lovely or that really struck a chord. Her thoughts on the way people always show up just when you least want them to, or how you have to wait an entire year before you find out whether your garden experiment is going to work or not - things like that I found so relatable. 1mo

20 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

We all seem to agree that we don‘t quite feel LMM‘s enthusiasm over Elizabeth, but can see why she did! Are there books that you‘ve accidentally come across like LMM found Elizabeth—and wished you‘d found earlier?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, Vansa, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

LeahBergen I ADORE Elizabeth von Arnim and this is ‘hands down‘ my least favourite of her books. 😆 1mo

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen Oh dear. This is making me even less likely to read it. 1mo

BarbaraJean @LeahBergen 😂 😂 That's oddly encouraging... good to know I don't need to scratch Enchanted April off my TBR! 1mo

See All 12 Comments

willaful @BarbaraJean @LeahBergen Also not a big fan of this one. Enchanted April is lovely and my fav is Fraulein Schmidt and Mr. Anstruther. Vera is creepy AF!

Fraulein Schmidt And Mr Anstruther: A Virago Modern Classic

1mo

TheAromaofBooks @LeahBergen @willaful - I wasn't sure if I wanted to read Enchanted April after finding this one so meh, but you're definitely encouraging me to keep it on my list!! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks There have definitely been books I've found and wondered how I missed them growing up - the Swallows and Amazons books come to mind; I love them soooo much and only just read them for the first time a few years ago! The Scent of Water (Elizabeth Goudge) is another one that comes to mind - that book hit me at the exact right moment in my life, but everyone I've recommended it to has been really ambivalent towards it. 1mo

willaful @TheAromaofBooks Oh, I loved Goudge and don't think I ever found that one! Will have to see if it's available. 1mo

willaful Oh my goodness, I didn't realize she had been digitized and was in the library! I think she'll be on next year's #BacklistReadathon list! 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Ohhh, Swallows and Amazons is still on my TBR! I have a feeling I'll feel similarly about them! And I want to read more Elizabeth Goudge. Pilgrim's Inn and The Dean's Watch have been on my TBR for ages. One of the ones I wish I'd read earlier is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It never seemed like “my thing“ but when I finally listened to all the recommendations and read it, I LOVED it. 1mo

LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads Oops. Sorry! 😆 1mo

LeahBergen @TheAromaofBooks The Enchanted April is so much better! And I just recently bought a copy of Swallows and Amazons as it‘s one I missed as a child, too. 1mo

LeahBergen @willaful @BarbaraJean I haven‘t read Fraulein yet but I also really liked Christopher and Columbus. Expiation is really good, too.

Christopher and Columbus

(edited) 1mo

19 likes12 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

The second half of the novel primarily focuses on the Christmastime visit of Minora (the daughter of a friend), and Elizabeth‘s friend Irais.

Do you think this book would have worked from different POVs? How would you have felt about shifting POVs between Elizabeth and Irais and Minora?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, Vansa, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 I‘m very behind, starting this today, sorry! 1mo

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 No worries! Jump into the discussion whenever you‘re able! 1mo

rubyslippersreads I haven‘t started yet either, partly because it doesn‘t seem like many Littens liked it. But I guess I should find out what LMM saw in it. 1mo

See All 7 Comments

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Haha... it is fairly short, at least! Honestly, I liked the first third / first half a lot, before Elizabeth started to wear on me. And there's so much (in that first part especially) that feels VERY LMM. 1mo

BarbaraJean I kept thinking I'd like this more if I could've gotten out of Elizabeth's head a bit! And I think the second half could have worked well alternating between Irais, Elizabeth, and Minora. Irais and Elizabeth were both so snobbish toward Minora, but I think I would've found their antics more humorous and less catty if it had been narrated using a close third person POV, and if we could have gotten inside Minora's head a little bit. 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean - I totally agree with that. There were times where I literally couldn't tell if they were being sarcastic or serious towards Minora. The whole scene where the husband is lecturing about the inferiority of women - does he really feel that way, or is he just winding Minora up? Several of those passages felt really mean-spirited. 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Ugh, me too—there was so much about the “Man of Wrath” that I wasn‘t sure whether I should take seriously or not!! I felt like getting different POVs might have helped me get a better “read” on the characters as well as the tone of various conversations. 1mo

16 likes7 comments

lauraisntwilder

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

so-so

I don't think any of us reading this for #kindredspiritsbuddyread loved it. It was fine, I guess? I don't understand why she married that man; he seemed like such a boring, misogynistic grump. I read The Enchanted April seven years ago and I remember that I liked it, but it didn't stick with me. I doubt this one will either. This was my #doublespin for October. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Sammmmmeeee 😂 Also, I literally couldn't tell if her husband really felt the way he was saying, or if he was winding up the guest they kept teasing??? There were several scenes where they were messing with that poor girl and I literally couldn't tell what was supposed to be sarcastic and what was serious. I get that she was annoying, but it seemed like they were so mean to her! 1mo

20 likes1 comment

TheAromaofBooks

Elizabeth and her German Garden | Elisabeth Von Arnim

so-so

The consensus for this one seems to be a sense of mild disappointment lol There were parts of this I really enjoyed and that resonated with me, but on the whole I found Elizabeth herself to be too self-absorbed and condescending to really like her/enjoy being in her head for an entire book. Also, I honestly wanted more garden. 😂

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead @BarbaraJean
#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620

TheAromaofBooks #31by31 - 4/31 @Catsandbooks
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#SpookyEdition - Solitude @PuddleJumper
#AtoZ @Texreader
#PromptMaze
#BookSpinBingo 1mo

julieclair I‘m with you 💯 1mo

OriginalCyn620 They can‘t all be winners, but at least it‘s off your TBR! 1mo

See All 8 Comments

TheSpineView Well done! 1mo

Bookwomble I despised her attitude and gave up after about 30 pages! Urgh! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 1mo

Gissy But beautiful edition😍💛💛💛 1mo

lauraisntwilder I wanted my gardening, too! More flowers, less complaining about friends. 1mo

51 likes8 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

so-so

Sadly, I was disappointed with this. I quite liked the first half, and related to a lot of Elizabeth‘s observations about the joys of solitude & reading in the garden, and her annoyance with visitors who intrude on the above. But she got tiresome after a while, and just annoyed me by the second half. I don‘t mind an unlikable character—they‘re often fascinating—but since this is all in Elizabeth‘s voice, with little sense of irony to distance ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) the reader from her self-absorption—it got to be wearying. But, I also completely understand why LMM loved it—I could see so many parallels to LMM‘s perspective in her journals (all the way down to LMM‘s tendency toward snobbishness!). I‘m looking forward to discussing it this weekend with the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead! @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder @julieclair @rubyslippersreads @Vansa @JenlovesJT47 1mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Also, upon discovering that this is semi-autobiographical, I wonder how Von Arnim‘s other books will land with me! I‘ve had The Enchanted April on my list for a while, and am curious to compare the two.

The Enchanted April

1mo

julieclair Great review. I'm looking forward to our discussion. I read The Enchanted April a couple of years ago and loved it. I haven't read any of her others. 1mo

See All 6 Comments

quietjenn I read Enchanted April and loved it, then read this one and did not like it at all. I keep thinking I should try another ... 1mo

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! - mostly because it completely agrees with mine 😂 In some places it honestly felt like LMM was writing this book! But all the things that kind of annoy/frustrate me about LMM's character were the same things that aggravated me about Elizabeth. Her sense of superiority was definitely well-developed! 1mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair @quietjenn It's encouraging to hear you both loved Enchanted April! There are two more Elizabeth books, but I'm not in a hurry for more Elizabeth! @TheAromaofBooks 😂 😂 It REALLY felt like LMM to me in the first half! The second half just dug further in to the annoying/frustrating side. 1mo

30 likes6 comments

julieclair

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

so-so

I had mixed thoughts about this semi-autobiographical novel. I loved Elizabeth‘s writing about the natural world, her desire for quiet solitude, and her humorous trials-and-errors with various plants. But I rankled at her life of extreme privilege, her seeming lack of any feeling towards her husband, and her mocking comments about her house guests. Bottom line, I just didn‘t like her very much.
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #Pantone2024 #CatsAndDogs

BarbaraJean, Texreader, Bookwormjillk, BarbaraBB, Emilymdxn, TheSpineView, Catsandbooks, Charityann, PuddleJumper

julieclair #BookSpinBingo #31by31 #Spookoween #HalloweenAtoZBingo #AfterDarkBingo #GottaCatchEmAll #RedBingo #ErasGhostsBingo #HauntedShelf Team #HexesandCrows 🐦‍⬛ 304 points 1mo

BarbaraBB Very pretty, those colors together 😍 1mo

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo

See All 7 Comments

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🩵 1mo

Texreader Yes that‘d do it for me as well. I wouldn‘t like her very much either 1mo

TheSpineView Awesome! 1mo

Bookwormjillk 🎉 1mo

37 likes7 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

🌹What stands out to you from the first half of the book? Any memorable quotes or descriptions?
🌷What do you think of Elizabeth‘s journey to visit her childhood home and garden? What contrasts do you see with her own garden?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, Vansa, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

julieclair Surprisingly for me, what stands out most to me is her extreme need for solitude above all else. I do admire her ideas for garden design - creating groups of flowers instead of straight lines, and having all the different types of flowers mixed in together in semi-wild profusion. And I laughed at the scene where she snuck out to do some planting, then hurried back inside before she could get caught. In her own garden! 😂 1mo

lauraisntwilder She yearns for a kindred spirit and says they're hard to find, just like Anne. 😊 1mo

TheAromaofBooks The scene where the old ladies are all patting her hand and reassuring her that they \“understand\“ her situation connected with me. It\'s amazing to me how often you can say that you believe something, or feel a certain way about something, and other people just tell you that you\'ll understand better once you get a little smarter/older/etc. In college I was told repeatedly that I just needed time to \“outgrow\“ my parents\' religion, because obviously⬇ 1mo

See All 6 Comments

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) I was just parroting them and incapable of deciding for myself what I did or didn\'t believe about God. So Elizabeth saying repeatedly that it was her choice and then getting head-patted because her husband is sooo mean sounded familiar to me haha 1mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair It was surprising to me, given how willing she was to break with convention in some ways, that she felt like she had to sneak around to do her own planting!! I loved that scene, though. Of all the nefarious things you might sneak out to do... 😂 @lauraisntwilder Yes!! I noticed that, too. I think there's speculation that this book might be where she got the phrase (I need to look that up as far as the timing on when she read this!) 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks That scene was so relatable to me!! There are SO many times I've encountered that attitude from “the race that does not know Joseph“ 😊 It's infuriating, the condescending comments from people who THINK they understand so well. I think LMM probably found it relatable, too!! 1mo

21 likes6 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

Posting #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead questions early, since again I have a really busy Saturday! #LMMAdjacent

🌹Are you enjoying the book so far? Why or why not?
🌸 What do you think of Elizabeth—as a character and as a person?
🌷What do you think it would be like to be one of her visitors?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, Vansa, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

julieclair I am enjoying the book so far… listening on audio. Although some of the lists of names of all the flowers she is planting tend to drag a bit. I am conflicted about Elizabeth, both as a character and a person. I totally understand her introverted need to be alone and quiet. But she seems to care nothing about her husband, and not much about her children. (edited) 1mo

julieclair And as far as being a guest of hers, I can‘t imagine I would feel very welcome. I did wonder if any of her former guests read this book when it was published, and learned how happy she was to see them go! 1mo

lauraisntwilder I think it's charming so far. I can totally see LMM enjoying it! It's hard to judge Elizabeth because she seems so modern in some ways and yet an obvious product of her time and circumstances in others. I think it would probably have been fine to be her guest, since she seems to have suffered partly because she had to be accommodating. But, as @julieclair said, I'd hate to have been her guest and then read this book! 1mo

See All 8 Comments

TheAromaofBooks There are a lot of things in this book that I like and find relatable, although I wish this was some kind illustrated version with pictures of all these flowers she mentions!! But I find Elizabeth herself rather self-absorbed. She seems to consider everyone around her an inconvenience, and her condescending attitude towards everyone who doesn\'t \“get\“ her concept of an ideal life is rather grating. Like @julieclair said, her attitude towards her ⬇ 1mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) own family especially makes me somewhat uncomfortable. 1mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I felt the same about the long lists of flower names! I agree with @TheAromaofBooks that I wish there had been illustrations. I started looking up some of the flower names to get a visual for myself, but there were so many that I gave up after a while!! 1mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks I felt the same as all of you about Elizabeth as a person, and I eventually got tired of her as a character! I really enjoyed the book at first. I very much related to her need for solitude, and even to her somewhat caustic observations about her guests. But as the book goes on, she began to wear thin. I read that she wrote this semi-autobiographical book anonymously because she didn‘t think her ⬇ 1mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...aristocrat husband would approve of her writing commercial fiction… but I could see the reason equally being that both her guests and her husband would have taken issue with how they were portrayed! 1mo

16 likes8 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

Go home, Goodreads—you‘re drunk.

It just recommended me these four books because I‘m reading Elizabeth and Her German Garden… which couldn‘t have less to do with political scandals, becoming a million-dollar CEO, dating mishaps, or fat camp. 🤷🏻‍♀️I kept clicking through the suggestions, and they just kept getting more ridiculous!!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

Ruthiella The Goodreads algorithm is WHACK! But often good for a laugh! 😂 1mo

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella Often a laugh is all it‘s good for! 😂😂 1mo

julieclair This is hysterical! 1mo

27 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

“…with people dropping in at all hours and wanting to talk to you, how are you to get on with your life, I should like to know, and read your books, and dream your dreams to your satisfaction?”

Kindred spirits!! 💜

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, Vansa, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

Daisey So relatable! 1mo

Jari-chan Totally! 1mo

42 likes2 comments

LitsyEvents

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

Here's the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead schedule for October & November! We've got three #LMMAdjacent reads in October, then in November, we'll start Volume 3 of the complete #LMMJournals, with an #LMMReread of The Golden Road in the middle. I have separate tag lists for each, so (if you haven't already) let me know if you'd like to be tagged for any of the above! Discussions are on Saturdays, and all are welcome.

22 likes

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

This week begins our #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent read of Elizabeth and Her German Garden. LMM said of this book: “It was delightful—the whole book. My ‘twin soul‘ must live in Elizabeth—at least, as far as gardening is concerned.” 💜 I‘m really looking forward to this one!

All are welcome to join in—let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be.

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, Vansa, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 I love diary books so I‘m really looking forward to this one! 1mo

rubyslippersreads Please tag me. 😊 1mo

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Yes indeed! 😊 1mo

See All 6 Comments

Vansa Excellent, can\'t wait to start! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks ❤ ❤ ❤ 1mo

julieclair This has been on my TBR forever! Really looking forward to reading it together. 1mo

24 likes6 comments

BarbaraJean

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

Here‘s the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead schedule for October & November! We‘ve got three #LMMAdjacent reads in October, then in November, we‘ll start Volume 3 of the complete #LMMJournals, with an #LMMReread of The Golden Road in the middle. I have separate tag lists for each, so (if you haven‘t already) let me know if you‘d like to be tagged for any of the above! Discussions are on Saturdays, and all are welcome.

rubyslippersreads, Daisey, LeahBergen, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, Roary47, LitsyEvents, julieclair

TheAromaofBooks I\'m looking forward to starting Elizabeth and Her German Garden today. I was surprised to find it as a Penguin English Library Edition - maybe more popular in Britain than here? I heartily disliked the only other Hawthorne I\'ve read (The Scarlet Letter) so I\'m interested to see if I like Seven Gables any better 😂 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks My county library system has exactly ONE print copy of Elizabeth, which I\'ve put on hold because I\'m SUPER interested to get hold of it: the library catalog says it was published in 1913! I\'ve also only read Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne—I thought it was interesting, but not amazing—so I\'m also interested to see what I think of Seven Gables. The main criticism I\'ve seen is that it\'s not scary enough (which is a plus in my book!) 1mo

TheAromaofBooks The pretty Penguin edition was only $11 on Blackwell\'s website, so I splurged 😂 https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Elizabeth-and-Her-German-Garden-by-Eli... 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks The Penguin one is such a pretty edition! All the ebook covers on Hoopla are either generic or just terrible. 😂 1mo

24 likes4 comments

Booksbymybed

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

pick

I really enjoy Elizabeth Von Arnim‘s style, her descriptions are delicious, and her humor even when self deprecating is enjoyable . This book doesn‘t really have a plot, it‘s a semi-authobiographic diary-style book about her garden in a remote corner of Germany, at the turn of the century. It is nonetheless a delightful, cozy and calming little book, with some sharp social commentary inserted here and there.

7 likes1 stack add

Lucy_Anywhere

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

so-so

I enjoyed the first half of this witty semi-autobiographical novella in which a women seeks respite from her grumpy husband, her three young children and the stifling confines of aristocratic life through her well-intentioned if clumsy attempts to create a garden of her own. However, the second half is much more acerbic and her treatment of a young guest often veers into the cruel. A mixed bag.

20 likes

rachaich

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

The German Garden is a witty account of her love and adoration for her garden and the seasons...

13 likes

Bookwomble

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

bailed

Ok, having the gardener committed to a lunatic asylum for answering her back is the last straw for me! I mean, he was waving a revolver around, too, but even so.

If I could get past her, and admittedly my own, class issues I suspect there is a good book here, but as I can't do that there's no point in continuing. I now know for sure that "lives of entitled rich people" is not the genre for me.

TieDyeDude Have you read this book? Non fiction, but could be the complete opposite of what you just bailed on.

The Woman They Could Not Silence: The Timeless Story of One Woman's Journey to Be Heard

Graywacke I think you did the right thing. 2y

Bookwomble @TieDyeDude I've not read this, but it sounds very interesting. While the more egregious ways of using phoney mental health "concerns" against women may have been highlighted, sadly it has also been systemised into bogus and proliferating psychiatric diagnoses, with women far more likely than men to be found "suffering" from a "disorder" and then medicated. Which reminds me of a book on Mount TBR I want to get to

Drop the Disorder!: Challenging the Culture of Psychiatric Diagnosis

See All 7 Comments

Bookwomble @Graywacke I think I did the right thing, too 🙂 2y

TieDyeDude @Bookwomble Hmm, that book/philosophy could either be really interesting or infuriating 😆 I am in the age group it seems just before the Adderall age, so my social circle tends to have more of an issue being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. 2y

TieDyeDude The Woman They Could Not Silence does touch on how some women were thrown into an asylum and are basically driven to madness from the conditions and the"treatment". 2y

Bookwomble @TieDyeDude It's part of the anti-psychiatry movement which seeks to de-pathologise normal human responses and coping mechanisms related to trauma. While psychotropic drugs may have some role to play in short-term stabilisation, it's easier and more profitable for big business to mass medicate than it is to provide therapy to process and alleviate the trauma. 2y

31 likes7 comments

Bookwomble

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

"We are allowed by law to administer 'slight corporal punishment' to our servants, it being left entirely to individual taste to decide what 'slight' shall be."

Fucking hell! ?

DivineDiana Well, that is a shocking statement! 😲 2y

Bookwomble @DivineDiana She does go on to suggest that other toffs are, perhaps, too harsh with staff, but her reason for not punching her own servants in the head isn't because it's abusive and morally reprehensible, but because she would feel "wretched" if her tranquility were broken by the need to reprimand uppity maids. ?‍♂️ 2y

DivineDiana I‘m aghast! 😲 2y

25 likes3 comments

Bookwomble

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

"I went into the library, with its four windows open to the moonlight and the scent, and looked round at the familiar bookshelves, and could hear no sounds but the sounds of peace, and knew that here I might read or dream or idle exactly as I chose."
??

Bookwomble I'm struggling at times with Elizabeth's condescending attitude to the servants, by dint of whose labour, she patently does not grasp, she lives the "simple life" she understandably cherishes. She is, otherwise, a sympathetic character whose love of books, solitude and apparent social anxiety I can identify with. I do hope, though, there aren't many more long lists of flowers ????? 2y

Cathythoughts Nice looking cocktail 🍸 2y

Bookwomble @Cathythoughts Brandy, rosé vermouth, angostura bitters and a strawberry garnish 🍓 It might have a name, and is simple enough that it must have been made before, but I can only call it Raid on the Drinks Cabinet 😄 2y

Cathythoughts 👍🏻😂.. looks good. 2y

29 likes4 comments

Bookwomble

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

"I shall not let myself be frightened away by the sarcasm of owls." ??

Ok, I'm being won over; this line alone is worth the price of the book!
Also, I think a Sarcasm of Owls should be the collective noun for those sitting on the opposition benches of the Parliament of Owls.
(Ugh! If only I'd noticed the extraneous "to" on this meme before I'd posted it! ?)

rwmg Perhaps it's deliberate. Your dramatic life is fascinating but since I can't and won't do anything about it, just stare, what's the point? 2y

24 likes1 comment

Bookwomble

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

Lives of the privileged isn't my favourite genre, but holding onto a sense of my own relative privilege, loving that cover, hoping for something light and meditative, and needing a slim, portable book, looks like I'll be joining Elizabeth in her German garden (even if she'd likely call for the hounds to be released upon me 🐺😄)

Soubhiville That is a lovely cover. I‘ve been recommended this book a few times, so I‘m interested what you‘ll think of it. 🙂 2y

LeahBergen I enjoyed this but it‘s not my favourite of her books. 2y

Bookwomble @Soubhiville I thought it pretty much the same as the fertilizer Elizabeth uses on the roses in her German garden 🐎💩😄 2y

See All 7 Comments

Bookwomble @LeahBergen Definitely not for me. I couldn't see the book as the view was blocked by the enormous working-class chip on my shoulder 😁 2y

DivineDiana I do love the cover! 2y

Bookwomble @DivineDiana It's gorgeous - pity I didn't find the contents as attractive 😕 2y

LeahBergen 🤣🤣🤣 2y

28 likes7 comments

KarenUK

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

pick

Well, that was completely delightful. Originally #publishedanonymously (to avoid embarrassing her husband it seems!) This is a quiet novella of daily life… of a beautiful garden, bantering with her husband, her children, and an annoying house guest. Charming, gentle and a lovely escape…. A little gem. #pop21 Just 2 to go!!!

Megabooks, Cinfhen, Kalalalatja, alisiakae, BarbaraBB

Cinfhen Cover looks delightful 😁book sounds lovely 3y

BiblioLitten I really liked

The Enchanted April

Cathythoughts Gorgeous cover ❤️ 3y

MaureenMc And the ebook with this “cover” is $1.99. *click* 😁 3y

BarbaraBB That cover is 👌🏽! You‘re on a roll. You are almost there I guess! 3y

52 likes3 stack adds5 comments

LeahBergen

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

I randomly plucked this one off my shelves and I‘m loving it as much as the other von Arnims I‘ve read. 😍

TNbookworm Gorgeous! 3y

Cathythoughts What a great cover & title 😍 3y

CarolynM ❤ 3y

See All 6 Comments

batsy This photo 👌🏾 3y

LeahBergen @TNbookworm @Cathythoughts @CarolynM @batsy It‘s such a pretty, colourful cover. 😊 3y

erzascarletbookgasm I love the Vintage Red editions ❤️ 3y

71 likes1 stack add6 comments

Andrea313

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

Some shadowy #BookMail this afternoon! Is the work day over yet? I need to read this ASAP! #NewIn

quietjenn What a lovely edition! 4y

32 likes1 stack add1 comment

Tamra

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

pick

Perfect 19th C setting escapism for garden (nature) and people observers.

This novella and a children‘s book we read sparked a question for the kids and I about the use of the word “garden.” Being Americans, we refer to the grassy area surrounding the house the “yard” or “lawn” and “garden” refers to planted vegetable/flower plots. How do fellow Littens distinguish between grass and planted plots?

Inquiring minds want to know! 🤔

Tamra By the way, Elizabeth‘s garden for her is what books are to Readers. 😁 (edited) 5y

quietlycuriouskate Being British, I call the whole of our outside space "the garden". If I say, "I'm in the garden" I could be mowing the lawn, tending the veg plot or flower bed, or sitting out on the decking with a book! 5y

Cathythoughts She loved her garden so. I love mine , only hoping for some fine weather to be out there ❤️ 5y

See All 7 Comments

Tamra @Cathythoughts me too! 🌻🌞 5y

Tamra @kathedron 😄 5y

CarolynM In Australia we tend to use garden and yard interchangeably and both those terms include a lawn. The book is delightful, isn't it? 5y

Tamra @CarolynM yes, I loved Elizabeth‘s willingness to cast off society and opinion for what gave her pleasure. She buys fewer clothes for more seeds. 👍🏾 I laughed out loud at the comment that it wasn‘t a matter of the presence of dirt in a house, but whether it showed (hence the choice of a brown colored rug). 😂😂 Sharp & witty writing all over the place. I‘d like to get it in print to reread. 5y

63 likes1 stack add7 comments

Tamra

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

🤣 Elizabeth and Her German Toilet Paper

A little junior high humor to lighten Friday.

Velvetfur Hehehe I love this! Thank you for the chuckle! 😂 5y

Amandajoy Toilet Paper Comes to Pemberley 😆🧻

Death Comes to Pemberley

erzascarletbookgasm Haha! 5y

See All 9 Comments

Tamra @Amandajoy that would be welcome news! 😂 5y

quietlycuriouskate Yesterday I finished either The Toilet Paper's Invisible Furies, The Heart's Toilet Paper Furies or The Heart's Invisible Toilet Paper. I can't decide which one is best! 5y

Tamra @kathedron bah! 5y

marleed @kathedron hahaha! 5y

marleed Yesterday I finished Wild so I guess mine is Toilet Paper. 5y

Tamra @marleed 🤣👍🏾 5y

47 likes9 comments

merelybookish

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

pick

Charming chatter about gardening, guests, and life in the German countryside.

Tamra Sounds perfect right now. 5y

merelybookish @Tamra I really enjoyed it and it was funny in parts too. I guess early 20th c. books by aristocratic women is my pandemic jam. 5y

Tamra @merelybookish I just borrowed the audio. 😁 5y

See All 7 Comments

merelybookish @Tamra I listened to it as well. I hope you enjoy! 🌱 5y

Butterfinger I'm reading this. Are you reading for a Goodreads discussion? 5y

merelybookish @Butterfinger No. Just impulse. Saw it on my audio app. I've had it on my TBR for years. And it was not what I expected, in a good way. 5y

Butterfinger @merelybookish what is wrong with me? I am reading Elizabeth von Arnim, but it is The Enchanted April. Sorry. 5y

76 likes7 comments

catebutler

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

Homemade pizza (brushed olive oil, crispy bacon, caramelised onions, creamy goat cheese, arugula tossed in olive oil, lemon juice, a twist of salt & pepper, topped w/ balsamic glaze made from scratch), it‘s one of my favourite things to make for a laid back Friday evening. I‘m starting this delightful book, and Mr. S & I are finishing up the 2nd season of Stranger Things, so we can start the new season. Happy weekend!

batsy That looks and sounds so delicious! 5y

catebutler @batsy Thank you! I‘ll do different toppings depending on what we want, but this combo is one of my absolute favorites! 🤤 5y

erzascarletbookgasm What a pretty cover, and the pizza sounds amazing! Enjoy! 5y

See All 12 Comments

catebutler @erzascarletbookgasm Vintage Books always have the prettiest covers. And thank you! I hope your weekend is off to a great start! 5y

Libby1 What do you think about this book? I loved her book The Enchanted April.

The Enchanted April

catebutler @Libby1 I‘m really enjoying it so far. It‘s written as journal entries which I love, and is so witty and charming. And I adored, The Enchanted April! Since you did too, I‘d give this a try! 👍🏼 5y

mabell Lovely and delicious photo! 5y

Libby1 Thanks for the recommendation! 5y

catebutler @mabell Thank you!! 5y

catebutler @Libby1 Let me know what you think! Just a tip, I‘m finding reading this in small doses makes it really enjoyable, with the diary format. 5y

Freespirit That pizza looks delicious 😋 5y

catebutler @Freespirit It‘s one of my favourite kinds to make, so easy, and delicious! 5y

54 likes1 stack add12 comments

LeahBergen

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

#SellMeACoat like the one on this cover. 😆😆

#WinterWonderland

Cinfhen, TrishB

saresmoore Oh, hello, lovelies. 6y

Mimi28 Oooooo!!! 👍🏽👍🏽😍😍 6y

Tamra The cover! 6y

See All 15 Comments

CarolynM It's a good one!😍😍😍 (edited) 6y

DivineDiana Divine! 😉 6y

AlaMich Gorgeous covers! 6y

AlaMich I thought I‘d never heard of her but I just looked her up and realized she wrote The Enchanted April, which I loved. 6y

erzascarletbookgasm Ooh la la! 6y

Cinfhen Like a stunning painting ~ just gorgeous 6y

rubyslippersreads I‘m drooling over that cover! 6y

TrishB Yes please 😍 6y

batsy Oh that's a splendid cover 😍 6y

Centique For sure! 🙌🙌 6y

Aimeesue Oooooh, pritty! 6y

Moray_Reads More amazing covers from Vintage 6y

105 likes5 stack adds15 comments

Crinoline_Laphroaig

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

pick

I read this author strictly for the gardening bits. Her dreams of an all yellow garden. 💛
#yellowmakesmehappy

44 likes

Crinoline_Laphroaig

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

"but the greater part of my spring happiness is due to the scent of the wet earth and young leaves."

32 likes2 stack adds

ferskner

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

For yesterday! Any other Elizabeth von Arnim fans out there? #gardentitle #aprilbookshowers @RealLifeReading

Maude I liked the excerpt from the opening chapter :) 8y

RealLifeReading I loved

Enchanted April

30 likes2 stack adds2 comments

SharonGoforth

Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Arnim

My #gardentitle book resides on my #vintage shelf. This edition is from 1929 and was sent to me from England by an internet friend back when they had book groups on Yahoo (anyone remember those?) #aprilbookshowers

RealLifeReading

Suet624 Beautiful book! 8y

saresmoore It's a lovely edition! 8y

SharonGoforth @Suet624 @saresmoore Thanks! 😊 8y

See All 6 Comments

Jess_Read_This Gorgeous blue book! 💙💙 8y

rubyslippersreads 😍📚😍 8y

SharonGoforth @Jess_Read_This @rubyslippersreads Thanks! 😊 8y

66 likes6 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books