Random Jottings

Happy Birthday Virago 3

"One rainy Sunday in January Mrs Palfrey, recently widowed, arrives at the Claremont Hotel in the Cromwell Road.  Here she will spend her remaining days.  Her fellow residents are a magnificently eccentric group who live off crumbs of affection, obsessive interest in the relentless round of hotel meals, and undying curiosity.  There is Mrs Burton with her mauve rinsed hair, her costume jewelery and her drinking; Mrs Arbuthnot, bossy and arthritic; Mr Osmond with his risque stories, his endless stream of letters to the press.  Together, upper lips stiffened, teeth gritted, they fight off their twin enemies: boredom and the grim Reaper.  And then one day Mrs Palfrey encounters the handsome young writer, Ludo, and we learn that even the old can fall in love....."

As with Jane Austen, Elizabeth Taylor's novels and stories are painted on a small canvas, a group of people in one place and a needle sharp winkling out of their insecurities, thoughts and feelings.  I picked this up in a second hand book shop (where else?) and took it home, entranced by the cover.  I am sure Virago are fed up with us all banging on about the Green jackets but I bought this purely and simply because it was Green, and discovered a wonderful writer.  Another edition and I would probably not have given it a glance and that would have been my loss.  A wonderful story.

The painting is by Margaret Foreman and is a portrait of Mrs Mabel Whitehead.  My apologies to Mrs Whitehead but this will always be Mrs Palfrey to me.

Virago Birthday: 2

I discovered this book by sheer accident when wandering around Waterstones in Colchester on a wet, rainy day and for some reason picked this up wondering who on earth this author was.  Ten minutes later after standing reading the first two chapters and discovering that a downtrodden, middle aged woman, seeking refuge from her boring life and the pouring rain, decided to rent a castle in Italy for a month I knew this was for me. How could I resist?  Book duly bought and back home.  Three hours later back in Waterstones, checking for other books by Elizabeth von Arnim, and came home with the five that were then currently in print. And, thus, my love for this author was born.

Since then I have scoured bookshops and internet sites and have managed to obtain all but one of her titles.  I have spent the last year or two fruitlessly searching for a copy of In the Mountains to finish my collection, but as the cheapest one I could track down was £200+ I decided to let it go.  I have since discovered that Virago are to publish this long lost book this year and of course I was totally thrilled to bits.  BUT what sort of cover will they use?  I have written to them, but have received not reply so will try again, methinks. It simply must have a Green copy.  It must.  Watch this space .....

This is the original cover of The Enchanted April.  The copy I purchased had Josie Lawrence on the front, a still from the film, and was not a cover I particularly liked, but as I was unaware of the above I settled with it until one day came across this edition on a website and purchased it instantly.  I love its clarity, texture and colour and I am afraid my previous copy went to a charity shop and this took its place (sorry Josie, nothing personal).

A year or two ago Virago reprinted Fraulein Schmidt and Mr Anstruther and used the same Green cover as originally.  I found this somewhat puzzling as all the other E von A they have in print, had the more modern covers (which I dislike intensely - now there is a surprise...) so was slightly bemused by the decision not to update this one. Why?  Then Vera (her masterpiece I think) was reprinted, new picture, but still in the style of the Green covers.  Delighted to see this and then what did they do?  Yellow sticker on front 'By author of Elizabeth and the German Garden', went to peel it off and found to my utter amazement that it was an integral part of the cover and could not be removed.  Totally barmy.  Out it went and in came an original edition.

If you have not read any Elizabeth von Arnim then I do beg you to try them.  All of them, without exception, are beautifully written, they are witty and funny and will make your chortle.  Vera, a portrait of an abusive marriage, is a stand out novel in her bibliography, the one that she regards as her 'proper' novel and stands the test of time. This one will not make you laugh, but it might make you wince - chilling and stunning.

If proof were needed that any Virago book with a Green cover sent out a signal that there are joys and wonderful discoveries contained therein, then The Enchanted April provides it, in spades.