The Enchanted April

Discuss Lady Caroline’s characterization. What do you know about the impact of World War One on European history and culture? How does the character of Lady Caroline speak to the idea of a “lost generation”?

Research the author. How does her own history of unhappy marriages, widowhood, and affairs shape her ideas about women? Which of the novel’s characters embody traditional and non-traditional ideas about the role of women in the early 20th century?

The four female characters appear very different from one another, yet they do share some similarities. What do these women have in common? In what ways are their character arcs different or similar to one another?

Elizabeth von Arnim is not as widely read as many of her contemporaries. Still, her work share many themes with writers who rose to prominence in the early decades of the 20th century. How does this novel compare to those of Henry James, Edith Wharton, or other prominent figures of her day?

What role does the idea of “third spaces” play in this novel? How does the setting transform the characters? How does it contrast with their lives in England?

How does this novel depict religion? How might Mrs. Arbuthnot’s character both conformed to prevailing attitudes about Christianity but also challenged them?

Discuss this novel’s depictions of class. What role does class play in the lives of its female characters and their relationships with one another?

Research some of the Victorian authors who are important to Mrs. Fisher. How does their work differ from this novel in tone, theme, and/or subject matter? What role do these literary allusions play in the text?