Author: Elizabeth von Arnim
The Solitary Summer is a reflective, semi-autobiographical garden diary by Elizabeth von Arnim, who has also written another book about her garden, Elizabeth and Her German Garden, which is on my to-read list. I previously read, and loved, other books by von Arnim, The Enchanted April, Love, and Mr. Skeffington.
The Solitary Summer blends personal reflection, nature writing, and social critique. The latter comes later in the book and surprises a reader because you no longer expect anything other than writing about the garden and a troublesome marriage (the husband is just called the Man of Wrath), which runs as an undertone to garden writing. The book follows a summer spent largely alone in a rural German estate garden, and the story unfolds as a series of observations such as the rhythms of gardening and seasonal change, the pleasures of solitude and independence for one that does not like her life (thus, this novel is also about marriage and unpleasant life where one does not fit in; so, misalignment too), resistance to social obligations, particularly those imposed on women, and encounters with visitors who disrupt peace.
The solitude is portrayed as autonomy because the author writes about solitude as a form of control and self-definition. Nature becomes a refuge because the garden is not just pretty but meaningful as a contrast to social chaos and the need to keep up appearances. In this disdain of keeping up appearances and having to engage in social obligations, the author sometimes shifts into naivete because she portrays working-class women as freer than herself, due to not having social obligations, and she dreams of poverty and having time for herself, oblivious to the household chores these women have to complete, even though she notices and mentions them. But, she does not seem to connect the dots of working-class women not really having time for themselves to enjoy. Yes, they are alone in the house during the day, but they cook, clean, and look after their children themselves, something von Arnim notices when visiting the village, including expressing dismay at a child having to do chores when she meets the new priest and his family. She seems to daydream, however, of poverty and solitude.
There is also a subtle feminist critique in the book because the author questions expectations placed on women, particularly hosting, sociability, and domestic performance. This is done well, and like I previously argued, von Arnim can be seen as a feminist. There is also dry humor running through the book, especially about visitors who disturbed von Arnim’s peace.
This book is basically about nature memoir and slow living, something that is a trend promoted and endorsed now, so von Arnim was ahead of her time with her writing. The Solitary Summer offers an early example of domestic space as intellectual and emotional territory aligning with themes of taste, cultivation, and social signaling, which has sociological value.
The Solitary Summer is a short book but very compelling, as with other books by this author. It goes without saying that I will keep reading books by Elizabeth von Arnim, and once I finish them all, I will, no doubt, return to some of them.
Thank you for reading!