Orientation
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Title of Book : The Enchanted April
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Author :
Elizabeth von Arnim
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Publisher : Dian Rakyat
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Year of Published : 2003
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Place of Published : Jakarta
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Pages : 80 pages
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Size : 11,6 cm x 18,6 cm
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Detail : Novel
Interpretative
Recount
It was a cold afternoon in February,
Mrs. Wilkins was unhappy. She is a young woman who is married. And she looked
at newspaper advertisements about an Italian villa for rent the following
April. She was excited and immediately asked Mrs. Arbuthnot to rent the villa
together in hopes of reawakening their joy in life. They had the same problem,
which is they both struggled to make the best of their unhappy marriages. Mrs.
Arbuthnot agreed and took the responsibility for making arrangements with Mr.
Briggs, the villa’s owner. They also invited
the aristocratic Lady Caroline and the imperious Mrs. Fisher to joined them.
They
were enjoying their holiday in Italy. The garden in San Salvatore was
beautiful, the sun was shining and the sea was flat and calm. In San Salvatore,
they shared each other about their life and love. Mrs. Fisher felt lonely
without a husband. Mrs. Arbuthnot and Mrs. Wlikins unhappy because they had too
little love. Their husband was so busy. But, Lady Caroline was having a headache
with too much love from many young men who wanted to marry her. So, she
left London to avoid them.
Over the course of their vacation, each of the women
experienced awakenings of feeling and insight. Mrs. Wilkins found so much joy
and freedom, so she decided to share it with her husband. Mr. Wilkins felt
grateful for the opportunity he got. Lady Caroline realized that much of her
life isn’t interesting. She also realized that she loved Thomas Briggs. Mrs.
Fisher felt stirrings of a new and youthful desire to engage in the world and
in life, while Mrs. Arbuthnot decided to ease her guilt by following the
example of Mrs. Wilkins and inviting her husband to join her.
On
the first of May, everyone left San Salvatore. They all changed and they were
completely happy. All four women renewed in life, love, and spirit.
Evaluation
Overall,
this book has a very good story. The writing is great. The
basic idea of the plot is vaguely interesting. We like the way the writer
deliver the story, and it is easy to get into the story. The character portraits of the four leading ladies are a lot of
fun. The word pictures of the settings, from the dreary London women’s
club to glorious San Salvatore is also very interesting. It plays a significant
role in the story. And we think the writer is successfully telling the moral story
to the reader.
The downside is the topic may not be interesting for some
people. If you like books that are an older style of writing, then this book is
for you.
The
moral story from this novel is we must have a love for life so we can live
happily and be grateful for all the things that we already have. Also, if you are feeling stuck,
dull, bored with your life, it means that you need a break from your daily
routine to renew yourself.
Summation
If you ask, is it a great book? We think yes. It’s one of
the best books we have ever read. We would highly recommend this book to anyone
who likes a classic story and an older style of writing. It may not suitable for all
teenagers, but it is very suitable for an adult.
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