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Christopher and Columbus
First published in 1919, Christopher and Columbus relates the journey of orphaned twins, Anna Rose and Anna Felicitas von Twinkle, on a journey of discovery across the ocean from England to America during WWI. Born of a German father and English mother and not belonging culturally to either nation, the twins travel to America in hopes of starting anew and finding relatives to take them in.
512 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1919
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347 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth von Arnim
220 books666 followersElizabeth von Arnim, born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was an English novelist. Born in Australia, she married a German aristocrat, and her earliest works are set in Germany. Her first marriage made her Countess von Arnim-Schlagenthin and her second Elizabeth Russell, Countess Russell. After her first husband's death, she had a three-year affair with the writer H.G. Wells, then later married Earl Russell, elder brother of the Nobel prize-winner and philosopher Bertrand Russell. She was a cousin of the New Zealand-born writer Katherine Mansfield. Though known in early life as May, her first book introduced her to readers as Elizabeth, which she eventually became to friends and finally to family. Her writings are ascribed to Elizabeth von Arnim. She used the pseudonym Alice Cholmondeley for only one novel, Christine, published in 1917.
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September 27, 2020
I can only give this book by Elizabeth von Arnim 2 stars. The main reason was a combination of a blasé story line told in 500 pages. I have not reached the half-way point of Elizabeth’s novels but this was by far the longest novel in length, and I am not sure why she strung out the novel to such a length for the story she had to tell. I think if she had pared this down, which I feel she easily could have done, I would have given it 3 stars. For 500 pages, there’d better be a damn good reason to go that long, and not just for writing clever or funny things for that duration. IMHO 😑
I should note that three blogger’s reviews were extremely favorable towards this novel, which goes to show you how much I know. 🙁
Brief Synopsis: Two 17-year-old twins, Anna-Rose (the older by several minutes) and Anna-Felicitas, are living with their aunt and uncle in England. Their father was German and their mother was British and had died, hence why they were now living with relatives in England. The relatives tired of them (as well there was a war going on and the girls were half-German and there was anti-German bias) and shunted them off to America to live with other relatives. Anna-Rose tells Anna-Felicitas they should be named Christopher (Anna-Rose) and Columbus (Anna-Felicitas) because they were off to discover America. On the journey by sea from Great Britain to New York, a man in his 30s, Mr. Twist, befriends them because they appear to be lost in the ways of the world. He is a nice guy and looks after them. Turns out one set of relatives doesn’t want them, so they end up sticking with Mr. Twist and they end up in California, near Tijuana, after taking a train from New York-Chicago to California. A second set of relatives can’t take them in. The novel takes place while Great Britain is at war with Germany in WWI. And I can’t say anything much more because then I would give away the plot, what’s left of it.
So here are a couple of interesting things that I could glean about this novel:
• One of the characters near the end of the novel is a convalescing British seaman who was wounded during the Battle of Jutland (May 31 & June 1, 1916), a naval battle in which Britain won over Germany. Elizabeth von Arnim’s nephew (British), whom she was fond of, died in that battle when the Black Prince (British) was sunk. The nephew was a commander on the ship. Supposedly Elizabeth was hit hard by the death…this occurred at about the same time one of her daughters, Felicitas, stuck in Germany because of the war, died of pneumonia (on or around May 1, 1916). Note that one of the main character’s names in the novel is Anna-Felicitas. Elizabeth has 4 daughters and a son, but she supposedly was particularly close to Felicitas (Felicitas was perhaps the daughter who most resembled her mother; she was bright, very musical and had “imaginativeness, gaiety, charm”. Elizabeth found Felicitas “too sweet and clever for anything – so extremely and delightfully and intelligently interested”. From https://elizabethvonarnimsociety.org/...).
• It turns out that Elizabeth about four months after her daughter’s death sailed from England to New York and her ship was chased by a German submarine as it left British waters, just as Anna-Rose’s and Anna-Felicita’s ship was chased by a German submarine in the novel. While in the US, Elizabeth took a train ride from New York-Chicago to California just as did Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicita in the novel. It is said that “This mode of slow transport, unfortunately not practical to us as we make our way to California by plane, allowed ‘Elizabeth’ time to absorb the changes in climate as they passed across the country. She was able to make use of this when she came to write her novel, Christopher and Columbus (1919), which includes a magical description of the transformation in scenery and climate that occurs on arrival at San Bernardino. This, for ‘Elizabeth’, was where winter ended and the beginning of warmth, light and hope began.” https://elizabethvonarnimsociety.org/...
• So it appears Elizabeth took snippets of her life and put some of it into this novel.
As usual Elizabeth has a humorous way of writing. A couple of examples:
• “…he would have been very handsome indeed if he hadn’t had a face.”
• A woman who is acting as a chaperone to the twins, Mrs. Bilton, is thinking… “If Mr. Bilton could see her now he would certainly turn in his grave. Well, she was a woman of wit, of adhesiveness to her guns: if Mr. Bilton did see her and did turn in his grave, let him; he would, she dared say, be comfortable on his other side after all these years,”
There were also statements made regarding African Americans that were racially tinged (e.g., “The black porter, whose heart happened not to be black…” “After he had gone, and punctually to the minute of her appointment, an over-flowing negress appeared and announced that she was the coloured lady from South Carolina to whom the gentleman had written.”). Which made me uncomfortable. I suppose I have to remember the prevailing ways in which Blacks were viewed in 1909 in Great Britain and the US.
Reviews:
https://thecaptivereader.com/2011/12/...
https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2020/...
https://whathasbeenread.wordpress.com...
I read from the second edition of the novel (Macmillan and Co. Limited, St. Martin’s Street, London, April 1919). The novel had also been re-issued by Virago Modern Classics in 1994.
I should note that three blogger’s reviews were extremely favorable towards this novel, which goes to show you how much I know. 🙁
Brief Synopsis: Two 17-year-old twins, Anna-Rose (the older by several minutes) and Anna-Felicitas, are living with their aunt and uncle in England. Their father was German and their mother was British and had died, hence why they were now living with relatives in England. The relatives tired of them (as well there was a war going on and the girls were half-German and there was anti-German bias) and shunted them off to America to live with other relatives. Anna-Rose tells Anna-Felicitas they should be named Christopher (Anna-Rose) and Columbus (Anna-Felicitas) because they were off to discover America. On the journey by sea from Great Britain to New York, a man in his 30s, Mr. Twist, befriends them because they appear to be lost in the ways of the world. He is a nice guy and looks after them. Turns out one set of relatives doesn’t want them, so they end up sticking with Mr. Twist and they end up in California, near Tijuana, after taking a train from New York-Chicago to California. A second set of relatives can’t take them in. The novel takes place while Great Britain is at war with Germany in WWI. And I can’t say anything much more because then I would give away the plot, what’s left of it.
So here are a couple of interesting things that I could glean about this novel:
• One of the characters near the end of the novel is a convalescing British seaman who was wounded during the Battle of Jutland (May 31 & June 1, 1916), a naval battle in which Britain won over Germany. Elizabeth von Arnim’s nephew (British), whom she was fond of, died in that battle when the Black Prince (British) was sunk. The nephew was a commander on the ship. Supposedly Elizabeth was hit hard by the death…this occurred at about the same time one of her daughters, Felicitas, stuck in Germany because of the war, died of pneumonia (on or around May 1, 1916). Note that one of the main character’s names in the novel is Anna-Felicitas. Elizabeth has 4 daughters and a son, but she supposedly was particularly close to Felicitas (Felicitas was perhaps the daughter who most resembled her mother; she was bright, very musical and had “imaginativeness, gaiety, charm”. Elizabeth found Felicitas “too sweet and clever for anything – so extremely and delightfully and intelligently interested”. From https://elizabethvonarnimsociety.org/...).
• It turns out that Elizabeth about four months after her daughter’s death sailed from England to New York and her ship was chased by a German submarine as it left British waters, just as Anna-Rose’s and Anna-Felicita’s ship was chased by a German submarine in the novel. While in the US, Elizabeth took a train ride from New York-Chicago to California just as did Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicita in the novel. It is said that “This mode of slow transport, unfortunately not practical to us as we make our way to California by plane, allowed ‘Elizabeth’ time to absorb the changes in climate as they passed across the country. She was able to make use of this when she came to write her novel, Christopher and Columbus (1919), which includes a magical description of the transformation in scenery and climate that occurs on arrival at San Bernardino. This, for ‘Elizabeth’, was where winter ended and the beginning of warmth, light and hope began.” https://elizabethvonarnimsociety.org/...
• So it appears Elizabeth took snippets of her life and put some of it into this novel.
As usual Elizabeth has a humorous way of writing. A couple of examples:
• “…he would have been very handsome indeed if he hadn’t had a face.”
• A woman who is acting as a chaperone to the twins, Mrs. Bilton, is thinking… “If Mr. Bilton could see her now he would certainly turn in his grave. Well, she was a woman of wit, of adhesiveness to her guns: if Mr. Bilton did see her and did turn in his grave, let him; he would, she dared say, be comfortable on his other side after all these years,”
There were also statements made regarding African Americans that were racially tinged (e.g., “The black porter, whose heart happened not to be black…” “After he had gone, and punctually to the minute of her appointment, an over-flowing negress appeared and announced that she was the coloured lady from South Carolina to whom the gentleman had written.”). Which made me uncomfortable. I suppose I have to remember the prevailing ways in which Blacks were viewed in 1909 in Great Britain and the US.
Reviews:
https://thecaptivereader.com/2011/12/...
https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2020/...
https://whathasbeenread.wordpress.com...
I read from the second edition of the novel (Macmillan and Co. Limited, St. Martin’s Street, London, April 1919). The novel had also been re-issued by Virago Modern Classics in 1994.
abandoned
June 3, 2016I thought this would be a fun light read, but it turned out to be a good example of a book that has not stood the test of time. (Amusingly, the bookjacket states that it's set on the eve of WWII - given that the book was published in 1919, naming the wrong war should have been an easy mistake to catch.) I read 131 pages and it had yet to arrive at a plot. A novel's got to have something at stake; even if it's just "can the protagonist keep the surprise party a secret?", there has to be something going on that makes us want to keep reading. I will get my dose of escapism elsewhere.
November 8, 2025
As much as I love Elizabeth von Arnim, I can only give this book three stars. It was way too long for the story it is telling. Enjoyable enough but glad to be moving onto something else.
May 23, 2016
Siamo agli albori del primo conflitto mondiale in questo bel romanzo di Elizabeth Von Armin intitolato “Cristoforo e Colombo”, dove le gemelle Anna Rose e Anna Felicitas Von Twinkler sono due ragazze tedesche orfane di entrambi i genitori che vengono affidate alle cure dell’inglese zio Arthur e consorte. Eh no, soluzione a dir poco inaccettabile per l’insofferente zio: le giovani sono tedesche, praticamente il nemico, e non può in alcun modo tenersele in casa.
Nemmeno il tempo di abituarsi al nuovo tetto famigliare, che le due sorelle vengono imbarcate: sì, mandarle in America è l’unica scelta auspicabile, se ne occuperanno altri amici di famiglia.
Durante la traversata oceanica Anna Rose (soprannominata Cristoforo) e Anna Felicitas (Colombo) conosceranno il gentile Mr. Twist, un ingegnere che ha fatto fortuna inventando la teiera con beccuccio salvagoccia, “più famosa e usata della Bibbia, nelle case degli americani” come verremo presto edotti dall’autrice stessa.
Nello slancio di fare del bene, Mr Twist ha tuttavia mal considerato le conseguenze del familiarizzare troppo con le gemelle: naif, un po’ saccenti, quasi totalmente sprovviste di tatto, le Von Twinkler si ritroveranno, una volta sbarcate, ad affrontare avventure e disastri sotto l’ala protettiva dell’ingegnere che le considera alla stregua di sante reliquie. Prima cosa da fare, certo eliminare il “Von” dal cognome delle due sorelle: per un paese come l’America che si appresta ad andare in guerra, certo non è l’ideale presentare le due avvenenti giovani come tedesche ..
Elizabeth Von Armin è un’ autrice che adoro: nata in Australia nel 1866 ha viaggiato praticamente ovunque e i suoi scritti sovente ne traggono vantaggio – Inghilterra, Francia, Svizzera, Stati Uniti per citarne alcuni– qui si avvale della consueta arguzia per delineare i contorni di una situazione molto originale.
Siamo in piena Prima Guerra Mondiale e i tedeschi da apprezzati vicini sono diventati emblema della prepotenza bellica. Dalla felice condizione di figlie amate e venerate, le (Von) Twinkler si ritrovano mal volute e sballottate come pacchi posta indesiderati da un capo all’altro del globo, senza forse avere neanche il carattere per comprendere tutte le sfaccettature del delicato periodo storico in cui versano (l’autrice le ha delineate a mio parere un po’ sulla falsa riga di Pollyanna e Anna Shirley: io le definirei “dolcemente sconnesse dal mondo”).
Tralasciando la prima parte un po’ corposa e prolissa, a volte è il tratto archetipo della Von Armin, dalla seconda metà il romanzo prende forza e prosegue sorretto da quella magistrale abilità dell’autrice di descrivere qualsiasi tipo di situazione con sagacia e ironia, certo aiutata dall’incredibile propensione alla scrittura (la Von Armin scrive benissimo, è innegabile), terminando infine con un piacevole happy ending.
Argute e piacevoli, le letture della Von Armin sono come bignè da gustare uno dietro l’altro, accompagnati da un po’ di thè, e con il dovuto spazio da lasciare tra l’una e l’altra, per non incappare in quell’ indigestione che ne precluderebbe il piacere.
Nemmeno il tempo di abituarsi al nuovo tetto famigliare, che le due sorelle vengono imbarcate: sì, mandarle in America è l’unica scelta auspicabile, se ne occuperanno altri amici di famiglia.
Durante la traversata oceanica Anna Rose (soprannominata Cristoforo) e Anna Felicitas (Colombo) conosceranno il gentile Mr. Twist, un ingegnere che ha fatto fortuna inventando la teiera con beccuccio salvagoccia, “più famosa e usata della Bibbia, nelle case degli americani” come verremo presto edotti dall’autrice stessa.
Nello slancio di fare del bene, Mr Twist ha tuttavia mal considerato le conseguenze del familiarizzare troppo con le gemelle: naif, un po’ saccenti, quasi totalmente sprovviste di tatto, le Von Twinkler si ritroveranno, una volta sbarcate, ad affrontare avventure e disastri sotto l’ala protettiva dell’ingegnere che le considera alla stregua di sante reliquie. Prima cosa da fare, certo eliminare il “Von” dal cognome delle due sorelle: per un paese come l’America che si appresta ad andare in guerra, certo non è l’ideale presentare le due avvenenti giovani come tedesche ..
Elizabeth Von Armin è un’ autrice che adoro: nata in Australia nel 1866 ha viaggiato praticamente ovunque e i suoi scritti sovente ne traggono vantaggio – Inghilterra, Francia, Svizzera, Stati Uniti per citarne alcuni– qui si avvale della consueta arguzia per delineare i contorni di una situazione molto originale.
Siamo in piena Prima Guerra Mondiale e i tedeschi da apprezzati vicini sono diventati emblema della prepotenza bellica. Dalla felice condizione di figlie amate e venerate, le (Von) Twinkler si ritrovano mal volute e sballottate come pacchi posta indesiderati da un capo all’altro del globo, senza forse avere neanche il carattere per comprendere tutte le sfaccettature del delicato periodo storico in cui versano (l’autrice le ha delineate a mio parere un po’ sulla falsa riga di Pollyanna e Anna Shirley: io le definirei “dolcemente sconnesse dal mondo”).
Tralasciando la prima parte un po’ corposa e prolissa, a volte è il tratto archetipo della Von Armin, dalla seconda metà il romanzo prende forza e prosegue sorretto da quella magistrale abilità dell’autrice di descrivere qualsiasi tipo di situazione con sagacia e ironia, certo aiutata dall’incredibile propensione alla scrittura (la Von Armin scrive benissimo, è innegabile), terminando infine con un piacevole happy ending.
Argute e piacevoli, le letture della Von Armin sono come bignè da gustare uno dietro l’altro, accompagnati da un po’ di thè, e con il dovuto spazio da lasciare tra l’una e l’altra, per non incappare in quell’ indigestione che ne precluderebbe il piacere.
January 18, 2018
At the beginning of WWI, two orphaned twins find themselves en route to the US to find their fortunes, having various comic adventures along the way.
But the back story is more complicated. The twins are Anna-Rosa and Anna-Felícitas, and they give themselves the nicknames of ‘Christopher” and “Columbus”. (Although they have distinct personalities, it took me awhile to sort out which twin was which.).
While raised in their father’s home in Germany, the Annas think of themselves as English like their mother and like the aunt and uncle they were living with in England after her death. Unfortunately, no one else thinks of them as English, partly because of their German accents and partly because of their German citizenship, and with the beginning of Britain’s involvement in WWI, rising anti-German feeling leads their uncle to send the twins off to the US to stay with friends while they look for employment. By the way, the twins are seventeen, beautiful, and naive which leads to various comic scenarios, based on miscommunication and the twins’ self-satisfied assurance they know what’s what.
There are some funny scenes and some interesting characters the twins meet along the way, including a middle-aged inventor and an elderly, talkative widow. The first part dragged, but the story moved more quickly when the twins traveled to California and pursued a new career. (Note: The author seems to think Acapulco, where the twins spend the second half of the book, is in California instead of Mexico).
As a modern reader, I knew about anti-German feeling during WWI and WWII and anti-Japanese feeling during WWII, including the unfair internment of Japanese-American citizens in the USA. If the author addressed this type of wartime hysteria, she could have added an interesting perspective, especially since she was married to a German aristocrat and lived in Germany before the first world war.
But, this book is a product of its times, published in 1919, and in the author’s presentation of the German characters the twins encounter on the boat and in the US, she endorses typical stereotypes. Apparently, the author was okay with the anti-German prejudice; she just didn’t think their half-German ancestry should be held against her two main characters. Somewhat inconsistently, she several times refers approvingly to the twins’ “Junker” (Prussian noble) social status, but if they are “not” German, do they still keep their German social status, and is it a good thing to have?
Sometimes I can “forgive” a flawed book because it’s “of its time”’ but in this book, the issue was central to the story and the characters. There are also a few stereotypical statements about other ethnicities.
But the back story is more complicated. The twins are Anna-Rosa and Anna-Felícitas, and they give themselves the nicknames of ‘Christopher” and “Columbus”. (Although they have distinct personalities, it took me awhile to sort out which twin was which.).
While raised in their father’s home in Germany, the Annas think of themselves as English like their mother and like the aunt and uncle they were living with in England after her death. Unfortunately, no one else thinks of them as English, partly because of their German accents and partly because of their German citizenship, and with the beginning of Britain’s involvement in WWI, rising anti-German feeling leads their uncle to send the twins off to the US to stay with friends while they look for employment. By the way, the twins are seventeen, beautiful, and naive which leads to various comic scenarios, based on miscommunication and the twins’ self-satisfied assurance they know what’s what.
There are some funny scenes and some interesting characters the twins meet along the way, including a middle-aged inventor and an elderly, talkative widow. The first part dragged, but the story moved more quickly when the twins traveled to California and pursued a new career. (Note: The author seems to think Acapulco, where the twins spend the second half of the book, is in California instead of Mexico).
As a modern reader, I knew about anti-German feeling during WWI and WWII and anti-Japanese feeling during WWII, including the unfair internment of Japanese-American citizens in the USA. If the author addressed this type of wartime hysteria, she could have added an interesting perspective, especially since she was married to a German aristocrat and lived in Germany before the first world war.
But, this book is a product of its times, published in 1919, and in the author’s presentation of the German characters the twins encounter on the boat and in the US, she endorses typical stereotypes. Apparently, the author was okay with the anti-German prejudice; she just didn’t think their half-German ancestry should be held against her two main characters. Somewhat inconsistently, she several times refers approvingly to the twins’ “Junker” (Prussian noble) social status, but if they are “not” German, do they still keep their German social status, and is it a good thing to have?
Sometimes I can “forgive” a flawed book because it’s “of its time”’ but in this book, the issue was central to the story and the characters. There are also a few stereotypical statements about other ethnicities.
June 21, 2018
With Christopher and Columbus, Elizabeth Von Arnim has written a light hearted comedy reminiscent of Three Men on the Bummel, but with a hint of Don Quixote’s social commentary. In her hands the story is charming and humorous rather than funny with just a threat of things going to a darker place. This is very family friendly. There is no bad language and never more than a hint of potential naughtiness. Pre-teen daughters, not demanding princesses or magical beasts may find themselves taken by this view of the world that once was and any adult wanting a soft read that is never saccharine can spend a few hours with a comfortable book. It almost has a bite, but only almost.
The title comes from the names the two central characters give to themselves. The time is World War I just before America’s entry. The two girls are 17 yr. old non-identical twins named Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicitas von Twinkler. The ‘von’ matters because they are half German. The story finds them as orphans landed into the hands of their late mother’s British relations. Anti-German feelings and the twins unmistakable rolling ‘R” s make England an uncomfortable place for the girls and more so for their less than hospitable near relations. The decision is made to ship them to America where it is hoped some vaguely known friends will take them in.
Aboard ship they are immediately faced with the prospect of being torpedoed and give themselves the names Christopher and Columbus in an effort to help them see the trip as an adventure of discovery.
Not much to laugh at so far. Things begin to get better when they are taken under the wing of the rich, not handsome, Mr. Twist. He is a kindly, good man with no motive other than a sense that these two pretty girls need protection and an appreciation for their exaggerated innocence and intelligent .. insouciance is not entirely the right word. The girls have and hold on to a very practical sense of the world, but one that is uncomplicated and, well no they can be complicated. … the best words are hard to select. Mr. Twist is completely charmed, and we, like him will find ourselves alternating between admiration for their strength of will and underlying grit, even as we can be frustrated by their ignorance of the world outside of themselves.
The trio travel together first to the homes of the people they had been sent to visit, then to Mr. Twist’s most unpleasant New England Mother and on to California. Individual adventures can come close to being very dark, but Ms. Von Arnim never gives us over to the worst of what might have been.
Christopher and Columbus is a comedy in the classical definition. The best way to enjoy it is to try and be like the Girls. A little too innocent, but open to next adventure.
The title comes from the names the two central characters give to themselves. The time is World War I just before America’s entry. The two girls are 17 yr. old non-identical twins named Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicitas von Twinkler. The ‘von’ matters because they are half German. The story finds them as orphans landed into the hands of their late mother’s British relations. Anti-German feelings and the twins unmistakable rolling ‘R” s make England an uncomfortable place for the girls and more so for their less than hospitable near relations. The decision is made to ship them to America where it is hoped some vaguely known friends will take them in.
Aboard ship they are immediately faced with the prospect of being torpedoed and give themselves the names Christopher and Columbus in an effort to help them see the trip as an adventure of discovery.
Not much to laugh at so far. Things begin to get better when they are taken under the wing of the rich, not handsome, Mr. Twist. He is a kindly, good man with no motive other than a sense that these two pretty girls need protection and an appreciation for their exaggerated innocence and intelligent .. insouciance is not entirely the right word. The girls have and hold on to a very practical sense of the world, but one that is uncomplicated and, well no they can be complicated. … the best words are hard to select. Mr. Twist is completely charmed, and we, like him will find ourselves alternating between admiration for their strength of will and underlying grit, even as we can be frustrated by their ignorance of the world outside of themselves.
The trio travel together first to the homes of the people they had been sent to visit, then to Mr. Twist’s most unpleasant New England Mother and on to California. Individual adventures can come close to being very dark, but Ms. Von Arnim never gives us over to the worst of what might have been.
Christopher and Columbus is a comedy in the classical definition. The best way to enjoy it is to try and be like the Girls. A little too innocent, but open to next adventure.
January 4, 2018
Godibile come tutti i libri della Arnim, ma un po’ verboso e prolisso. Vien da chiedersi cosa avrebbe tratto Wharton o James dalla stessa materia, ma forse non ci si sarebbero mai applicati per la mancanza di spessore dei personaggi.
Anne Rose e Anne Felicitas, inglesi per parte di madre e teutoniche per padre, si ritrovano catapultate dalla felice condizione di figlie amate a orfane a carico di parenti (il meraviglioso zio Arthur, l’unico che non soccombe al loro fascino) sempre più insofferenti. Anche perché siamo in piena Prima Guerra Mondiale, e i tedeschi da vicini adorati e ammirati sono diventati degli insopportabili prepotenti.
Il tentativo di zio Arthur (zio acquisito per matrimonio) di disfarsi di loro prevede il loro trasferimento oltreoceano, in America dove si presume siano più accoglienti verso le due fanciulle. Le due fanciulle sono insopportabilmente naive e saccenti, ma per loro fortuna sulla nave che le trasborda incontrano Mr Twist (Teiera Twist, che ha fatto fortuna inventando una teiera con beccuccio antigocciolio, più famosa e usata della Bibbia nelle case degli americani, come veniamo resi edotti) che si intenerisce di fronte alle due cucciole e le tratta come due gattini abbandonati.
Le cucciole attraversano gli eventi con uno spirito a metà tra Pollyanna e Alice, senza però suscitare metà della loro simpatia, sorrette solo dalla magistrale abilità di Arnim di descrivere personaggi e situazioni con uno sguardo tra l’ironico e il dileggiante.
Perché di questo si tratta: un bignè ricoperto di panna, che nasconde un ripieno sulfureo (però troppo corposo, che alla fine impaluga [termine tecnico per dire che si dilunga un po’ troppo]).
Anne Rose e Anne Felicitas, inglesi per parte di madre e teutoniche per padre, si ritrovano catapultate dalla felice condizione di figlie amate a orfane a carico di parenti (il meraviglioso zio Arthur, l’unico che non soccombe al loro fascino) sempre più insofferenti. Anche perché siamo in piena Prima Guerra Mondiale, e i tedeschi da vicini adorati e ammirati sono diventati degli insopportabili prepotenti.
Il tentativo di zio Arthur (zio acquisito per matrimonio) di disfarsi di loro prevede il loro trasferimento oltreoceano, in America dove si presume siano più accoglienti verso le due fanciulle. Le due fanciulle sono insopportabilmente naive e saccenti, ma per loro fortuna sulla nave che le trasborda incontrano Mr Twist (Teiera Twist, che ha fatto fortuna inventando una teiera con beccuccio antigocciolio, più famosa e usata della Bibbia nelle case degli americani, come veniamo resi edotti) che si intenerisce di fronte alle due cucciole e le tratta come due gattini abbandonati.
Le cucciole attraversano gli eventi con uno spirito a metà tra Pollyanna e Alice, senza però suscitare metà della loro simpatia, sorrette solo dalla magistrale abilità di Arnim di descrivere personaggi e situazioni con uno sguardo tra l’ironico e il dileggiante.
Perché di questo si tratta: un bignè ricoperto di panna, che nasconde un ripieno sulfureo (però troppo corposo, che alla fine impaluga [termine tecnico per dire che si dilunga un po’ troppo]).
October 2, 2009
This is an old book, published in 1919, and my nice-smelling copy was made in 1919. It's a story about twin girls, orphans, named Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicitas (what kind of name is that?) who have the misfortune of being half English and half German during World War I. It's just the story of what they do in response to this. It took me a long time to decide whether I liked the two girls or not, because in some ways they take initiative and take their future into their own hands, but they are also really annoying because they're so naive and they worry about the most trivial things. The ending saved it, though. I liked the ending. Favourite character: mmm... probably Mr Edward Twist.
March 13, 2017
Delightful fluff. Enjoyed every page. Save it for a down time in your life, when it can serve as the escapist fun you need with that freshly spiced sardonic skewering of particular personalities with which we have been burdened in our society.
Got it free on Kindle, but had to dig- its' getting harder and harder to find those free versions! Or maybe my tastes just run too obscure? Well wake up, people, and read this stuff! Then I will be part of mainstream culture without having to give up any essential parts of myself. And until that happens, I have LOADS of these Elizabeth von Arnim books to enjoy.
Got it free on Kindle, but had to dig- its' getting harder and harder to find those free versions! Or maybe my tastes just run too obscure? Well wake up, people, and read this stuff! Then I will be part of mainstream culture without having to give up any essential parts of myself. And until that happens, I have LOADS of these Elizabeth von Arnim books to enjoy.
September 24, 2008
A delightful story that is fun to read, not just to finish. Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicitas are seventeen-year-old twins who find themselves orphaned and without a home or even a country since their father was German and their mother was English. World War I has begun and few people are willing to take in even children with any German connections. They are sent away on a ship to live with an uncle's acquaintances in America but nothing seems to turn out as it should...
September 28, 2009
I fell in love with the Twinkler sisters, and enjoyed their adventures as they progressed from Pomerania to Acapulco. Typical of Elizabeth von Arnim, beautiful language, humour, and wit.
October 12, 2019
I love this author. I loved the descriptions of California and life during WW1. Cute story. (Read on Project Gutenberg)
March 24, 2020
3.5. I've rounded up, because I enjoyed the first half so much.
January 8, 2021
Recensione originale: https://sonnenbarke.wordpress.com/202...
La mia passione per Elizabeth von Arnim non è un mistero, perciò quale modo migliore per iniziare il nuovo anno che leggere un suo libro? Questo romanzo non è particolarmente conosciuto ma, come tutti i suoi libri, è molto gradevole. Senza dubbio non è fra i suoi migliori, anzi diciamo la verità, a tratti è anche un po’ noiosetto (500 pagine sono tante per questa storia), però rimane una lettura piacevole.
Anna-Rose e Anna-Felicitas sono due sfortunate gemelle di 17 anni, ma non sono identiche, almeno nell’aspetto. Sono tuttavia due bellissime ragazze, sebbene tendano a dimostrare qualche anno in meno dei loro 17 anni. Siamo agli inizi della prima guerra mondiale e le due sorelle hanno la sfortuna di avere un padre tedesco e una madre inglese. Quando il padre muore, la madre le porta con sé in Inghilterra, ma presto muore anche lei, lasciandole con gli zii Alice e Arthur. Zia Alice le tollera, in quanto figlie della sorella, zio Arthur invece non le sopporta proprio, soprattutto perché tenersi in casa due tedesche in quel periodo è davvero una pessima idea. Decide così di lavarsene le mani spedendole in America e affidandole alla protezione di una coppia di amici di Boston, lasciando di riserva un’altra coppia di Acapulco nel caso le cose non dovessero andare come previsto.
Le gemelle partono così in nave, dove incontrano il simpatico Mr. Twist, un americano che lavora con la Croce Rossa in Francia e sta tornando a trovare l’anziana madre. I tre fanno amicizia e ben presto Mr. Twist diventa il loro protettore. Molte volte nel corso del romanzo l’autrice ripeterà che Mr. Twist è una madre mancata (sì, una madre, non un padre): è stato proprio programmato dal buon Dio per essere madre, purtroppo però il Signore deve aver commesso un errore assegnandogli il genere maschile. Mr. Twist è infatti una super chioccia, tratta le gemelle come due figlie, le protegge, le consola, le conforta, le aiuta, a volte anche si arrabbia con loro proprio come farebbe una mamma, e non gli passa neanche per la testa di pensare a loro come ad altro che due bambine. Chiaramente è l’unico a considerarle tali, quindi non si rende subito conto del pericolo corso nella bigotta America, dove la gente mormora vedendo un uomo e due bellissime fanciulle insieme senza che sia chiaro il loro legame di parentela (perché devono per forza essere parenti, altrimenti non potrà che trattarsi di bieca abiezione).
Le avventure delle gemelle e di Mr. Twist sono a tratti esilaranti, a tratti tenere e a tratti tristi. L’odio provato da tutti nei confronti delle tedesche è quasi caricaturale, per esempio quando zio Arthur fa un primo tentativo di mandarle come infermiere in un ospedale inglese e vengono maltrattate da tutti. Ma temo che, al di là dei momenti chiaramente caricaturali, l’odio di inglesi e americani nei confronti dei tedeschi agli inizi della prima guerra mondiale fosse assolutamente rispondente al vero.
Come tutti gli altri libri di von Arnim, è un libro molto carino, pieno di humour, simpatico, ma non rifugge da accenni un po’ più profondi, nello specifico appunto relativamente all’odio bovino nei confronti di tutti i tedeschi. Ma è molto più leggero degli altri suoi romanzi: le riflessioni che nasconde sotto la leggerezza di fondo, mi pare, sono poche; credo che qui l’autrice abbia voluto più che altro scrivere un romanzo leggero e gradevole. Di solito la sua leggerezza nasconde altro, ma qui non tanto. Forse è per questo che l’ho apprezzato meno degli altri, tuttavia resta un libro gradevole che consiglio, però non utilizzatelo come primo approccio a questa autrice.
La mia passione per Elizabeth von Arnim non è un mistero, perciò quale modo migliore per iniziare il nuovo anno che leggere un suo libro? Questo romanzo non è particolarmente conosciuto ma, come tutti i suoi libri, è molto gradevole. Senza dubbio non è fra i suoi migliori, anzi diciamo la verità, a tratti è anche un po’ noiosetto (500 pagine sono tante per questa storia), però rimane una lettura piacevole.
Anna-Rose e Anna-Felicitas sono due sfortunate gemelle di 17 anni, ma non sono identiche, almeno nell’aspetto. Sono tuttavia due bellissime ragazze, sebbene tendano a dimostrare qualche anno in meno dei loro 17 anni. Siamo agli inizi della prima guerra mondiale e le due sorelle hanno la sfortuna di avere un padre tedesco e una madre inglese. Quando il padre muore, la madre le porta con sé in Inghilterra, ma presto muore anche lei, lasciandole con gli zii Alice e Arthur. Zia Alice le tollera, in quanto figlie della sorella, zio Arthur invece non le sopporta proprio, soprattutto perché tenersi in casa due tedesche in quel periodo è davvero una pessima idea. Decide così di lavarsene le mani spedendole in America e affidandole alla protezione di una coppia di amici di Boston, lasciando di riserva un’altra coppia di Acapulco nel caso le cose non dovessero andare come previsto.
Le gemelle partono così in nave, dove incontrano il simpatico Mr. Twist, un americano che lavora con la Croce Rossa in Francia e sta tornando a trovare l’anziana madre. I tre fanno amicizia e ben presto Mr. Twist diventa il loro protettore. Molte volte nel corso del romanzo l’autrice ripeterà che Mr. Twist è una madre mancata (sì, una madre, non un padre): è stato proprio programmato dal buon Dio per essere madre, purtroppo però il Signore deve aver commesso un errore assegnandogli il genere maschile. Mr. Twist è infatti una super chioccia, tratta le gemelle come due figlie, le protegge, le consola, le conforta, le aiuta, a volte anche si arrabbia con loro proprio come farebbe una mamma, e non gli passa neanche per la testa di pensare a loro come ad altro che due bambine. Chiaramente è l’unico a considerarle tali, quindi non si rende subito conto del pericolo corso nella bigotta America, dove la gente mormora vedendo un uomo e due bellissime fanciulle insieme senza che sia chiaro il loro legame di parentela (perché devono per forza essere parenti, altrimenti non potrà che trattarsi di bieca abiezione).
Le avventure delle gemelle e di Mr. Twist sono a tratti esilaranti, a tratti tenere e a tratti tristi. L’odio provato da tutti nei confronti delle tedesche è quasi caricaturale, per esempio quando zio Arthur fa un primo tentativo di mandarle come infermiere in un ospedale inglese e vengono maltrattate da tutti. Ma temo che, al di là dei momenti chiaramente caricaturali, l’odio di inglesi e americani nei confronti dei tedeschi agli inizi della prima guerra mondiale fosse assolutamente rispondente al vero.
Come tutti gli altri libri di von Arnim, è un libro molto carino, pieno di humour, simpatico, ma non rifugge da accenni un po’ più profondi, nello specifico appunto relativamente all’odio bovino nei confronti di tutti i tedeschi. Ma è molto più leggero degli altri suoi romanzi: le riflessioni che nasconde sotto la leggerezza di fondo, mi pare, sono poche; credo che qui l’autrice abbia voluto più che altro scrivere un romanzo leggero e gradevole. Di solito la sua leggerezza nasconde altro, ma qui non tanto. Forse è per questo che l’ho apprezzato meno degli altri, tuttavia resta un libro gradevole che consiglio, però non utilizzatelo come primo approccio a questa autrice.
January 12, 2019
Anna Rose e Anna Felicitas von Twinkler sono due gemelle nate e cresciute in Germania e trasferitesi in Inghilterra dopo la morte del padre.
Purtroppo anche l'amatissima madre, appassionata di poesia e letteratura inglese, dopo una breve malattia, muore lasciando le due gemelle orfane. Le ragazze si trasferiscono in casa della zia, ma la convivenza non dura molto; il marito della zia, infatti, non tollera la presenza delle due giovani nella propria casa, non solo perchè è costretto a mantenerle, ma anche perchè sono di nazionalità tedesca e, in tempo di guerra, non è certo l'ideale trovarsi in casa due tedesche, seppur per parte di padre solamente.
Le due Anna si imbarcano su una nave che li condurrà in America, dove lo zio ha delle amicizie e ha trovato per loro una collocazione in ben due famiglie.
Sulla nave le due ragazze, giovanissime ed ingenue, sono impaurite, ma il trentacinquenne Mr. Twist, uomo benestante e di buona indole, si occupa e si preoccupa per loro fino ad affezionarsi molto alle due Anna.
Arrivati in America, nessuno si trova in porto ad accogliere le Twinkler. Le ragazze sono sconvolte e Mr. Twist decide di accompagnarle personalmente al domicilio di una delle due famiglie contattate dallo zio. Le ragazze sono, però, orgogliose e decidono di fuggire all'insaputa del loro benefattore.
Per una serie di equivoci, i tre protagonisti sono destinati a ritrovarsi e a condividere le esperienze fino in California...
Una storia molto carina, come tutte quelle che ci ha consegnato Elisabeth von Arnim. Si legge con il sorriso tra le labbra, nonostante si sia abbastanza sicuri di cosa avverrà di lì a poco. Però, devo dire che, se fossi stata nell'autrice, una sforbiciata alla storia l'avrei data. Finisce per diventare un po' lunghetta per la tolleranza del lettore. Quanto meno per la mia!
Purtroppo anche l'amatissima madre, appassionata di poesia e letteratura inglese, dopo una breve malattia, muore lasciando le due gemelle orfane. Le ragazze si trasferiscono in casa della zia, ma la convivenza non dura molto; il marito della zia, infatti, non tollera la presenza delle due giovani nella propria casa, non solo perchè è costretto a mantenerle, ma anche perchè sono di nazionalità tedesca e, in tempo di guerra, non è certo l'ideale trovarsi in casa due tedesche, seppur per parte di padre solamente.
Le due Anna si imbarcano su una nave che li condurrà in America, dove lo zio ha delle amicizie e ha trovato per loro una collocazione in ben due famiglie.
Sulla nave le due ragazze, giovanissime ed ingenue, sono impaurite, ma il trentacinquenne Mr. Twist, uomo benestante e di buona indole, si occupa e si preoccupa per loro fino ad affezionarsi molto alle due Anna.
Arrivati in America, nessuno si trova in porto ad accogliere le Twinkler. Le ragazze sono sconvolte e Mr. Twist decide di accompagnarle personalmente al domicilio di una delle due famiglie contattate dallo zio. Le ragazze sono, però, orgogliose e decidono di fuggire all'insaputa del loro benefattore.
Per una serie di equivoci, i tre protagonisti sono destinati a ritrovarsi e a condividere le esperienze fino in California...
Una storia molto carina, come tutte quelle che ci ha consegnato Elisabeth von Arnim. Si legge con il sorriso tra le labbra, nonostante si sia abbastanza sicuri di cosa avverrà di lì a poco. Però, devo dire che, se fossi stata nell'autrice, una sforbiciata alla storia l'avrei data. Finisce per diventare un po' lunghetta per la tolleranza del lettore. Quanto meno per la mia!
December 29, 2012
Christopher and Columbus are two twin sisters, half English half German,(actually both named Anna) who are heading towards America on a steamer at the beginning of WW1. They are orphans raised in Pomerania (that's Germany)but who have no German relatives who want to raise half English teenage twins and their English relatives won't have them because of the newly stirred up German-hatered going around like a virus. They meet a nice older man who takes pity on them as they cross the Atlantic, and seems to be stuck with them forever as they plunge headfirst into one misadventure after another. All sorts of things go wrong but the man is a gentleman and the girls are very sweet optimists so of course they all come out all right. The ending wasn't all that surprising or brilliant but was charming nevertheless. This isn't von Arnim's best work but if you've alread read Enchanted April, The Solitary SUmmer or Elizabeth and Her German Garden, give this one a whirl, it's free on Amazon for Kindle.
January 15, 2015
Free on Kindle. Author of "The Enchanted April" (which I haven't read, yet).
Charmed. Absolutely. Totally frivolous, but wonderfully diverting. Laughed out loud many times (enough to elicit comments of "what are you reading??" from family members).
Chronicling the adventures of a pair of half-English and beginning of WWI damning half-German orphaned twins literally set adrift by unsympathetic English relatives. Put on board the "St. Luke" embarking for America with abundance of naivety and 200 pounds.
Adopted by fellow passenger.
Why was I so entertained? The words. The twins use the most delightful words. I want to speak that way, if only to make myself laugh.
So looking forward to meeting more characters from Elizabeth von Armin's imagination. Fortunately most of her works are free on Kindle. Thank you Amazon!
Charmed. Absolutely. Totally frivolous, but wonderfully diverting. Laughed out loud many times (enough to elicit comments of "what are you reading??" from family members).
Chronicling the adventures of a pair of half-English and beginning of WWI damning half-German orphaned twins literally set adrift by unsympathetic English relatives. Put on board the "St. Luke" embarking for America with abundance of naivety and 200 pounds.
Adopted by fellow passenger.
Why was I so entertained? The words. The twins use the most delightful words. I want to speak that way, if only to make myself laugh.
So looking forward to meeting more characters from Elizabeth von Armin's imagination. Fortunately most of her works are free on Kindle. Thank you Amazon!
January 20, 2019
This is a tale of two half English, half German (Pomerian)--no surprise--orphans who, due to WWI anti-German feelings in England, are put on a ship to the US and end up, like their author, in California (near LA). A nice man takes care of them and gets pulled into their lives. He is the only son of a clinging widow (as in Introduction to Sally) whom he is forced to separate himself from, a situation brought to a head by said orphans. Anti-German feeling erupt in CA, but marriage become the solution to being enemy aliens.
The strong sentiment against Germans was very much on von Arnim's mind as she tried to get her children out of Germany both during WWI and WWII. Still the tone is light with some sarcasm about American Puritanical behavior.
These lesser known von Arnim novels are difficult to locate. Hopefully, someone will reprint all her works.
The strong sentiment against Germans was very much on von Arnim's mind as she tried to get her children out of Germany both during WWI and WWII. Still the tone is light with some sarcasm about American Puritanical behavior.
These lesser known von Arnim novels are difficult to locate. Hopefully, someone will reprint all her works.
June 27, 2009
I liked this book. Parts of it made me laugh out loud with enjoyment...until the last chapter, which kind of drove me crazy! I think the ending was MOST unsatisfactory.
Elizabeth von Arnim wrote Christopher and Columbus during WWI; it was published in 1919. Orphaned twins of a German father and English mother set off on their own for America. Anti-German sentiment by England and the United States was quite strong, an understatement - it is examined from several vantages. The relations between twins is considered, as well as how different these particular twins were from each other. An eager, wholesome older male guardian-type hovers endlessly. He has a dreadful, controlling mother, and an interesting sister, who should've had a bigger part in the story.
Elizabeth von Arnim wrote Christopher and Columbus during WWI; it was published in 1919. Orphaned twins of a German father and English mother set off on their own for America. Anti-German sentiment by England and the United States was quite strong, an understatement - it is examined from several vantages. The relations between twins is considered, as well as how different these particular twins were from each other. An eager, wholesome older male guardian-type hovers endlessly. He has a dreadful, controlling mother, and an interesting sister, who should've had a bigger part in the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2016
I really loved this gentle, humorous, uplifting novel about twins Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicitas leaving England for America during the war. Elizabeth von Arnim writes beautifully and effortlessly. The two girls are artless, naturally outspoken and vulnerable orphans, neither completely German, nor completely English. It sounds corny, but it isn't.
April 14, 2016
Despite the two Anna's difficulties, I think this book is a really sweet one. It shows how people can be strange and unkind, but it's also a tale of hope and courage. And, it's really well written and delightfully vintage.
I will certainly read more books by Mrs von Arnim.
I will certainly read more books by Mrs von Arnim.
May 31, 2010
This was a charming book. Truly enjoyable and fun. A light read, but pretty thorough observations and wittiness sprinkled throughout.
August 23, 2011
The story was good, but at times I felt it went on and on and on. The subtle humor was very enjoyable.
July 16, 2012
Mrs. Von Arnim, il piacere è stato mio!
Read
February 21, 2014Elizabeth von Arnim's novels are among the wittiest and most entertaining novels I've ever read.
June 22, 2014
Delightful is the word that comes to mind. Great vacation read! I laughed often while reading this. Lots of humorous insights about humankind.
December 17, 2015
Orphaned twin girls travel to America on a ship. Everything seems to fall into place for them and there is humor in this story.
October 10, 2016
3.5-4/5
February 24, 2017
Chic book
A good G rated love story. Being half German I remember my mom telling stories of what it was like to be German during WWII. Not easy
A good G rated love story. Being half German I remember my mom telling stories of what it was like to be German during WWII. Not easy
September 15, 2020
Elizabeth Von Arnim riconferma l'opinione che mi ero fatta su di lei, ovviamente librosamente parlando. Era una scrittrice ironica e pungente, attraverso le sue storie descriveva la società del tempo di fine 800 e inizi 900, descrivendola come chiusa, superficiale e ingiusta con le donne.
Una critica pungente, seppur velata da una sottile ironia. La prosa è elegante, impeccabile ma non pomposa.
Il romanzo fu pubblicato anni fa con un'altro titolo "Cristoforo e Colombo" come i soprannomi che le gemelle si diedero a vicenda durante la traversata in mare che dall'Inghilterra le portò in America.
Protagoniste sono due ragazze diciassettenni, gemelle appunto, Anna Rose e Anna Felicitas, orfane di entrambi i genitori, per metà inglesi e metà tedesche, vanno a vivere inizialmente con la sorella della madre e il marito che non le vede di buon occhio per via della loro metà parte tedesca.
Il clima è parecchio teso in Inghilterra per via dell'incombere della Prima Guerra Mondiale, e sia lo zio che il restante della società inglese le guardano con sospetto perchè potrebbero essere state ingaggiate come spie dal nemico. Lo zio Arthur cerca di liberarsi di loro per paura di una possibile ripercussione sociale, spedendole in due famiglie amiche in America ancora neutrale.
Durante la traversata le ragazze incontreranno un uomo benestante che le prende a cuore, ma arrivate a destinazione niente sarà come previsto ed una serie di avventure/disavventure incomberanno sul trio.
Rispetto al primo romanzo letto "colpa d'amore" questo l'ho trovato un po più lento, secondo me sarebbe stato decisamente meglio un bel po di taglio nelle pagine. Alcuni dialoghi mi hanno fatta sorridere, li ho trovati esilaranti.
Una critica pungente, seppur velata da una sottile ironia. La prosa è elegante, impeccabile ma non pomposa.
Il romanzo fu pubblicato anni fa con un'altro titolo "Cristoforo e Colombo" come i soprannomi che le gemelle si diedero a vicenda durante la traversata in mare che dall'Inghilterra le portò in America.
Protagoniste sono due ragazze diciassettenni, gemelle appunto, Anna Rose e Anna Felicitas, orfane di entrambi i genitori, per metà inglesi e metà tedesche, vanno a vivere inizialmente con la sorella della madre e il marito che non le vede di buon occhio per via della loro metà parte tedesca.
Il clima è parecchio teso in Inghilterra per via dell'incombere della Prima Guerra Mondiale, e sia lo zio che il restante della società inglese le guardano con sospetto perchè potrebbero essere state ingaggiate come spie dal nemico. Lo zio Arthur cerca di liberarsi di loro per paura di una possibile ripercussione sociale, spedendole in due famiglie amiche in America ancora neutrale.
Durante la traversata le ragazze incontreranno un uomo benestante che le prende a cuore, ma arrivate a destinazione niente sarà come previsto ed una serie di avventure/disavventure incomberanno sul trio.
Rispetto al primo romanzo letto "colpa d'amore" questo l'ho trovato un po più lento, secondo me sarebbe stato decisamente meglio un bel po di taglio nelle pagine. Alcuni dialoghi mi hanno fatta sorridere, li ho trovati esilaranti.
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