The Pastor's Wife (Everyman's Library (Paper)) [Paperback]

Elizabeth Von Arnim (Author), Deborah Singmaster (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1993 | Series: Everyman's Library (Paper)

Each book in the "Everyman" series has been re-set with wide margins and easy-to-read type and includes a themed introduction, chronology of life and times of the author, plot summary, annotated reading list and critical response.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Elizabeth von Arnim is a mistress of irony' Lisa St Aubin De Teran *'[von Arnim] was keenly aware of the powerlessness of an intelligent woman in a male-dominated world' Kate Saunders --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0460872435
• ISBN-13: 978-0460872430
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,675,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Von Arnim's witty portrayal of fin-de-siecle married life., July 26, 1998

By 

Noreen O'Connor (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pastor's Wife (Everyman's Library (Paper)) (Paperback)

This is one of Von Arnim's very best novels, full of surprising wit and sometimes caustic criticism of the lonely existence of an intelligent British woman in a turn-of-the-century aristocratic German household. In particular, the childbirth scenes are chilling, and reminiscent of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, though Von Arnim typically treats the topic with more humor. The ending is as brilliant as those of her contemporary Edith Wharton.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Feminist Novel, December 4, 2008

By 

MS "MSB" (Madison, WI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pastor's Wife (Paperback)

The Pastor's Wife has been called witty and perceptive, but it goes much farther than that. Just under the surface of Von Arnim's witty, civilized prose lies a fiercely brilliant feminist novel, burning with quiet rage. Von Arnim details every step of the way by which a well-meaning English innocent, hoping only to live her dream of freedom, finds herself inescapably entrapped. A terrifying,subversive, wonderful book. It's a shock to realize this novel was written almost a hundred years ago.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Slow at times. Don't give up., May 25, 2010

By 

L.A. in CA - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Pastor's Wife (Virago Modern Classics) (Paperback)

The main character here, a young woman named Ingeborg, was the daughter of a strict and domineering father, a Bishop. She was raised to always follow the proper etiquette of Christian behavior and proper society. She did as she was told and never questioned or disobeyed her father. But sometimes she wanted to be free - at least for a short while - of her father's control and the confinement of her household. So, when it became necessary for her to travel to London for a week to have some dental work done, she was full of anticipation. And when she saw a poster in a shop window advertising a tour leaving for Lucerne for seven days, she impulsively joined it. It changed her life forever.

At times, I found the writing here a bit repetitive - a bit drawn out. Halfway through, I almost put it down. But I read elsewhere that I must not miss the last part of the book. They were right. Make sure you finish this book. What begins as just another good book by Von Arnim becomes a brilliant book by it's ending. And do read the introduction (although I prefer to read it after I have read the book). You learn that much of this story mirrors the Author's own life. I couldn't get this story out of my head for days.