Other Fiction Arnim, Elizabeth von: The Benefactress, v1, 22 October 2009.

[Patricia]

Elizabeth von Arnim [Mary Annette Beauchamp], Countess von Arnim, Countess Russell. (1866–1941)
The Benefactress (1901)

A young English woman inherits a German estate and decides to set up a home for German ladies, fallen on hard times, with comic results.

Elizabeth von Arnim’s novels at first appear to be merely comedies of manners, or social satires. However, there is a lot more to them. They usually feature an outsider coming to grips with an established group and questioning their mores. This acute observation can be humorous (as in “Elizabeth and her German Garden,” or “The Caravaners”) or tragic (as in “Vera”).

We have several other works by this author in the MR library.

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