Vera
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- Create Date：2021-09-06 02:41:09
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Elizabeth von Arnim
- ISBN：B09DGBGL7W
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Summary
First published in 1921， Vera is a darkly comic story about Lucy Entwhistle and Everard Wemyss。 Both have recently lost someone close to them as the first chapter opens。 They meet and at once believe they have found a soul mate in each other。 As their relationship progresses we come to understand more of each character's past。 Most importantly we learn about Wemyss' late wife， Vera。 What at first appears to be a different and quirky romance turns out to be an indictment of egoism and dominance in relationships。
Reviews
Fiona
，
Sensitive， caring， perceptive， selfless， kind， warm-hearted， sociable， hospitable - Everard Wemyss is none of these things。 He is quite horrifically the opposite of them all。 Following the death of his wife， Vera， he meets the lovely， caring， innocent soul that is Lucy Entwhistle。 She has just lost her beloved father and turns， or is turned， to Wemyss for comfort。Elizabeth von Arnim is writing about coercive control in the early 1920s， a century before it’s a phrase on everyone’s lips， brought i Sensitive， caring， perceptive， selfless， kind， warm-hearted， sociable， hospitable - Everard Wemyss is none of these things。 He is quite horrifically the opposite of them all。 Following the death of his wife， Vera， he meets the lovely， caring， innocent soul that is Lucy Entwhistle。 She has just lost her beloved father and turns， or is turned， to Wemyss for comfort。Elizabeth von Arnim is writing about coercive control in the early 1920s， a century before it’s a phrase on everyone’s lips， brought into the public consciousness through tv documentaries and dramas。 I discovered her writing through The Enchanted April and， as always， I’m excited to have found a new author to read。 This is very dark in comparison but her interpretation of the frailty of human nature is just as perceptive and the humour is just as dry。 It’s of its time in many ways but， in others， it’s well ahead。 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Helen Meads
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I find it very difficult to read about coercive control， but knowing that von Armin herself survived it made it just about bearable。Von Armin thought Vera her best book。 I still prefer Father， because it has a lighter touch （even though that also is about a form of coercive control）。 Both reflect societal expectations of women a century ago and Vera is not without its witty lines。I also wondered whether du Maurier was aware of Vera when she wrote Rebecca。If you have the stomach for it， highly re I find it very difficult to read about coercive control， but knowing that von Armin herself survived it made it just about bearable。Von Armin thought Vera her best book。 I still prefer Father， because it has a lighter touch （even though that also is about a form of coercive control）。 Both reflect societal expectations of women a century ago and Vera is not without its witty lines。I also wondered whether du Maurier was aware of Vera when she wrote Rebecca。If you have the stomach for it， highly recommended。 。。。more
Veronica Gavilanes
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Lucy es una joven de 22 años que cuidó de su padre a lo largo de su vida。 Cuando de repente él muere， ella se encuentra con Wemyss， un hombre de 45 años que acaba de enviudar。 Wemyss， que quiere huir de la soledad y el duelo en el que todos sus amigos lo han encerrado desde la muerte de su esposa Vera， decide hacerse cargo de los asuntos de Lucy y la ayuda con todos los arreglos del entierro。 A partir de ese momento comienza un período de cortejo en el que Lucy se enamora perdidamente。 Sin embar Lucy es una joven de 22 años que cuidó de su padre a lo largo de su vida。 Cuando de repente él muere， ella se encuentra con Wemyss， un hombre de 45 años que acaba de enviudar。 Wemyss， que quiere huir de la soledad y el duelo en el que todos sus amigos lo han encerrado desde la muerte de su esposa Vera， decide hacerse cargo de los asuntos de Lucy y la ayuda con todos los arreglos del entierro。 A partir de ese momento comienza un período de cortejo en el que Lucy se enamora perdidamente。 Sin embargo， no es sino hasta que empieza su matrimonio que ella descubre realmente cómo es Wemyss y que trata de entender a su difunta esposa。 Desde hace un tiempo quería leer Rebecca de Daphne du Maurier， pero encontré este libro en una librería y vi que la trama es bastante similar， solo que Elizabeth von Arnim lo escribió primero， así que le di prioridad。 Me alegra mucho haber descubierto a esta autora， y mis ganas de leer Rebecca han aumentado para poder hacer la comparación。 Lo que me gustó: Primero que nada， el estilo de escritura es muy agradable， la autora mantiene cierto humor que tiende a la ironía que me recordó a Jane Austen， pero la trama de la novela es bastante más oscura que cualquier libro de Austen。 La construcción de los personajes me gustó mucho porque son casi arquetípicos， pero esto de alguna forma permite que la historia tenga mayor fluidez。 Creo que la novela tiene varias capas y detalles que pueden ser explorados， como los poemas en los que piensa Aunt Dot al final， las cornamentas que adornan la sala， el discurso sobre la simpleza， etc。。。 Me encantó también cómo Vera es un personaje tan fundamental como ausente， pues hacen referencia a ella constantemente， pero nunca aparece realmente （no siquiera a modo de recuerdo o como una presencia）。 Así， no pude evitar imaginarla e inventármela， tal como lo hacía Lucy cuando estaba desesperada y necesitaba una amiga a quien recurrir， o como Aunt Dot cuando revisaba los libros que ella tenía en su cuarto。 Pero， más que nada， le doy cinco estrellas a esta obra porque considero que la trama es sumamente contemporánea。 Los tipos de violencia no física en las relaciones amorosas， como la violencia simbólica o patrimonial， son temas de los que se habla desde hace muy poco tiempo， y que no son reconocidos con facilidad por las personas que lo viven， así que encontré que este libro tiene cosas importantes que decir sobre el enamoramiento， la opresión， la manipulación emocional， y la normalización y justificación de la violencia。 ¡Muy recomendable！ 。。。more
Marika
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 #Vera va di diritto fra i miei romanzi preferiti di quest'anno。 La #VonArnim racconta con chiarezza e semplicità come i narcisisti si insinuino nella vita delle persone più fragili e le colpiscono duramente。 Sì， perché Everard， il personaggio maschile del romanzo， è un narcisista di tipo patologico， ma non uno di quelli che ama guardarsi allo specchio， no， uno di quelli che prima ti fa love bombing， poi quando ti ha preso all'amo， continua con punizioni come la tattica del silenzio。 Leggere ques #Vera va di diritto fra i miei romanzi preferiti di quest'anno。 La #VonArnim racconta con chiarezza e semplicità come i narcisisti si insinuino nella vita delle persone più fragili e le colpiscono duramente。 Sì， perché Everard， il personaggio maschile del romanzo， è un narcisista di tipo patologico， ma non uno di quelli che ama guardarsi allo specchio， no， uno di quelli che prima ti fa love bombing， poi quando ti ha preso all'amo， continua con punizioni come la tattica del silenzio。 Leggere questo libro， vedere in modo così chiaro e vibrante qualcosa che ho affrontato anche io， mi ha fatta stare male。 Però devo ammettere che， vederlo nero su bianco， è stato catartico。 Capire che questo tipo di manipolazione ahimè c'è sempre stata e l'autrice l'ha raccontata nel modo migliore。 Lucy è una vittima， una vittima che credendo di aver trovato il cosiddetto amore vero cade in una trappola e non ne uscirà mai più。 Si sente in colpa per cose che non ha commesso e cerca sempre una scusa per i maltrattamenti verbali del marito。 È Lucy la protagonista， ma lo è anche zia Dot， una donna abbastanza forte da capire che chi ha di fronte è meno di niente， ma anche Vera è una protagonista， nonostante non appaia mai veramente in scena è sempre presente。 Il suo spirito， i suoi gesti， sono il risultato di continui abusi e attraverso le sue scelte passate e i suoi gesti riusciamo a capire come。puo essere stata la sua vita， ma anche come sarà quella di Lucy。 Zia Dot diventa quasi profetica sul finale， quando dice a Everard che "Lucy non ha la stessa soglia di sopportazione di Vera"E stato davvero straziante。Nota positiva sul finale: le persone come Everard Wemyss non si redimono， non ne hanno le capacità。 Un lieto fine per loro non esiste， forse potrebbe esistere per le sue vittime， o forse no， ma non sta all'autrice dircelo。 A lei sta solo la denuncia。 La denuncia di una condizione che troppo spesso si vede ancora oggi e che ahimè non viene quasi mai presa in considerazione e aiutata。 。。。more
Lisa Bywell
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A proper psychological thriller written in the 1920s， based on the author’s second marriage， poor woman。
Louise Culmer
，
An innocent girl whose father has just died meets a charming widower who beguiles her into marrying him， then finds he isn’t so charming after all。 She becomes fascinated by his dead wife， Vera， whose death was apparently accidental， but perhaps wasn’t。 This is quite an interesting story， though Lucy， the heroine， is such a very naive young girl it’s hard to believe she is twenty-two。 Her aunt， Miss Entwhistle， is by far the most interesting character， I would have liked more about her。 The endi An innocent girl whose father has just died meets a charming widower who beguiles her into marrying him， then finds he isn’t so charming after all。 She becomes fascinated by his dead wife， Vera， whose death was apparently accidental， but perhaps wasn’t。 This is quite an interesting story， though Lucy， the heroine， is such a very naive young girl it’s hard to believe she is twenty-two。 Her aunt， Miss Entwhistle， is by far the most interesting character， I would have liked more about her。 The ending is rather unsatisfactory。 。。。more
Laura
，
Considered a classic taught in literature classes studying English writers， I found this beautifully written book to be funny， yet a dark and disturbing example of mental domestic abuse。 It is certainly an eye opening example of an entrapment of a young impressionable woman during a time of grief。
Iulia
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EvA is good。 She is fast becoming， to me， a most admired writer。 Vera has a singularity of focus that is perhaps its own worse enemy - it resolutely pursues one arc with no detours and no distractions。 This economy of resources - resources well employed， however - does leave you a tad undernourished。 You had your main course， but you wouldn’t have minded some snacks to go along with it either。
Adella
，
I eagerly await the next installment。
Darinda
，
Dark， depressing， and unsettling。 Similar to Rebecca。 Enjoyable read。 Dark， depressing， and unsettling。 Similar to Rebecca。 Enjoyable read。 。。。more
Nikki Marmery
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Written a hundred years ago， Vera is a precise， devastating account of a controlling relationship and the mystery surrounding a first， dead， wife。 Both riotously funny and horribly unsettling， we watch in horror as the monstrous Wemyss sinks his claws into naive， young Lucy。 The details are excruciating。 The books locked in glass cabinets so Lucy has to ask Wemyss’s permission to read。 His appalling treatment of servants; the particular misogyny directed at Lucy’s aunt。 Lucy’s own excuses for hi Written a hundred years ago， Vera is a precise， devastating account of a controlling relationship and the mystery surrounding a first， dead， wife。 Both riotously funny and horribly unsettling， we watch in horror as the monstrous Wemyss sinks his claws into naive， young Lucy。 The details are excruciating。 The books locked in glass cabinets so Lucy has to ask Wemyss’s permission to read。 His appalling treatment of servants; the particular misogyny directed at Lucy’s aunt。 Lucy’s own excuses for him make you want to throw the book at a wall。 It becomes even more compelling when you discover the odious Wemyss is based on author Elizabeth Von Armin’s second husband Frank Russell （brother of Bertrand）。 It’s a brilliant skewering of a morally repugnant man that still resonates today。 。。。more
Kristen
，
This was a very effective psychological horror story。 Lucy is a naive young woman grieving her father's death when she meets Wemyss， who's also recently lost his wife， Vera。 They fall in love， but it's clear from the start that something is off with Wemyss， and it quickly becomes clear just how off。 What's interesting about this book is that it manages to be so disturbing， yet nothing extraordinary or fantastic happens it in。 Wemyss is simply egotistical， self-centered， demanding， inflexible， an This was a very effective psychological horror story。 Lucy is a naive young woman grieving her father's death when she meets Wemyss， who's also recently lost his wife， Vera。 They fall in love， but it's clear from the start that something is off with Wemyss， and it quickly becomes clear just how off。 What's interesting about this book is that it manages to be so disturbing， yet nothing extraordinary or fantastic happens it in。 Wemyss is simply egotistical， self-centered， demanding， inflexible， and enjoys emotionally abusing the women in his life。 The evolution of his relationship with Lucy was so painful that there was a point where I seriously considered not finishing。 I suppose Vera is an achievement of sorts -- it's compelling， emotionally realistic， and even achieves a kind of cool， ironic humor at times。 I don't know that I would recommend it as an enjoyable experience， though。 。。。more
Karen M
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This is the second book by Von Arnim I’ve read and it was equally satisfying although very different。 This is gothic with its lonely house and the coercive owner ， Everard Wemyss。It all starts beautifully ， in sunshine and warmth ， with a passing stranger pausing to comfort a young girl - disconcertingly he is very taken with how young she looks - in distress following the death of her father and companion。 From the very start small detail of Wemyss’ character start to strike a wrong note。 He of This is the second book by Von Arnim I’ve read and it was equally satisfying although very different。 This is gothic with its lonely house and the coercive owner ， Everard Wemyss。It all starts beautifully ， in sunshine and warmth ， with a passing stranger pausing to comfort a young girl - disconcertingly he is very taken with how young she looks - in distress following the death of her father and companion。 From the very start small detail of Wemyss’ character start to strike a wrong note。 He offers to help with the funeral arrangements ， but is aggrieved that no mourners comment on his ability… he comforts Lucy ， but wants to be the only one who does so。 His sidelining of Lucy’s Aunt Dot and gradual isolating of Lucy is masterfully portrayed， luring you in to his strange way of thinking 。Once safely married ， underneath the watching eyes of the painted Vera ， Lucy’s life and hopes start to fade 。 Vera’s death suddenly seems a natural progression。 There were echoes of Browning’s Count throughout for me and his last Duchess whose smiles were stopped。 No need for an assassin here however Mr Wemyss has a much more subtle death in mind - and the flagstones are clean again now。For me the indomitable Aunt is the hope here and you have to read how she politely ties her colours to the mast of freedom and does her very best to save her niece。 She broken but not finished。 At least that’s what I like to think。 It’s been suggested the Rebecca was inspired by this novel - it made me want to read that again to compare the male and female characters。 。。。more
Amy Hanks
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"Yes， love worked wonders。 。 。but it also worked inverted wonders， and it didn't invariably， as she well knew， transfigure people into saints and angels。 Grievously indeed did it sometimes do the opposite。" The Enchanted AprilStemming from my great love of The Enchanted April by Von Arnim， I ordered a few more titles by her， and decided to pick Vera up next。 I'm not sure it would have been possible to write a more different book than The Enchanted April。 These two make such interesting side by s "Yes， love worked wonders。 。 。but it also worked inverted wonders， and it didn't invariably， as she well knew， transfigure people into saints and angels。 Grievously indeed did it sometimes do the opposite。" The Enchanted AprilStemming from my great love of The Enchanted April by Von Arnim， I ordered a few more titles by her， and decided to pick Vera up next。 I'm not sure it would have been possible to write a more different book than The Enchanted April。 These two make such interesting side by side reading！ Vera was published the year before The Enchanted April。 They stand in conversation with each other， with Von Arnim showing two sides of love。 In Vera， Von Arnim shows us sick love， that can only destroy and has no redeeming capabilities。 The relationship between Lucy and Everard will leave your skin scrawling。 Everard's "love" is horrific in its abuse of power， its gaslighting， and its insistence on utter submission。 It is even more horrific when placed in its historical context--the 1920s when women had not yet been granted rights under the law to end their own marriages without paying a heavy price， both in property and societal acceptance。 I wonder if Von Arnim followed Vera with The Enchanted April on purpose to show us the other side of the coin--to describe the kind of love that most of us experience at one time or another， the love that has worn out and leaves us feeling lonely rather than connected。 But this love can be redeemed。 This love can be resuscitated。 This love can once again become life giving， as it is in The Enchanted April。 The love portrayed in Vera can be none of those things， and as Lucy begins to suspect， it might even take quite a sinister turn。A good read along with Vera is Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier。 If you want an argument for why Maxim de Winter is not that bad， this will give you plenty of ammo！***Maybe spoilery***This book started slowly for me， but in retrospect， I think that's kind of the point。 Vera is a perfect example of the idea of "gradually then suddenly" that makes for the best psychological thrillers。 There were warning signs all along that Everard is not what Lucy thinks he is。 But Lucy is young， she doesn't know much of men other than the fatherly types that were her father's friends。 The adults around Lucy see warning signs， but they don't know how to articulate their fears。 Nor do they take them all that seriously。 The tension builds slowly， as the reader starts to understand what the characters only suspect。 Then suddenly to Lucy， all is clear， and it is too late。 The horror and revulsion that this book inspired in me on Lucy's behalf， still causes me to shiver even as I write this a day after finishing the book。 In the end I couldn't put this book down。 I kept waiting for something to happen that would change Lucy's fate， but none came。 There is only foreboding。 I can hardly bear to think about what will happen to her。 。。。more
EmeJota
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Angustioso y terrorífico， más sabiendo que la autora se basa en experiencias propias。 Muy recomendable。
Kristine
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Exquisitely rendered portrait of a hideously self-centred man。。。。 or what would have happened if I'd married my ex-boyfriend。 Should come with a trigger warning。 Exquisitely rendered portrait of a hideously self-centred man。。。。 or what would have happened if I'd married my ex-boyfriend。 Should come with a trigger warning。 。。。more
Christine
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More like 3。5 stars。 Enjoyed it but it got a bit repetitive and I hoped for a better ending。
Rebekah Giese Witherspoon
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If [Lucy] used books in such a way， Wemyss thought， he would be very careful how he let her have the key of his bookcase。 This was one of Vera's。 Vera hadn't taken any care of her books either; she was always reading them。A brilliant and dark， yet witty， portrayal of narcissism and its devastating effects。 Elizabeth von Arnim uses an omniscient narrator to get inside the head of each character， creating a compelling and powerful narrative。It was evident [Lucy] had a very tiresome cold。 'Good-bye If [Lucy] used books in such a way， Wemyss thought， he would be very careful how he let her have the key of his bookcase。 This was one of Vera's。 Vera hadn't taken any care of her books either; she was always reading them。A brilliant and dark， yet witty， portrayal of narcissism and its devastating effects。 Elizabeth von Arnim uses an omniscient narrator to get inside the head of each character， creating a compelling and powerful narrative。It was evident [Lucy] had a very tiresome cold。 'Good-bye，' he said shortly， stooping and giving the top of her head a brief， disgusted kiss。 The way the consequences of folly fell always on somebody else and punished him。。。。 Wemyss could hardly give his Times the proper attention in the train for thinking of it。Lucy is the kind， loving， and innocent new wife of Everard Wemyss。 The novel is named after his first wife; Vera died in mysterious circumstances and we don’t know anything about her except what Wemyss deigns to tell us。 If you’re thinking that this plot sounds similar to “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier， you’re absolutely right （“Vera” was published first in 1921 and “Rebecca” in 1938）。 Both novels are incredibly clever and brilliant， but with a different focus: “Rebecca” is loaded with Gothic atmosphere and nail-biting psychological suspense while “Vera” is a psychological character study centered on narcissism。 Another echo of the story of "Vera" is found in the movie “Gaslight”， both the 1940 and 1944 versions。Here's a quote from the perspective of Lucy’s dear spinster aunt， Miss Entwhistle:She didn't like Everard's silences; she remembered several of them during that difference of opinion he and she had had about where Christmas should be spent。 They weighed on her; and she had the sensation of wriggling beneath them like an earwig beneath a stone， and it humiliated her to wriggle…。 It was easier， and far less nerve-racking， to regard him indulgently as a goose than to let oneself get angry。 He was like a great cross schoolboy， she thought， sitting there being rude; but unfortunately a schoolboy with power。And a couple of quotes from Lucy's point of view:Sometimes he said， 'Would you like——？' and if she didn't like， and answered truthfully， as she answered at first before she learned not to， there was trouble。 Silent trouble。 A retiring of Wemyss into a hurt aloofness， for his question was only decorative， and his little Love should instinctively， he considered， like what he liked; and there outside this aloofness， after efforts to get at him with fond and anxious questions， she sat like a beggar in patient distress， waiting for him to emerge and be kind to her。。。。She was so much accustomed to find life kind， that given a moment of quiet like this with somebody being good-natured and back she slipped to her usual state， which was one of affection and confidence。 Lizzie hadn't been gone five minutes before Lucy had passed from sheer bewildered misery to making excuses for Everard; in ten minutes she was seeing good reasons for what he had done; in fifteen she was blaming herself for most of what had happened。Recommended for readers who love a fascinating psychological character study。TRIGGER ALERT: Readers who have experienced a close relationship with someone who manifests traits of narcissistic personality disorder or histrionic personality disorder could find this novel triggering。 On the other hand， this story could feel very validating and might help with processing emotionally traumatic events。The free ebook is available at gutenberg。org and in the Kindle store。 。。。more
Sophy H
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Well， Elizabeth， I think you should have stuck to your garden books！ I found this massively disappointing， a story of gaslighting and emotional abuse but told in an incredibly formulaic and dull manner。 The writing at times seemed juvenile and terribly basic。 A good story premise but awful execution。 No thanks。
Tania
，
This is a dark and unsettling story which was apparently one of the influences on Daphne du Maurier when she was writing Rebecca， it is also one of her more famous works; a semi-autobiographical novel based on her second marriage to Frank Russell， whose brother Betraund Russell is said to have advised someone， （I don't remember who）， never to marry an author。 The husband makes my skin crawl。 Narcissistic and bent on making her completely subservient to him This is a dark and unsettling story which was apparently one of the influences on Daphne du Maurier when she was writing Rebecca， it is also one of her more famous works; a semi-autobiographical novel based on her second marriage to Frank Russell， whose brother Betraund Russell is said to have advised someone， （I don't remember who）， never to marry an author。 The husband makes my skin crawl。 Narcissistic and bent on making her completely subservient to him 。。。more
Georgiana 1792
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Sono sempre stata curiosa di leggere questo romanzo da quando ho saputo che Daphne du Maurier fu accusata di plagio per il suo Rebecca proprio in relazione a questo libro， sebbene le vere accuse vennero fatte dalla brasiliana Carolina Nabuco， che， nel 1934 pubblicò A successora （Rebecca era del 1938）。 In effetti， ci sono molti elementi comuni， ma anche molte differenze， per cui， anche se si può pensare a un'ispirazione， （view spoiler）[i due personaggi maschili di Max de Winter （Rebecca） e di Eve Sono sempre stata curiosa di leggere questo romanzo da quando ho saputo che Daphne du Maurier fu accusata di plagio per il suo Rebecca proprio in relazione a questo libro， sebbene le vere accuse vennero fatte dalla brasiliana Carolina Nabuco， che， nel 1934 pubblicò A successora （Rebecca era del 1938）。 In effetti， ci sono molti elementi comuni， ma anche molte differenze， per cui， anche se si può pensare a un'ispirazione， （view spoiler）[i due personaggi maschili di Max de Winter （Rebecca） e di Everard Wemyss （Vera）， sono ben diversi e， sebbene de Winter sia un assassino che esegue materialmente un delitto， è una persona molto più equilibrata rispetto a Everard Wemyss， affetto da una forma gravissima di disturbo ossessivo-compulsivo che sfocia in una mania del controllo， che spinge la prima moglie， Vera， al suicidio。 E sebbene la seconda Mrs。 de Winter sia anonima per tutto il romanzo Rebecca， mentre Lucy Entwhistle ha un nome， entrambe sono state scelte dai relativi mariti perché giovani， ingenue， indifese。 Lucy addirittura dimostra meno dei suoi ventidue anni - in alcuni momenti viene scambiata per una dodicenne！ - e a Wemyss non pare vero di poter plasmare una donna così come lui la vuole， cosa che con Vera non gli è riuscita， perché aveva un minimo di personalità。 Max de Winter aveva invece ben altre motivazioni per scegliere una donna ingenua， dopo il tormento che era stata la sua vita accanto a Rebecca， una donna viziata e corrotta。Se in Rebecca， Mrs。 Danvers， la governante， mette ogni giorno la seconda Mrs。 de Winter a confronto con la sua vecchia padrona， facendola sentire inadeguata， qui la servitù è tutta terrorizzata dal padrone， ed è proprio Wemyss a far sentire entrambe le mogli inadeguate， tanto che Lucy a volte cerca conforto in Vera， nei suoi oggetti che sono rimasti a The Willows， la tenuta in Cornovaglia （come Manderley）， dopo che si è suicidata。La natura diversa delle due prime mogli e l'assenza di una figura come quella di Mrs。 Danvers rendono questo romanzo privo di quel mistero che aleggia per tutto il tempo in Rebecca。 Allo stesso tempo， però， c'è una costante suspense creata dall'imprevedibilità delle reazioni （spesso violente） di Wemyss。Naturalmente è scattato il confronto anche con La sposa birmana， in cui la protagonista femminile era costretta a subire delle attenzioni soffocanti， un terrorismo psicologico da parte del marito nei confronti della moglie che， tuttavia， era basato su una forma di affetto （malato， ma affetto）。 Everard Wemyss， invece， è una persona egocentrica fino all'eccesso， incapace di provare affetto verso chiunque non sia se stesso， pronto a fare scenate per un nonnulla， come quando le cameriere dimenticano di portare lo zucchero e lui fa una scenata pazzesca， quando poi né lui né Lucy bevono il tè con lo zucchero！A questo proposito， la scena è molto comica， con un balletto di porta il tè， porta il pane tostato， porta via il tè e riportalo fresco， porta via il pane tostato e riportalo caldo， che sembra davvero di assistere a una farsa con un'anticipazione di una delle più note Leggi di Murphy:Chesterton， in ginocchio， stava raccogliendo il pane imburrato che era atterrato – un’abitudine che aveva notato propria del pane imburrato in tutte le circostanze del genere – con il lato imburrato sul pavimento。Bocciati assolutamente dunque sia Lucy che Everard， mentre delizioso il personaggio di zia Dot， che cerca di mettersi da parte quando vede che la nipote è innamorata di quell'uomo anche se è tanto più grande di lei， ma che osa opporsi a Wemyss non appena si rende conto di quanto sia prepotente， profetizzando che， se continuerà a quel modo， Lucy si suiciderà molto prima dei quindici anni che ha impiegato Vera。 Ecco， spero solo che zia Dot non si sia arresa， che non si sia fatta mettere alla porta per sempre dalla vita della nipote， ma che la aiuti a liberarsi da quell'orribile marito in modo diverso rispetto a Vera。 （hide spoiler）]Elizabeth von Armin considerava questo il suo migliore romanzo， e io tendo a concordare con lei。 Decisamente mi piace di più quando narra in terza persona rispetto a quando utilizza il narratore interno （e anche in questo il romanzo si differenzia da Rebecca）。 。。。more
Bunta Potter
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'Marriage， Lucy found， was different from what she had supposed: Everard was different。'I first heard this novel serialised on the radio and have read it a few times since， but it has never lost its power to fascinate and horrify me。 With just three main living characters: Everard Wemyss， Lucy， Aunt Dot and the shades of two dead， Lucy's father， and Vera， Wemyss' first wife， von Arnim achieves a powerful sense of claustrophobia， both emotional and environmental， The novel opens on a summery Corn 'Marriage， Lucy found， was different from what she had supposed: Everard was different。'I first heard this novel serialised on the radio and have read it a few times since， but it has never lost its power to fascinate and horrify me。 With just three main living characters: Everard Wemyss， Lucy， Aunt Dot and the shades of two dead， Lucy's father， and Vera， Wemyss' first wife， von Arnim achieves a powerful sense of claustrophobia， both emotional and environmental， The novel opens on a summery Cornish clifftop， afterwards the action unfolds in cramped or bleakly oppressive indoor settings， Spring weather is cold and turbulent。 Naively trusting， totally unprepared for independent life or thinking for herself - she had always felt out of her depth among her father's bohemian intellectual set - Lucy left alone is desperate for a protector， but that Wemyss is on hand to assume that guise is the cruellest twist of fate。Their relationship and the inevitability of its conclusion， clear to the reader， though unguessed by Lucy， progresses swiftly as Wemyss' character reveals itself。 EVA is an assured painter of self- absorbed men， the Man of Wrath in the German Garden and Herr Dremmel in The Pastor's Wife are earlier examples of the demanding and tunnel-visioned male， but Wemyss easily outdoes them both as a tyrant。 His obsessions， often with tiny things， are absurd and EVA has a lot of fun cutting him down to size， but the comedy is often dark and by the final chapters it evaporates altogether。In the end it is normally mild， self-effacing Aunt Dot who tries to confront Wemyss， but if their last debate is ominous， the novel's closing lines are the real horror。 。。。more
Brenda
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Didn’t like the novel as much The Enchanted April or Elizabeth and her German garden。 Vera should have been shorter in order to sustain the suspense。Story of sociopathic， narcissistic man abusing a woman not a new one nor is it enjoyable to read。 I thought the ending was unrealistic and disappointing 。。 and perhaps ambivalent。
Jennifer Frye
，
I read this because Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca is my favorite novel， and as Vera is said to be one of du Maurier's inspirations， I was curious。 There are some obvious similarities: both books are named after the late first wives， who died mysterious deaths; both Manderly and The Willows are grand mansions inhabited by the ghosts of Rebecca and Vera; both heroines are young and impressionable with no close relatives and falling in love for the first time; and both husbands are older， wealthy， an I read this because Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca is my favorite novel， and as Vera is said to be one of du Maurier's inspirations， I was curious。 There are some obvious similarities: both books are named after the late first wives， who died mysterious deaths; both Manderly and The Willows are grand mansions inhabited by the ghosts of Rebecca and Vera; both heroines are young and impressionable with no close relatives and falling in love for the first time; and both husbands are older， wealthy， and practically bristling with red flags that the heroines don't see or choose to ignore。 However， those similarities make the differences more pronounced: the writing styles aren't similar at all， with du Maurier using a very close first person that sticks with the heroine while von Arnim uses a more distant third person that flits between multiple characters， including Wemyss—in fact， Lucy's perspective doesn't really come in until 100 pages in， and she's barely present for most of the third act; the characters themselves are all very different （specifically， （view spoiler）[Maxim is terrible， but seems like a perfect husband when compared with Wemyss， who is absolutely revolting from the very beginning and a total narcissist; Lucy's relationship with Vera is very different from the second Mrs。 de Winter's relationship with Rebecca; and Lucy's relationship with Wemyss is very different from Mrs。 de Winter's relationship with Maxim （hide spoiler）]）; and perhaps most surprisingly， （view spoiler）[von Arnim never answers the question of whether our heroine's husband actually killed his first wife， when a significant part of the plot of Rebecca revolves around that same question （hide spoiler）]。 Rebecca is， by far， the more complex， more nuanced， more engaging， more beautifully written， and all-around better novel。Putting comparisons to Rebecca aside （for it would be unfair for me to review Vera only in relation to what is， again， my favorite novel）， Vera was a fine novel。 It was fairly straightforward in terms of plot， though the characters were extraordinarily well developed， if not the most complex。 （Wemyss is repulsive right out of the gate。） The sections I most enjoyed were the parts told from Lucy's point of view， since she had the most opportunity to change and grow。 Unfortunately， though， right as it's starting to seem like Lucy will have to make a major decision， the novel just…ends。Some favorite passages:‘After all，’ she said almost entreatingly， ‘what can be better than a devoted husband？’ And the widow， who had had three and knew what she was talking about， replied with the large calm of those who have finished and can in leisure weigh and reckon up: ‘None。’（view spoiler）[Marriage， Lucy found， was different from what she had supposed; Everard was different; everything was different。 For one thing she was always sleepy。 For another she was never alone。 She hadn’t realised how completely she would never be alone， or， if alone， not sure for one minute to the other of going on being alone。 Always in her life there had been intervals during which she recuperated in solitude from any strain; now there were none。 Always there had been places she could go to and rest in quietly， safe from interruption; now there were none。The bedroom was over the library， and was the same size and with the same kind of window。 Where the bookcase stood in the room below， stood the bed: a double， or even a treble， bed， so very big was it， facing the window past which Vera – it was no use， she couldn’t get away from Vera – having slept her appointed number of nights， fell and was finished。 But she wasn’t finished。 If only she had slipped away out of memory， out of imagination， thought Lucy … but she hadn’t， she hadn’t – and this was her room， and that intelligent-eyed thin thing had slept in it for years and years， and for years and years the looking glass had reflected her while she had dressed and undressed， dressed and undressed before it – regularly， day after day， year after year – oh， what a trouble – and her thin long hands had piled up her hair – Lucy could see her sitting there piling it on the top of her small head – sitting at the dressing table in the window past which she was at last to drop like a stone – horribly – ignominiously – all anyhow – and everything in the room had been hers， every single thing in it had been Vera’s， including Ev– （hide spoiler）]…only people with tempers should marry people with tempers。 They would understand each other， say the same sorts of things， tossing them backwards and forwards like a fiery， hissing ball， know the exact time it would last， and be saved by their vivid emotions from the deadly hurt， the deadly loneliness of the one who couldn’t get into a rage。Vera hadn’t taken any care of her books either; she was always reading them。Who wanted to be in the right in a dispute with one’s lover？ Everybody， oh， but everybody who loved， would passionately want always to have been in the wrong， never， never to have been right。 That one’s beloved should have been unkind， – who wanted that to be true？Strange how tightly one’s body could be held， how close to somebody else’s heart， and yet one wasn’t anywhere near the holder。（view spoiler）[Strange to be afraid of him and love him at the same time。 （hide spoiler）]The books people read， – was there ever anything more revealing？ 。。。more
kitty。
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This book is beautifully written， I really liked miss Elizabeth von Arnim's prose but the story is just not for me。 I tried to get past chapter eleven but I couldn't。 I really wanted to continue because her style is beautiful but nope， Vera isn't for me。 This book is beautifully written， I really liked miss Elizabeth von Arnim's prose but the story is just not for me。 I tried to get past chapter eleven but I couldn't。 I really wanted to continue because her style is beautiful but nope， Vera isn't for me。 。。。more
Elena
，
I must admit I only found out about this book because it has been compared to Rebecca， one of my favourite books。 Vera was published earlier， and it is true that the premises of the two novels are incredibly similar， but apart from that I found the execution and the themes completely different。 Du Maurier's remains superior for me， but I was pleasantly surprised by von Arnim's novel。 I was mesmerized by her beautiful writing style and her characterizations。 The characters are few but they are wo I must admit I only found out about this book because it has been compared to Rebecca， one of my favourite books。 Vera was published earlier， and it is true that the premises of the two novels are incredibly similar， but apart from that I found the execution and the themes completely different。 Du Maurier's remains superior for me， but I was pleasantly surprised by von Arnim's novel。 I was mesmerized by her beautiful writing style and her characterizations。 The characters are few but they are wonderfully depicted。 I absolutely despised Wemyss， but I can't deny his characterization was memorable。 Seeing things through his eyes was awful but interesting at the same time。 Another thing I appreciated was the mix of tragedy and comedy: the story was grim and the situation quite tragic， but at the same time there was a black humour underneath which made the story stand out even more。 I don't know how the author made it work， but she definitely did。The ending wasn't what I expected or wanted。 One part of me wanted （view spoiler）[Lucy to finally realize how horrible Wemyss was and to leave him; another part of me was expecting something more dramatic to happen。 Instead the ending was quite abrupt and even anticlimatic。 However， it made sense and， the more I think about it， the more I think it was just right for the general tone of the book。 （hide spoiler）]I'm looking forward to reading more books by Elizabeth von Arnim。 。。。more
Nood-Lesse
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Pornografia Marrone （Cinque lettere）Ho deciso di leggere il libro perché mi piaceva il volto in copertina e perché von Arnim nel mio domino personale si attaccava ad Armin van Buurenhttps://www。youtube。com/watch？v=Txvpc。。。 Difficilmente le mie motivazioni e le mie associazioni sarebbero potute risultare più distanti dall’opera。Mi spiace se ferirò la sensibilità di alcuni， ma non ho intenzione di censurarmi， dunque lasciate perdere il mio commento qualora abbiate apprezzato il libro。 Nell’incipit Pornografia Marrone （Cinque lettere）Ho deciso di leggere il libro perché mi piaceva il volto in copertina e perché von Arnim nel mio domino personale si attaccava ad Armin van Buurenhttps://www。youtube。com/watch？v=Txvpc。。。 Difficilmente le mie motivazioni e le mie associazioni sarebbero potute risultare più distanti dall’opera。Mi spiace se ferirò la sensibilità di alcuni， ma non ho intenzione di censurarmi， dunque lasciate perdere il mio commento qualora abbiate apprezzato il libro。 Nell’incipit il padre della ventiduenne Lucy muore improvvisamente durante una vacanza in Cornovaglia。 Il lutto di Lucy si interseca con quello del quarantacinquenne Everard che da poco ha perso la moglie。 La situazione iniziale per quanto paradossale （Everard organizzerà il funerale del padre di Lucy pur non avendo nulla a che vedere con lui） dà modo di riflettere su quali siano i doveri di chi riamane nei confronti di chi ci ha lasciato per sempreMa ora capiva di non poterne più di morte e di atmosfere funebri。 Aveva avuto una reazione， e le sue reazioni erano forti。 Voleva starsene lontano dal dolore， ritrovarsi di nuovo con gente normale e allegra， farla finita con situazioni nelle quali una risata era il più osceno dei suoni。 Eccolo lì， con la testa affondata in un nero pantano， così si sentiva…La morte gli sembrava anormale。 Il semplice fatto che capitasse una sola volta a ciascuno gli dimostrava quanto fosse eccezionale， pensava Wemyss， profondamente disgustato dalla sua esistenza。Per quanto tempo bisogna portare il lutto？ In rete ho trovato una serie di vecchie parametrazioni che stabilivano che stile di vita e che abbigliamento andasse tenuto in caso la perdita fosse stata del coniuge， dei genitori o dei figli。 Il lutto talvolta può rappresentare un’inaspettata fonte di energia e motivazione personale， può dopare chi lo ha subito， possono scattare meccanismi per i quali si voglia cercare di vivere anche per chi c’è stato strappato。 Questo però non è un libro sul lutto， è un libro scritto nel peggiore dei modi leggibili da una donna che ha voluto rappresentare la pericolosità dell’amore cieco di altre donne verso uomini che non lo meritano， ma lo ha fatto con una prosa sfinente， zeppa di dettagli e di espressioni esasperanti。 In una bella introduzione alla Morante lessi di un concetto che prendeva il nome di pornografia rosa。 Ce ne fosse di pornografia rosa in questo libro。。 questa è pornografia marrone:Non potremo sapere dove finisce l’uno e inizia l’altro。 Questo， cuoricino， è il vero matrimonio。 Che ne pensi？Che cosa si è messa in testa ora la mia gattina？ – disse lui， baciandole i capelli e osservandosi mentre lo faceva。Il mio cuoricino non farà nulla che rovini i piani del suo Everard dopo tutto il daffare che si è dato， vero？ –Chi è la mia sciocca scemottina – domandò。 – Dimmi chi è la mia sciocca scemottina。 Veloce。 Dimmi… – E la prese per la vita facendola saltare su e giù。Poi il pezzo di letteratura con la L maiuscolaChesterton， in ginocchio， stava raccogliendo il pane imburrato che era atterrato – un’abitudine che aveva notato propria del pane imburrato in tutte le circostanze del genere – con il lato imburrato sul pavimento。 E questa cosa sarebbe， la legge di Murphy？ Burro nel brodo della narrazione per allungarlo？ Dalla fine dell’incipit in avanti il libro ambisce ad essere la versione seria di Fosca e Raniero， con tanto di Dora （morta） nei panni di Scillahttps://www。youtube。com/watch？v=P-hHf。。。 Elizabeth von Arnim fa di più， inserisce anche la zia-zitella ficcanaso e ciò invece di far aumentare la rabbia nei confronti di Everard-Raniero （esimia testa di ca-rtone） quasi induce il lettore a giustificarne gli inqualificabili comportamenti。 Ho il dubbio che sia un romanzo adatto ad una sensibilità di cui sono sprovvisto， ho la certezza che non leggerò mai più nulla di Elizabeth von Arnim。 。。。more
Kathryn
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3 st*rs！Overall， a good， easy-to-read story。It does suffer from what reads as an unfinished ending。 Or maybe I just wanted something meatier！ Understandably， this is often considered the influential novel that preceded "Rebecca"， and for good reason。 A young， naive girl marries an older man whose first wife died in mysterious circumstances and continues to live in the same， isolated home where the first wife's presence is unshakeable。Whilst "Rebecca" is far superior overall， "Vera" has some diff 3 st*rs！Overall， a good， easy-to-read story。It does suffer from what reads as an unfinished ending。 Or maybe I just wanted something meatier！ Understandably， this is often considered the influential novel that preceded "Rebecca"， and for good reason。 A young， naive girl marries an older man whose first wife died in mysterious circumstances and continues to live in the same， isolated home where the first wife's presence is unshakeable。Whilst "Rebecca" is far superior overall， "Vera" has some differing points of interest。 Noticeably， it's got a few decent laughs in it。 Odd， but true。Secondly。。。there's no character in "Rebecca" that you hate more than you hate Wemyss。 None。 Lastly， the fact that's it's partially based on the author's second marriage adds a creepy factor to the novel。 When you discover half-way through that a story you've been submerged in is actually based on fact？ That unnerving feeling？ Yeah， it's here。I liked it。 I didn't like the lacklustre ending。"Rebecca" is eons better， but that's not to say this isn't worth a read。 。。。more
Charles
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After reading LOVE， I got my hands on VERA by Elizabeth von Arnim。 If you've read it， you will understand why I think it almost qualifies as horror in tone。 She writes so well and so fiercely about the behaviour of her main characters and in particular Everard Wemyss that he makes me ashamed of being male。 It is a gripping tale and the most upsetting aspect is that she refuses to give us anything resembling a happy or tidy ending， making it completely unnerving。 After reading LOVE， I got my hands on VERA by Elizabeth von Arnim。 If you've read it， you will understand why I think it almost qualifies as horror in tone。 She writes so well and so fiercely about the behaviour of her main characters and in particular Everard Wemyss that he makes me ashamed of being male。 It is a gripping tale and the most upsetting aspect is that she refuses to give us anything resembling a happy or tidy ending， making it completely unnerving。 。。。more
Adam Stevenson
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Having adored Elizabeth and her German Garden and been enchanted by The Enchanted April， I asked for more Elizabeth Von Arnim books so I could be uplifted by their ebullience and delight。 I received Vera。 Instead of a sunny， funny story of joy， it’s a taut psychological thriller written as a comedy of manners。 Elizabeth and her German Garden had a portrait of her first husband as ‘The Man of Wrath’， but it was a peculiarly affectionate portrayal。 There’s nothing affectionate about the portrayal Having adored Elizabeth and her German Garden and been enchanted by The Enchanted April， I asked for more Elizabeth Von Arnim books so I could be uplifted by their ebullience and delight。 I received Vera。 Instead of a sunny， funny story of joy， it’s a taut psychological thriller written as a comedy of manners。 Elizabeth and her German Garden had a portrait of her first husband as ‘The Man of Wrath’， but it was a peculiarly affectionate portrayal。 There’s nothing affectionate about the portrayal of her second husband in the character of Everard Wemyss。Lucy Enthwhistle meets Everard Wemyss on the day her beloved father has suddenly died。 She’s still numb in her grief and so politely listens to his tale of woe， his wife had died the week before after falling out of a third story window but the inquest recorded an open verdict。 We already know all we need to know about him， his sadness is not from his wife’s death but from his losing face at the inquest and being obliged to leave town for a while。 However， I didn’t fully pick up on this yet。。 nor for a while。The courtship of Everard and Lucy does seem strange， and he in particular seems rather gauche， especially in company。 Lucy’s aunt Dot has her misgivings， and there are further hints of Everard’s character from how she is beloved or an utter nuisance depending solely on how easy she makes it for Everard to get his own way。Further red-flags are raised by the way in which Everard obsesses over Lucy’s height， youthfulness and particularly her bobbed hair。 He delights in the fact that her particular haircut means that she could look as young as twelve。 When his physical babying of her， taking him in his arms， rocking her and calling her his ‘baby’ - and warning signs are flying around。 （Incidentally， she had that haircut at her father’s request， who obviously liked her to still look like his little girl， and he obviously infantilised her also in the way he never expected her to keep up with his conversation。 Was their relationship ever that healthy in the first place？）Despite the warnings， the tone of the book informs us not to be too worried。 It’s told as a comedy of manners， we laugh at Everard’s absurdities and we expect things to work out fine in the end。 Even Auntie Dot convinces herself that all shall be fine as they go off in a taxi to their honeymoon。This is when we find out that things shall not be fine。 Lucy’s chance remark that she’s been exhausted since her marriage and feels she has no space to be herself is chilling。 Everard’s ‘wholesome’， ‘uncomplicated’ and ‘simple’ ways become horridly controlling。 Most heartbreaking of all is that he has power over Lucy because she loves him and doesn’t want him upset。 He can use this upset and a whole panapoly of sulks and tantrums to get his own way。 It’s not just seeing her dominated， it’s seeing her dominated by someone so weak and petty that is the true horror。 Yet the comic tone doesn’t ease， we are still encouraged to laugh at Everard’s pathetic nature just as we fear it。 It’s a wonderful and gripping tight-walk。When the couple return from honeymoon， it’s clear how little he loves Lucy， even if he thinks he does。 She is an interchangeable ‘wife’ figure and she must now slot into place in the vacant ‘wife’ slot once filled by Vera。 When we were first introduced to Vera， we were told she was a stupid， thoughtless woman who didn’t know what was best for her。 All indications suggest she was intelligent and independent with a love of music and travel and she was worn down by Everard。。 and Lucy seems to be going down that path much faster than Vera ever did。The book ends before any grand tragedy or heroic rescue。 I’ve seen some readers think it a hopeful end， with the seeds of escape sown。 I personally see it as a tragic one， Lucy still makes excuses for the man she thinks loves her， she is deep down the rabbit hole and I don’t think will escape。 I think she’ll simply waste away。 The book gives the kindness to not make that certain。This book gripped and incensed me， made me laugh and gasp， It’s as inescapable as the other two works I’ve read by Elizabeth Von Arnim but in a completely different way。 I loved it。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Vera
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Vera&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Vera&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0