Monday 27th July

A couple of years ago, entirely on a whim I read on kindle a book by Elizabeth von Arnim – The Pastor’s Wife, written in early 1900’s.  And it was brilliant, witty, so clever and really a great read.  I immediately downloaded her collected works and have been reading them sporadically ever since.  I have just finished Fraulein Schmidt and Mr. Anstruther and again it is a brilliant novel.  It is a series of about 70 letters written by Rose Marie Schmidt, a German girl to an Englishman, Mr. Anstruther.

A quite brilliant little novel, funny and sad and so revealing about human nature.  We never get to see or hear or read any of Mr. Anstruther’s letters.  You only see Fraulein Schmidt’s letters, but this one sided conversation tells us all we need to know about Mr. Anstruther.

Well worth a read….