Ever since I have watched the charming Ladies in Lavender I had felt like reading the short story on which it was based. It took a while to find it as I did not know William J. Locke‘s books. I finally discovered that it was in his short story collection Far-Away Stories. Ladies in Lavender is the only one I have read but since I liked it and I bought the book, I will certainly read others sooner or later.
Two elderly sisters (they are 45 and 48 respectively in the book but in their 70s in the movie), both spinsters, live together in a beautiful house on the seaside in Cornwall. They inherited the house from their late father and since his death, some 27 years ago, they have been living in that house alone, sharing a bedroom like a married couple. Theirs is a quiet life, very similar to the life of the ladies in Cranford. A change of weather, something special for lunch, a visitor, are the only distractions they seem to have. They are content and live a certain routine, with the older of the two being in charge.
All this ends when they find a young man on the beach below their window. The sea has washed him ashore. He is unconscious and his ankle is broken. The two ladies cannot help seeing how delicate and beautiful he looks and decide to have him carried to their house and look after him.
What follows is at times quite comedic in the movie. The young man doesn’t speak English, only a little German, but the ladies hardly speak any German at all. It takes a while and some coincidences until they find out that he is a talented Polish violinist.
It is touching how intensely these two old women fall in love with the young man. None of them has ever fallen in love before. They were not married, never had lovers. The adventure with the young man is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to them, it feels like a fairy tale and they assume he will stay with them forever.
The story of two elderly women falling in love with a very young man could seem somewhat far-fetched but a few years back my mother told me a similar story. She lived in an area of the city that is very green and where a lot of people walk their dogs. My mother was part of a group of 50 and 60+ women going for walks together when suddenly, one day, an extremely good-looking young man appeared with his dog (I wasn’t introduced so can’t tell you how good-looking he was). In any case my mother was quite bewildered as she observed how one of the older women started to fall for the young man. But not only was she in love, she assumed that he had feelings as well as he was very kind and attentive. When he finally showed up after a few months with a young girlfriend, the woman had a major breakdown.
Judi Dench and Maggie Smith play the elderly sisters in the movie and they play them extremely well. They are touching and funny at the same time. The choice for the young man, German actor Daniel Brühl, was less fortunate. I just don’t think he is all that handsome, at least certainly not at handsome as the man described in the book.
In the novel, the story plays clearly before WWI while the movie takes place just before WWII, apart from this and changing the age of the main characters, the movie stays true to the short story but goes into much more detail in the second half.
As nice as the short story is, I preferred the movie. It’s a lovely movie with great actresses, a beautiful setting and a melancholic undertone that depicts very well a certain type of woman that life has passed by.
As I said in the beginning I did not know William J. Locke. It seems he was born in British Guinea in 1863. His novels were five times on the bestseller lists in the US and there are 24 movies based on his work. Amazing.
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
Unlike you, I really disliked the film, but that said, I had never heard of William Locke. Now off to check this out.
I can really not say whether he is a good writer. Ladies in Lavender is quite alright but that’s all I read so far. I’m just very surprised there are that many movies based on his stories.
I really did like the movie.
it’s fascinating to read about the short story, thank you. Like you I loved the film and have watched it many times .I am British and live in the West Country so can relate to.the setting and people , in some ways not so different even now. One reason I loved this tender, poignant, beautifully acted film.is that I am an older woman ( 60s) who has been in love with a much younger man ( unrequitedly and unknown to him) and the emotions are deeply recognisable. The difference to Ursula is that my life has been romantically full, though with a great deal of bereavement. As an artist and writer it is a theme I have been exploring in my work : the feelings of older women are somewhat unrecognised. One theory I have about this kind of love, which older men often experience for young women , or men, is that it is perhaps not just an unfulfilled longing for youth and love, but the last flowering of our desire in the presence of beauty, before it is too late. Despite its pain, I think it is a sacred thing.
This is such a beautiful comment. Thank you for sharing it. I didn’t look at it that way.
I’m glad you had such a fulfilling life. Being in love, even unrequited, has a magical element but maybe it’s easier at a certain age because the expectation of it being reciprocated are not as high. I imagine it like a gentle yearning. It is beautiful. I agree that the feelings of older women aren’t recognized. It’s a beautiful film and captures this well. It sounds like what you’re writing must be very beautiful too.
Thank you so much for your lovely words Caroline.
For me the feelings were still fierce, and painful…perhaps helped by a certain wry philosophical outlook, some wisdom of experience in love, and humour…I wonder if temperament plays a larger part than age in this, as I have a friend also in her 60s, partnered, who says she cannot imagine feeling so intensely. The young man I loved died recently and was loved by many others, which made the anguish deeper, and him yet more unattainable, almost as if he were the lady in the tower and I the courtly knight . Yet the romantic feelings he inspired have led, alchemically, to much creative output. Perhaps, sometimes ,love needs to be unrequited to become the Muse. It’s some comfort anyway.
I don’t know if it’s just temperament. A certain openness is needed too. It sounds like he was very special. Too sad he died already. But then again he still lives in you and through your writing. I feel unrequited love has something in common with grief. Grief can be a powerful catalyst for creation too.
I so agree. Grief has been a powerful.motivation for my own work, and your perceptive comment about its relating to unrequited love rings true. I lost my long term partner in 2008 to sudden death which was life changing, and inspired my trajectory as a writer. One never fully recovers; but there is the hope for transformation The young man I recently loved from a distance made me aware that the heart could open again. And that’s so true , too – what you say about openness.
I’m very sorry for your. Especially when so sudden, it causes deep grief. I can imagine that there isn’t complete recovery but, at least, as you say, transformation.
Looks like your heart was in hibernation. A relatively pain free state but stagnant. The young man helped, I guess.
You’re very kind. The loss was traumtic in many ways so self protection was needed. I had a couple of other relationships which didn’t work as I was still mourning my husband. When unrequited love came along, I suppose it felt strangely safe as it is based on fantasy and longing. They can’t disappoint!
I love your blog and am finding it very interesting to explore xx
I get what you’re saying. You can grieve unrequited love but not loose.
Thanks so much for your kind words about my blog. xx
Btw I just remembered Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont. It has similarities with this. The elderly woman has a crush in a young man and it transforms her life. Movie and book are excellent. I reviewed it on the blog. You probably know it.
I have seen the film, which I wasn’t sure about, though I love Joan Plowright. But you inspire me to read the book, thank you 💗
You are welcome. I love her writing. This was one of my favorites together with A Game of Hide and Seek.
I hope you’ll enjoy it. 💕
Ok, there’s a bunch of his stories free for the kindle. Thanks!
You are welcome. Hopefully they are good.
Both my mother and my mother-in-law loved this film. As I may have mentioned before, I’ll always read the book version if one is available, and I’m delighted in this case to know there is. I must look out for it now!
It seems that you might find it for free on-line. I’m so amazed that I had never heard of Locke and there are so many of his stories that have been turned into movies. I think that you would also like the movie in this case.
I really liked the film and still think of it from time to time. Had no idea about William Locke.
Some movies stay in my memory as if I had just watched them yesterday. This is one of those. It took me quite a while to track down the story. Odd that nobody seems to know him anymore.
Nice review, Caroline! This story looks beautiful – I love older woman – younger man romances. It is interesting that though William Locke doesn’t seem to be very popular now, many of his stories have been made into movies. It made me remember a a movie called ‘Portrait of Jennie’ which I watched sometime back. When I did some research on the movie, I discovered that it was based on a novel by Robert Nathan and many of his novels have been made into movies. I had never heard of Robert Nathan before I saw that movie.
Thanks for introducing us to an interesting new writer and a beautiful movie. I will look for this story and will try to watch this movie.
Thanks, Vishy and also for the recommendation of Robert Nathan whom I did not know either. Nor the movie. It is strange how some writers are just forgotten after a while. The story of Ladies In Lavender reminded me a little bit of Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont. The story between the young man and the older woman is quite similar. Both, movie and book, are wonderful.
I’ve never heard of the writer or of the film (not susprising, I don’t remember any film or any book of 2004)
Strange that you and Guy don’t have the same response to the film. Usually, you agree, it’s intriguing for me.
I would have bet that this isn’t a movie for him.
I like both Maggie Smith and Judi Dench and I love the Cornwall setting.
I saw this movie not too long ago, but didn’t know it had been based on a book. I had the same impression. Maggie Smith and Judi Dench were terrific. I thought there was so much subtext and subtlety. I could probably watch again and take away something even more.
The story is quite short and in this case I would say they made the most of it in the movie. Adding and altering a few things.
I will re-watch it, I liked it so much.
I was thinking how well Locke captured that feeling of the soul staying young despite the fatct that the body grows older. Maybe even more so if you haven’t experienced a lot.
Never heard of William Locke either, but 24 movies based on his writing is pretty amazing. Judging by the date of his birth, I guess he probably never saw any of them made in his lifetime, which is a shame. Love the sound of this story – maybe I’ll read it, or watch the movie…
I start to feel a bit sorry for Locke but on the oter hand he was apreacited during his lifetime.
The number of movies really struck me. I guess they are more modern. I didn’t look into it yet.
I’m curious to read other stories and see if there are other hidden gems.
I think he also had an interesting life with a lot of travelling.
I’ll be curious to see whether you will like it.
For several years, my daughter, my mother and I got together every Wednesday night for dinner and a movie at Mom’s house. I was in charge of the movie and we always seemed to like the British films the best. After the movie we’d enter it into the notebook we kept and gave it a rating. I remember that we all liked Ladies In Lavender very much. I’ll need to download his stories to my Kindle.
How nice, this sounds like such a lovely custom.
There are a lot of wonderful British films, I agree.
I hope you will like the stories. I’m planning on reading another one or two this weekend.
I really liked The Ladies in Lavender (oh to have a cottage by the sea!!), but I had no idea it was from a short story. My library has some of his books, but not this one. It sounds like this is one I might well pass on but I wouldn’t mind seeing the movie again!
I’m totally with you regarding the cottage by the sea. I loved the setting. The story is better developped in the movie but I’m very curious to see what else he wrote. I will certainly re-watch the movie.
I remember thinking this movie was only all right. I’ll have to check out the story though. Lovely that it’s available for the Kindle! 🙂
Maybe it depends on when you watch it. It was a perfect moment for me and the idea of a cottage in Cornwall certainly influenced me a lot.
Either the South of France or Cornwall. Some day….
I always heard about this movie because of the soundtrack (I love Joshua Bell) but I never knew what the movie was about, not to mention that the power duo of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith were in it. Thanks for reviewing this…I might never had watched it, or read the short story. Yeah, I had never heard of William Locke.
I hope you will like it. Those two women are really a power duo. If you like Daniel Brühl you might enjoy it a lot.
The soundtrack is another element I liked.
I think we established beyond any doubt that poor William Locke isn’t known anymore.
I just added it to the que. 🙂
Bit different from my usual recommendations, right? 🙂 I watch a wide range of movies and in this one I loved the story, the setting and those two actresses. I hope you will like it.
I watched it last night, the youngest sister is such a cutey. It was very good all around though I would always like more violin playing in it. But snuggling as I watched the movie, I fell aslleep towards the end. So it was a pleaasure to sleep to as well as watch.
I saw Galipoli too which the ending was a blunt shock. I loved it! But I had trouble finding your Galipoli post in order to tell you so.
Your comment made me laugh, not sure you really liked it… 🙂 but maybe “nice to sleep to” should be a a new category when rating movies… hehe. No sleeping during Gallipoli, I’m sure. I didn’t review it. I haven’t reviewed my favourite movies because I have to re-watch them and always want to pick the perfect moment. I loved Gallipoli. The senselessness of the trenches, the cruelty of it, is shown so well.
It sounds like a fun story. Ederly women fall for a very young man could be recipe for comedy. But how could someone never fall in love till that age? it’s kinda odd. Maybe because the year the book is written.
I like the cover…really beautiful
It is funny in the movie and, yes, it has something to do with the year they live in. I think it was fairly frequent at the time that women never got married and also didn’t meet many men.
Didn’t get married still common now…but not falling in love till that age is odd nowadays.
I want to see the movie too.
I agree, not falling in love would be difficult to imagine nowadays. I think in the movie one of the sisters was married before but not in the book. I hope you will like it.
i loved the movie and the violin music of joshua bell is divine.
I agree. Glad to hear you liked it too.
Can you tell me the names in the book of the two ladies please? Was there an Olga and a Violet in the story somewhere?
I can’t find my book but I don’t think they changed the names for the movie and in the movie the young woman is called Olga. The sisters are Janet and Ursula.
Thank you for the information about the author. I have watched this movie many times, from the perspectives both of a violinist and a fan of films conveying a subtle expression of human emotion, and this film touched me on both levels. Although both actresses were 70 when the film was made, they both captured so poignantly the yearning of an older heart for the passion that bypassed them in their youth. I thought Daniel Bruhl was perfectly cast, in that, regarding Ursula’s feelings for him, he successfully portrayed the transition from oblivion, to dawning awareness, to sweet sensitivity, to not wanting to hurt her feelings. He also brilliantly acted the “imp” as a foil to the wonderful comic acting (as always!) of Miriam Margolyes. The acting, the beautiful score, and the poignancy of the story, combined with the scenic splendor of Cornwall, makes this one of my favorite movies. Now I’m off to find the book!
My pleasure, Donna.
I feel a lot like you about this movie. I often rewatch it. It has so many aspects that speak to me.
The book/story is a little different as the two sisters are much younger but I think making them older worked very well in the movie.
I hope you enjoy reading it.
I absolutely love the movie, Ladies In Lavender. Hopefully I will be able to find a copy of the original book of short stories by William J, Lock.
Me too. I rewatch it regularly.
The collection isn’t easy to find, I think but I’ll hope you’ll find it.
I thought it odd that Olga was no where to be seen in the ending. Any thoughts on what happened to her..
It’s a while since I watched it so my memory is sketchy. I think she doesn’t appear anymore to not upset the sisters as, clearly, she and Andrea seem to be in a relationship.
I just watched the movie last night – and actually was hunting for more information about the original short story because I am curious was to where the title comes from. In the film, at least, I certainly don’t recall the sisters wearing lavender – much less wearing it often, to be considered “the ladies in lavender.”
As an aside, I too, was curious as to the conspicuous absence of Olga at the concert in London.
It’s been a while since I’ve read it so can’t remember if the title is explained in the story but I doubt it. I tried to find something online but couldn’t really find anything. Let me know if you have more luck.
Are you sure that neither of the sisters had fallen in love before? My recollection of the movie is that Ursula had a sweetheart who was killed in the Great War. His picture is hanging on the wall of their cottage. Or was that their brother?
No, I’m not sure at all and can’t remember now. I need to watch it again.
That was my recollection, as well. It struck a chord with me as, growing up in Somerset (not all that far from Cornwall), I knew some elderly ladies like that, who never married as they’d lost sweethearts in the War: with a million men dead in the UK alone, there was a whole generation of women for whom a relationship wasn’t possible.
It was the last film I watched with my late Mother, so it is one I’m very fond of. The soundtrack can easily bring a tear to my eye.
Oh, I’m sure one of them was married before. I remember her looking at the photo, and that the other sister comments something like “you’ve had a love,” or “you’ve had a husband,” during the movie.
I’d taken it to be a fiancee: I think somewhere I’d read of them as the “Widdrington sisters”, implying they were both single (as they are in the original story) – as well as the fact they were living in their parents’ house. But maybe it’s one of those things that wasn’t explicitly resolved because it didn’t need to be?
Actually, for the record, the elder sister ( the Maggie Smith character) was not a spinster. She had been married–or at least engaged — to a young man named Peter, who had been killed in the war. I thought the movie was beautiful, and will endeavor to find and read the short story, as well.
Now that you mention it. True.
It is a beautiful movie.
Hi Caroline, I googled the movie and found your blog 🙂 i just finished watching it (and I live in India) and when i saw the movie post on facebook yesterday, I knew I had watched it previously on TV long ago. How can one forget Dame Judi Dench? I didn’t even connect with Dame Maggie Smith in the movie then and now after her recent passing I do so want to watch her films.
Reading through some comments, I am surprised that most viewers missed the credits! They have credited the said author. I wonder now why they had to inflate the age so much- perhaps to accommodate the Dames 🙂
I love a cottage by the sea. I love rural England so much. This one was sooo perfect. I wonder who it really belongs to.
The book cover is splendid. Do we know why it goes by that title? I mean what is the lavender connection? Oops just read Richard’s comment. 🙂
I doubt I could get hold of a copy of the said book. You are lucky to own it.
Thanks for writing and I am pleased to have found you over shared interests. Oh I watched it for free on m4uHD channel. A bit troublesome coz the movie doesn’t start right away coz it takes you to some unrelated page. But the prints are good.
Best regards,
Hi Nandini,
Nice to meet you. Imagine living in a cottage like that by the sea 😊I often think about moving to the UK. I’m in Switzerland.
Both actresses are so wonderful. Maybe they just changed the age because they wanted them in the movie. It certainly works very well.
It’s rare that I say this but the movies is much better than the book. It’s only a short story and they made the most out of a great idea.
I googled the name of the story adding PDF and actually found this. Isn’t that great? I hope you see my comment.
Click to access ladies-in-lavender-other-stories-.pdf
Thank you for visiting and hope you enjoy reading the story.
Best wishes
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Thank you so much for your warm response. I also sent you an email last night from my second Gmail account as the first is almost full.
Many thanks for sharing the PDF. Since it is a short story and only because you so kindly shared it, I will read it. Otherwise I am a book lover and always want a book in hand. 🙂
It’s wonderful how they handled a short story and made it into this lovely movie. For sure both the Dames acted superbly.
I am in thrall that you live in Switzerland. Will never forget Heidi- one of the many books that made me dream…<3 My eldest sister got a hardbound copy as her birthday gift and I read it even before she could 😀 I was in school then. It had just one illustration but the book was so delightful and a bit sad but it all comes right in the end as we all know.
Have a great day!
Cheers!
Sheela
Hi Sheela,
You’re welcome. I prefer physical books too but I thought it might be better than nothing.😊
I don’t exactly live in Heidiland, no mountains where I live. It’s an iconic book and the setting is very beautiful.
I won’t get a chance to answer your email but will do do soon (need my laptop).
Best
Caroline
Dear Caroline,
I read the short story yesterday. The font is very eye-friendly and the story captivating. It is in here that lavender is mentioned twice. But in the movie they chose not to dwell on it! Anyways. Made lovely reading!
Suisse is still HOME as I see it and a very beautiful country!
I look forward to hearing from you on email.
Hugs,
sheela