This is a lovely book for those interested in the early part of the 20th century. It give a true voice to how native Africans lived and behaved and how the "white" view of life contrasted with theirs. There are also charming descriptions of the animals the author knew and lived with. Some of the descriptions of the land are pure poetry. Although a bit slow/pedantic for our world, it's a true account of an extraordinary woman...
2Report
Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) has been elevated to star status by the feminists for her independent stance and courage, but don't read this book because of that. Don't look for the tragic story of her misguided marriage and the heartbreak and barrenness it brought her, or for descriptions of her love affair with adventurer Denys Finch-Hatton. None of that appears here. Instead, "Out of Africa" is a storytelling book woven in...
6Report
Isak Dinesen, nee Karen Blixen, lived in East Africa for almost twenty years making a living as the proprietor of a coffee plantation. Out of Africa is a memoir of her experiences there. But the book is so much more. The stories are interesting to be sure. They relate to the plantation or the people and events that one way or another impacted her life there. But it is Blixen's writing that I found so sublime. I have never...
3Report
This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. The writing is beautiful and delicate and brilliant. One of the miracles of the book (and I hope I don't scare anyone off by saying this) is that there are many incidents where not a lot is happening, but the writing is so fantastic, it keeps you reading. (There is plenty of drama in the book, too.) And Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen paints the characters wonderfully. As...
4Report
Forget the movie and read the book instead. Isak Dinesen's love for Africa and her adopted homeland shines through every page as she helps us to vicariously experience like on a Kenyan farm. The book is loosely plotted and Dinesen is not shy about expressing her personal views, so expect some opinionated writing from this lady. She doesn't romanticize Africa, as many writers do. She tells it like it is, which is great,...
2Report
Every month, streaming services remove some of their offerings to make room for new ones. But that doesn't mean we can't watch them anymore. Here is a list of titles being cut by HULU and Netflix in July. Order your own copy to keep watching.
On this day in 1819, the prominent author Mary Ann Evans was born. But you may not have heard of her because her books were published using the pseudonym George Eliot. And she’s not alone. There’s a long history of famous women writers who adopted male pen names.