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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Didnt actually finish it. Just couldnt make myself get through the last 50 pages. It is just dreadfully boring and uninspiring. The book is a long in-coherent collection of stories from the authors time as a coffe-farm owner in colonial Kenya. The timeline seems to be jumping back and forth. A lot of seemingly completely irrelevant and pointless parts and excessive details thats not needed. The only good thing is the good descriptions of the surroundings, but unfortunately that does not make up for terrible story telling.
Not a fan, but not because its racist, because it is really not. Yes sure there's some sentences that might not be politically correct today, but it is just a product of the time (late 1930's), and it never gets really bad, and its not intentionally racist either. The author is very happy and respectful to her workers and the natives.
Not a fan, but not because its racist, because it is really not. Yes sure there's some sentences that might not be politically correct today, but it is just a product of the time (late 1930's), and it never gets really bad, and its not intentionally racist either. The author is very happy and respectful to her workers and the natives.
I enjoyed Out of Africa very much. Even though I have not seen the movie, the image my mind conjured by just the fact of its existence cast a disruptive shadow over me while I read the book, but only for a while. Soon the small and large treasures I found in its pages overthrew my preconceptions. One day I will see the film, and I think I will view it as a completely different entity conceived for a particular time, whereas Isak Dinesen's telling is for all times and all ages.
"Everything that you saw made for greatness and freedom, and unequalled nobility."
"The civilized people have lost the aptitude of stillness, and must take lessons in silence from the wild before they are accepted by it."
"The air in Africa is more significant in the landscape than in Europe, it is filled with loomings and mirages, and is in a way the real stage of activities. In the heat of the midday the air oscillates and vibrates like the string of a violin, lifts up long layers of grass-land with thorn-trees and hills on it, and creates vast silvery expanses of water in the dry grass."
"'Oh no,' said the moon, 'time means very little to me.'"
Such a beautiful recollection of Karen Blixen and her time living in Kenya on her coffee farm in the Ngong Hills in the early 1900s. Stunning, filled with intensity, independence, and rigor. It is impressive that she was able to manage a whole farm, relations with the Masai, acting as a doctor for the area, and maintaining many friendships all by herself with the support of her group of loyal natives. She is an extraordinary woman, an excellent writer, and someone to look up to.
This will be a book to add to my library, to give me inspiration, guidance, and remind me of the love I have for coffee and Africa. Cannot believe she spent seventeen years in Kenya, so many struggles and touching moments, she learned the real way to live, outside of the city, in the rural lands of East Africa. Seeing nature, wildlife, reading, feeling the sun, seeing the grass, harvesting the coffee. Ah!
"The civilized people have lost the aptitude of stillness, and must take lessons in silence from the wild before they are accepted by it."
"The air in Africa is more significant in the landscape than in Europe, it is filled with loomings and mirages, and is in a way the real stage of activities. In the heat of the midday the air oscillates and vibrates like the string of a violin, lifts up long layers of grass-land with thorn-trees and hills on it, and creates vast silvery expanses of water in the dry grass."
"'Oh no,' said the moon, 'time means very little to me.'"
Such a beautiful recollection of Karen Blixen and her time living in Kenya on her coffee farm in the Ngong Hills in the early 1900s. Stunning, filled with intensity, independence, and rigor. It is impressive that she was able to manage a whole farm, relations with the Masai, acting as a doctor for the area, and maintaining many friendships all by herself with the support of her group of loyal natives. She is an extraordinary woman, an excellent writer, and someone to look up to.
This will be a book to add to my library, to give me inspiration, guidance, and remind me of the love I have for coffee and Africa. Cannot believe she spent seventeen years in Kenya, so many struggles and touching moments, she learned the real way to live, outside of the city, in the rural lands of East Africa. Seeing nature, wildlife, reading, feeling the sun, seeing the grass, harvesting the coffee. Ah!
There are pieces of this book that I loved; many of Blixen's descriptions of the countryside are gorgeous. A product of its time, the imperialist attitude inherent in the writing is impossible to get past. Moreover, the entire section on the book about visitors to the farm was long, drawn out, and didn't add much to the narrative. 2.5, in the end.
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Blixens skrivestil er virkelig smuk. Hendes naturbeskrivelser er levende og næsten erotiske.
I've seen the film maybe a hundred times and loved it, mainly because (in my eyes) Robert Redford can do no wrong. I just never quite got round to the book even though Karen Blixen fascinates me.
The book is beautiful (and is read beautifully on audio by Julie Davis). It only gives glimpses into her life in Kenya and the relationship with Denys is rarely mentioned. Even so, the description of her life and struggles there are extremely moving.
There are several episodes involving the in the book that were utterly harrowing and obviously never made it to the screen. Well worth the read - or indeed a listen.
Recommended.
The book is beautiful (and is read beautifully on audio by Julie Davis). It only gives glimpses into her life in Kenya and the relationship with Denys is rarely mentioned. Even so, the description of her life and struggles there are extremely moving.
There are several episodes involving the in the book that were utterly harrowing and obviously never made it to the screen. Well worth the read - or indeed a listen.
Recommended.
The book is well written but a bit verbose, reflecting more on the style of the era. I really enjoyed the movie which I had never seen.
Looking forward to visiting Kenya and the Karen Blixen Rstate and Giraffe Centre.
Looking forward to visiting Kenya and the Karen Blixen Rstate and Giraffe Centre.
A distant cousin of mine, I first read this out of curiosity. However, a third of the way through, I was so enthralled with her story-telling that I couldn't put it down!! One of my favorite!
De smukkeste metaforer nogensinde! Nu vil jeg også til Afrika! Bogen var måske en smule langtrukken til min smag, men den skabte nogle fantastiske stemninger, det kan man ikke komme udenom.
Ho sperimentato il mal d'Africa, senza essere mai statə effettivamente in Africa.
Le varie storie e aneddoti che si susseguono e si intersecano al paesaggio danno una bellissima rappresentazione del continente quasi incontaminato di inizio Novecento. Trovo però che l'Africa in sé, più che la storia della scrittrice, sia la vera protagonista di questo libro.
Le varie storie e aneddoti che si susseguono e si intersecano al paesaggio danno una bellissima rappresentazione del continente quasi incontaminato di inizio Novecento. Trovo però che l'Africa in sé, più che la storia della scrittrice, sia la vera protagonista di questo libro.