One of the great adventure novels, written by a great storyteller. ( )

The style of this book was lovely, how it focused on her farm and its people, and the beauty of nature in this corner of the world. She didn't talk much about her own self, and nothing of the other settlers, except in relating stories of her farm and its people; she wrote nothing of her past in Denmark. Her language was highly descriptive without being ornate, and that made everything feel more immediate and real. It was pretty rough going to read about her delight in shooting lions and iguanas and such, so guard your heart a bit if you love animals but don't let it put you off the book - blood red is part of the tapestry.



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Karen Blixen (or more formally Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke) published in English under the pen name Isak Dinesen. Born Karen Dinesen in Denmark in 1885, she and Baron Blor Blixen-Finecke relocated to British East Africa (to what is today the country of Kenya) and were married in Mombasa in 1914.

With the backing of their families they bought land and started a coffee plantation. The marriage was not successful (he was a philanderer and gave her syphilis), and they separated in 1921. She became romantically involved with Denys Finch-Hatton after her divorce. Karen remained on the farm until grasshoppers, drought and the Depression forced her to sell. She returned alone to Denmark in 1931 where she spent the rest of her life.

Out of Africa is often referred to as Dinesen’s memoir of her time in Kenya. But while the setting is her farm in Kenya, the focus of the book is often not on her. Her husband is mentioned in passing only once or twice (the divorce not at all), and Finch-Hatton is discussed as a friend, who, unfortunately, meets his demise in a plane crash shortly before Dinesen leaves Africa.

There are mentions of a few other white folks, but the focus is primarily on the native Africans Dinesen encounters in her life on the farm. The book is a series of stories of happenings set mostly in and around the farm. It’s a vast landholding (6,000 acres) set high along the Ngong Hills near Nairobi.

The whole country was part of a British protectorate. Within the country the British had established Reserves, to which they relocated the native inhabitants. The Masai Reserve abuts her land. Some of her workers are Somali, and come from the “Somali town” that “was further away from Nairobi”. On the farm a village of Kikuyu people live, and are referred to as “squatters”, who must provide labor to the farm in exchange for the right to live there. They are not landowners themselves. Natives are forbidden to own land under the laws of the Protectorate.

Within this colonial setting the stories of Out of Africa take place, and are relayed to us through the eyes of Dinesen. She is very insightful and sensitive to the customs and culture of those around her whose stories she tells. It’s clear that she has great regard, even love, for the native peoples. But her understanding of their motivations is that of a white colonist, and that does come through and colors the stories in the book.

Dinesen is an effective writer. She is mostly straightforward in style in her storytelling, but she can get quite lyrical when describing the countryside or the wildlife. As the stories unfold (and they do so at a fairly languid pace) you get a clear picture of what life must have been like one hundred years ago on her coffee plantation in Kenya. It is such a different world, that, as I was reading the book I sometimes felt like I was reading a set of fantasy tales rather than a memoir. But a very well written and lovely set of fantasy tales.

If it’s not clear from what I’ve said so far, I will caution future readers that if you go into the book expecting to find the love story from the 1980s film of the same name you will be disappointed. The movie is based in part on this book, but also on Dinesen’s Shadows on the Grass and other sources.

All told, I liked the book and would recommend it. But it doesn’t feel right to me to put Star ratings on classics like this one, so a simple recommendation will have to suffice.

Beautiful phrasing, interesting woman.
Not much of a story but it *is* a memoir.
I would have liked to know more about the author and the reason things were happening. Thank goodness for Google. ( )

There is some truly magnificent, poetic writing on show here. Some of it moved me to tears-Blixen's reflections on the fate of two captive giraffes and her obvious and understandable sense of loss when she finally has to leave Kenya for good. I particularly like the section titled "From an Immigrant's Notebook" consisting of short and illuminating reflections on so many aspects of her time in Africa. However for some reason I didn't love this book. From modern eyes some of it didn't sit well-in particular the eviction of the 'Natives' from their own land (although Blixen reflects on this herself right at the end of the book)and the shooting of the wildlife. Nor do you really get a sense of Karen Blixen herself. I certainly need to find a good biography and find out more about her. ( )