Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller
by Judith Thurman
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Description
A biography of the Danish author who was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize.Tags
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Member Reviews
Very good biography. It has to be both rewarding and challenging to write about someone who felt that her life was one big narrative project, and this was really well done and thorough -- you got a feeling for the sense of Dinesen's life, both her own and from those around her, not just the details and dates. Which is what I really want from a biography, and this one definitely captured her whole dramatic, messy essence.
This was an absolutely wonderful book. Judith Thurman really gives us a feel for Isak Dinesen and the world she lived in. It's an amazing story of love, loss, and life. Anyone remotely interested in Out of Africa, or Africa in general, would find this a most intriguing read.
Fills you in on some of the things you might not get from Dinesen's _Out of Africa_ and her other work. Since most of Dinesen's work tends to be fictionalized and autobiographical, it's good to have another source. Makes you appreciate the many challenges Dinesen faced and makes one even more grateful for her many gifts.
The writing style didn't really work for me. It references how her work reflects her life. I felt like I would have enjoyed this more if I had already read the works be referenced.
Read Beryl Markham instead- this prose is a little purple.
I tried for over a year to finish this book and just could not, though I love Isak Dinesen's writings.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Karen Blixen
- Original title
- Isak Dinesen : the life of a storyteller
- People/Characters
- Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen); Bror Blixen; Denys Finch-Hatton; Idina Sackville; Hugh Cholmondeley, 3rd Baron Delamere; Beryl Markham (show all 10); Berkeley Cole; Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland; Thomas Dinesen; Ingeborg Dinesen
- Important places
- Africa; Copenhagen, Denmark; Denmark; East Africa; Europe; Kenya (show all 11); Lake Naivasha, Kenya; Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya; Nairobi, Kenya; Ngong Hills, Kenya; Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark
- Related movies
- Out of Africa (1985 | IMDb)
- First words
- Isak Dinesen was born to two people who embodied very different attitudes to life.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Biography & Memoir, Literature Studies and Criticism
- DDC/MDS
- 839.81372 — Literature & rhetoric German & related literatures Other Germanic literatures Danish and Norwegian literatures Danish Danish fiction 1900–2000 Early 20th century 1900–1945
- LCC
- PT8175 .B545 .Z89 — Language and Literature German, Dutch and Scandinavian literatures Danish literature Individual authors or works 1900-1960
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 790
- Popularity
- 35,158
- Reviews
- 8
- Rating
- (3.99)
- Languages
- 11 — Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 36
- ASINs
- 10





























































