Posted Comment to Utterlyunpublishedauthor Blog

In reply to if anyone had read Out of Africa, I decided to put in my 2 cents:

Anonymous said...
I studied Isak Dinesen(the name under which Karen published), and other 20th C. women and their writings for my PhD. I love her book (not a novel, but actually nonfiction - autobiography) Out of Africa. The movie is 'too Hollywood,' and does not reflect Dinesen's real life. She was unusually courageous - a rebel. I loved reading her letters and also her fantastical stories, such as in her collection, Winter's Tales. Had these stories been published today in the U.S., they may have been even more popular than when she first published them, as they are full of mystical and magical people and happenings - themes that seem popular at this time.(I will look for the review I wrote of WT & post to my blog, "doggone everything." Out of Africa is, imho, literature-elegantly written--and the descriptions are a large part of its beauty. Although some critics may say (simply because Dinesen is "Western") that she is somehow condescending to the native culture(s), I would disagree. She appeared to be a model of assimilation - trying to fit in and be a part of the culture. (btw..I happened upon your Blog & became curious b/c I saw you were in Johannesburg-I have relatives in S.Africa.)
9:15 PM