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Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller
A brilliant literary portrait, Isak Dinesen remains the only comprehensive biography of one of the greatest storytellers of our time. Her magnificent memoir, Out of Africa, established Isak Dinesen as a major twentieth-century author, who was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize.
With exceptional grace, Judith Thurman's classic work explores Dinesen's life. Until the appearance of this book, the life and art of Isak Dinesen have been--as Dinesen herself wrote of two lovers in a tale-- "a pair of locked caskets, each containing the key to the other." Judith Thurman has provided the master key to them both.
Winner of the National Book Award
With exceptional grace, Judith Thurman's classic work explores Dinesen's life. Until the appearance of this book, the life and art of Isak Dinesen have been--as Dinesen herself wrote of two lovers in a tale-- "a pair of locked caskets, each containing the key to the other." Judith Thurman has provided the master key to them both.
Winner of the National Book Award
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
72 people are currently reading
2729 people want to read
About the author
Judith Thurman
39 books88 followersJudith Thurman began contributing to The New Yorker in 1987, and became a staff writer in 2000. She writes about fashion, books, and culture. Her subjects have included André Malraux, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Cristóbal Balenciaga.
Thurman is the author of “Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller,” which won the 1983 National Book Award for Non-Fiction, and “Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette,” (1999), winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Biography, and the Salon Book Award for biography. The Dinesen biography served as the basis for Sydney Pollack’s movie “Out of Africa.” A collection of her New Yorker essays, “Cleopatra’s Nose,” was published in 2007.
Thurman lives in New York.
Source: www.newyorker.com/magazine/contributo...
Thurman is the author of “Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller,” which won the 1983 National Book Award for Non-Fiction, and “Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette,” (1999), winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Biography, and the Salon Book Award for biography. The Dinesen biography served as the basis for Sydney Pollack’s movie “Out of Africa.” A collection of her New Yorker essays, “Cleopatra’s Nose,” was published in 2007.
Thurman lives in New York.
Source: www.newyorker.com/magazine/contributo...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
August 18, 2012
This is an intense biography by a writer every bit as talented as Isak Dinesen but much more sane, thank God. By any measure, Isak Dinesen was about as complicated, tempestuous, and megalomaniacal as they come. Midway through this giant tombstone of a book, I was wishing I hadn't opted to find out so much about her. I've loved her work for years without knowing much about her, and had the chance this summer--because I'm living in Scandinavia for a few years--to visit her home north of Copenhagen, a lovely, evocative place. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the visit filled me with peace and a warm desire to understand her. The depth of my naivete! No one understood her, and even Judith Thurman strains some muscles in trying to explain how Blixen could countenance, for instance, her demand of a blood pact, a Faustian give-me-your-soul deal, of an impressionable young writer who was in love with her. She stole his soul and his independence, ruined his marriage, and just about ruined him as well. He wrote after her death that she would have murdered his wife without a second thought if only she'd lived in an earlier era--the sort of era she writes so vibrantly about in her tales.
Earlier in her life, she had hidden herself in a cloak of anonymity, thus her pen name of Isak Dinesen, and she used several others during her career. She did this because she wanted the freedom to be herself on the page (and on the page she's magnificent), and to keep her private life private. She thought the work should stand for the writer. I wish I'd heeded this youthful wisdom of hers. She lost it, and so did I.
That said, Thurman's penetration of Dinesen's character is brilliant, and Dinesen is lucky to have had such an intellect, such a generous soul as Thurman, on her trail.
Earlier in her life, she had hidden herself in a cloak of anonymity, thus her pen name of Isak Dinesen, and she used several others during her career. She did this because she wanted the freedom to be herself on the page (and on the page she's magnificent), and to keep her private life private. She thought the work should stand for the writer. I wish I'd heeded this youthful wisdom of hers. She lost it, and so did I.
That said, Thurman's penetration of Dinesen's character is brilliant, and Dinesen is lucky to have had such an intellect, such a generous soul as Thurman, on her trail.
June 15, 2016
This book. Wow. I'm only halfway done and feel I need to capture some thoughts.
I read Out of Africa although I don't remember much except feeling frustrated. Now I know why!! It wasn't a memoir, it wasn't a novel, it was a hodgepodge and it confused me.
I put Isak Dinesen on my list because it won the National Book Award (and I went through a phase of putting all NBAs on my list). When I got it from Interlibrary Loan, I was looking at a 450 pager with small print. "This can't be good", I thought.
I was so wrong. It's fascinating. You hate her, you love her, you laugh and sympathize with Karen/Tanne/Isak/Osceola or whatever she wants to call herself that day.
Clearly Thurman was obsessed with her in the best way possible. This book is amazing! It's so well-researched and, at 445 pages (save the very detailed bibliography), it's not an easy lifter. But the pace is quick and the details don't bog you down. The literary criticism was the only thing that was slow.
I don't think I've ever read a biography or autobiography that so clearly dissected a person and then presented that dissection in a readable format. Well done, Judith Thurman!!
I read Out of Africa although I don't remember much except feeling frustrated. Now I know why!! It wasn't a memoir, it wasn't a novel, it was a hodgepodge and it confused me.
I put Isak Dinesen on my list because it won the National Book Award (and I went through a phase of putting all NBAs on my list). When I got it from Interlibrary Loan, I was looking at a 450 pager with small print. "This can't be good", I thought.
I was so wrong. It's fascinating. You hate her, you love her, you laugh and sympathize with Karen/Tanne/Isak/Osceola or whatever she wants to call herself that day.
Clearly Thurman was obsessed with her in the best way possible. This book is amazing! It's so well-researched and, at 445 pages (save the very detailed bibliography), it's not an easy lifter. But the pace is quick and the details don't bog you down. The literary criticism was the only thing that was slow.
I don't think I've ever read a biography or autobiography that so clearly dissected a person and then presented that dissection in a readable format. Well done, Judith Thurman!!
January 13, 2020
This is a very good book. Much better, IMHO, than the book that Dinesen wrote herself, Out of Africa.
Coupled with another great book, Circling the Sun, by Paula McClain, it describes an unknown and romantic world in the country of Kenya.
Coupled with another great book, Circling the Sun, by Paula McClain, it describes an unknown and romantic world in the country of Kenya.
June 6, 2009
When I was lucky enough to travel to Denmark, was I excited by all history? By the beautiful castles? By the wonderful food? No. I was over the moon because I could go to Isak Dinesen's (Karen Blixen's) house. While there, I broke one of my cardinal rules, don't buy a book aboard that you can get at home, unless it is used. I brought this biography there, among a couple other books.
Thurman does a very good job of portraying, not only Blixen but her family and friends as well. In particular, when Thurman is describing Blixen's time in Africa, there is a sense of peace to the prose, a sense of another world, and we see Africa, not in the same way as in Out of Africa, but in a way that allows us to get closer to Blixen. I enjoyed Thurman's description of how Europeans viewed Kenya at the time, "In Karen Blixen's day the coast [of Kenya:] was considered unlivable by Europeans -or those who had never spent a summer in New York City".
When dealing Blixen's marriage and love affair, Thurman achieves a balance that is not seen in the movie Out of Africa, and the figures of Bror Blixen as well as Denys are far more interesting in real life than in the movie. Take for instance Thurman's comment on Bror's opinion of Blixen's relationship with Denys " . . . if anything, he was proud that his wife's lover was of such high caliber". Thurman also does not whitewash Blixen and shows all aspects of her character.
Thurman includes many interesting family stories, the most interesting one being the debate between Blixen and her father over women's secret power. Blixen apparently define such secret power "as that nerve it takes to sit on a powder keg and threaten to ignite it, while all the time you know that it is empty".
In short, this is a good, entertaining biography,
Thurman does a very good job of portraying, not only Blixen but her family and friends as well. In particular, when Thurman is describing Blixen's time in Africa, there is a sense of peace to the prose, a sense of another world, and we see Africa, not in the same way as in Out of Africa, but in a way that allows us to get closer to Blixen. I enjoyed Thurman's description of how Europeans viewed Kenya at the time, "In Karen Blixen's day the coast [of Kenya:] was considered unlivable by Europeans -or those who had never spent a summer in New York City".
When dealing Blixen's marriage and love affair, Thurman achieves a balance that is not seen in the movie Out of Africa, and the figures of Bror Blixen as well as Denys are far more interesting in real life than in the movie. Take for instance Thurman's comment on Bror's opinion of Blixen's relationship with Denys " . . . if anything, he was proud that his wife's lover was of such high caliber". Thurman also does not whitewash Blixen and shows all aspects of her character.
Thurman includes many interesting family stories, the most interesting one being the debate between Blixen and her father over women's secret power. Blixen apparently define such secret power "as that nerve it takes to sit on a powder keg and threaten to ignite it, while all the time you know that it is empty".
In short, this is a good, entertaining biography,
December 28, 2008
I appreciate literary biography, and I consider this particular book to be at the very apex of that genre. Meticulously researched, richly described, not only of the culture and times of late 19th and early 20th century Europe and Africa, but of the fascinating, difficult, frequently unlikable character of Isak Dinesen, aka Karen Blixen.
What I found interesting was that Ms Blixen's tendency to self delusion and deception was central to her psychological survival and even her talent. She elevated her relationship with Denys Finch Hatton, particularly after his death, to something it never was.
She was a true original, a singular character. An anorexic, a victim of her husband's infidelities, infected with syphilis, (yet she still maintained a great age, even with it). An iconic, fashion figure, a sort of magnificent grotesque in her older years.
Thurman does a transcendant job of capturing the spirit of t his woman who lived so large and flaunted the Victorian upper class conventions and restrictions by living in Afica and simply doing as she pleased after a certain point.
Blixen was an often unsympathetic character, but her story is just riveting. I love stories and biographies that come out of this era, the early 20th century. I became fascinated with Denys Finch Hatton after reading this, curious as to who the man was the obsessesed a woman like the subject of this book.
(His biography is not nearly as well done as this one, and there is just less on him to write about, but it's a nice book to read after you read this one. You see what a relatively minor character she was in his life, as opposed to the role she cast herself in.)
What I found interesting was that Ms Blixen's tendency to self delusion and deception was central to her psychological survival and even her talent. She elevated her relationship with Denys Finch Hatton, particularly after his death, to something it never was.
She was a true original, a singular character. An anorexic, a victim of her husband's infidelities, infected with syphilis, (yet she still maintained a great age, even with it). An iconic, fashion figure, a sort of magnificent grotesque in her older years.
Thurman does a transcendant job of capturing the spirit of t his woman who lived so large and flaunted the Victorian upper class conventions and restrictions by living in Afica and simply doing as she pleased after a certain point.
Blixen was an often unsympathetic character, but her story is just riveting. I love stories and biographies that come out of this era, the early 20th century. I became fascinated with Denys Finch Hatton after reading this, curious as to who the man was the obsessesed a woman like the subject of this book.
(His biography is not nearly as well done as this one, and there is just less on him to write about, but it's a nice book to read after you read this one. You see what a relatively minor character she was in his life, as opposed to the role she cast herself in.)
May 24, 2022
This is a meticulously researched and highly detailed biography of a writer and author about whom I knew very little apart from having read, and thoroughly enjoyed 'Out of Africa' (twice over the years) and seen the film at some point in between.
What a remarkable woman Isak Dinesen was! Her childhood was fascinating, as was the account of the relatively short time she spent on her coffee farm in Kenya. The latter reveals that, perhaps unsurprisingly, her novel, 'Out of Africa', had certain sanitisations, omissions and embellishments, - and why not - rather like the film in relation to the book. In particular, this biography pulls no punches about her battle with syphilis, which comes increasingly excruciating and debilitating, although doesn't stop her in her tracks until nearing the end of her life. My interest waned a little towards the end of the account as we follow Dinesen's literary struggles and successes in Europe and America, but overall this long book rewarded my attention.
Especially recommended to lovers of the novel, 'Out of Africa', settlers lives in Kenya during that period, and to anyone interested in the lives of bold and strong women who paved the way for others.
What a remarkable woman Isak Dinesen was! Her childhood was fascinating, as was the account of the relatively short time she spent on her coffee farm in Kenya. The latter reveals that, perhaps unsurprisingly, her novel, 'Out of Africa', had certain sanitisations, omissions and embellishments, - and why not - rather like the film in relation to the book. In particular, this biography pulls no punches about her battle with syphilis, which comes increasingly excruciating and debilitating, although doesn't stop her in her tracks until nearing the end of her life. My interest waned a little towards the end of the account as we follow Dinesen's literary struggles and successes in Europe and America, but overall this long book rewarded my attention.
Especially recommended to lovers of the novel, 'Out of Africa', settlers lives in Kenya during that period, and to anyone interested in the lives of bold and strong women who paved the way for others.
January 13, 2022
Fascinated by Baroness Karin von Blixen, after reading OUT OF AFRICA, I read this book because the film Out of Africa was based upon both books.
If this is a subject that interests you, it's terrific, well researched and detailed.
Isak Dinesen was the nom de plume of Karin von Blixen. Her Kenyan/English lover Denys Fitchhatten induced Karin to tell him stories and he eventually convinced her to write them down.
After Karin's coffee plantation burnt down, leaving her nearly penniless, Karin decides to move back to Rungstanlund, Denmark to battle syphilis; which she did NOT contact from her husband Baron Brör Blixen, but by the (married) governor of the area of Nairobi.
Her lover Denys Fitchhatten's sudden death in a plane crash (a biplane he was solo piloting) is the final straw and Karin leaves Kenya forever.
While living in her family's seaside estate in Rungstanlund, Karin writes many novels and short stories, all written under the nom de plume: Isak Dinesen (probably because she wanted people to think she was a man? I don't know). Her books are very popular, eventually translated into 200+ languages.
Karin's beloved Somali butler "Farah", whose son she paid for him to attend private school and law school for many years, after she departed Kenya, travels to Denmark to visit Karin's grave.
The area of land where the Kikuyu tribe lived hear her home (which is now a museum in the Nairobi suburb of "Karin") is where the Kikuyu STILL dwell because Baroness Blixen really did get down on her knees at a farewell luncheon, outside on the lawn, of the men's club, and BEG the Governor to allow "my Kikuyu to remain on their land." The Governor's wife intercedes and gives the Baroness her word.
I was so enthralled by this amazing woman, who traveled to NYC and dined with Arthur Miller & Marilyn Monroe (in the 1950s)... there are photos, that I took the bibliography and read every book that Judith Thurman used, except, of course, the books written in Danish.
Highly recommend if you're a Karin von Blixen fan. A feminist before her time.
If this is a subject that interests you, it's terrific, well researched and detailed.
Isak Dinesen was the nom de plume of Karin von Blixen. Her Kenyan/English lover Denys Fitchhatten induced Karin to tell him stories and he eventually convinced her to write them down.
After Karin's coffee plantation burnt down, leaving her nearly penniless, Karin decides to move back to Rungstanlund, Denmark to battle syphilis; which she did NOT contact from her husband Baron Brör Blixen, but by the (married) governor of the area of Nairobi.
Her lover Denys Fitchhatten's sudden death in a plane crash (a biplane he was solo piloting) is the final straw and Karin leaves Kenya forever.
While living in her family's seaside estate in Rungstanlund, Karin writes many novels and short stories, all written under the nom de plume: Isak Dinesen (probably because she wanted people to think she was a man? I don't know). Her books are very popular, eventually translated into 200+ languages.
Karin's beloved Somali butler "Farah", whose son she paid for him to attend private school and law school for many years, after she departed Kenya, travels to Denmark to visit Karin's grave.
The area of land where the Kikuyu tribe lived hear her home (which is now a museum in the Nairobi suburb of "Karin") is where the Kikuyu STILL dwell because Baroness Blixen really did get down on her knees at a farewell luncheon, outside on the lawn, of the men's club, and BEG the Governor to allow "my Kikuyu to remain on their land." The Governor's wife intercedes and gives the Baroness her word.
I was so enthralled by this amazing woman, who traveled to NYC and dined with Arthur Miller & Marilyn Monroe (in the 1950s)... there are photos, that I took the bibliography and read every book that Judith Thurman used, except, of course, the books written in Danish.
Highly recommend if you're a Karin von Blixen fan. A feminist before her time.
December 13, 2011
A fascinating story of the life of a Storyteller!!Judith Thurman began weaving the story when Isak started a life she cheerished & never really wanted to leave _as she says in the first line of Out of Africa..."I had a farm in Africa,at the foot of the Ngong Hills".The fact that she basically purchased her Title "Baroness"from Bror through marriage to him_when she really loved his twin brother_a relationship that was NOT going anywhere_says she's fiesty.
Dinesen had a privileged childhood,loved her Father to the depths of her soul,tolerated her Mother & Aunt Bess(born of the Upper Class),immigrated to Africa to become the wife of her cousin_giving her a Title,becoming a Farmer,had undying LOVE for the Kikuyu people,abandoned by her husband after he gave her syphillis_that would debilate her for life,falling in love with Denys Finch Hatton,Dinner & StoryTelling,lossing her BELOVED Farm in Africa,moving back to Denmark_leading a depressing life she hated_unless of course she was away on holiday...all while writing some of the most wonderful stories that a reader could ask for...What A StoryTeller!She often referred to her life as "the tale of two lovers,a pair of locked caskets,each containing the key to the other".
Isak/Karen/Tania/Tanne was a complex woman......
Dinesen had a privileged childhood,loved her Father to the depths of her soul,tolerated her Mother & Aunt Bess(born of the Upper Class),immigrated to Africa to become the wife of her cousin_giving her a Title,becoming a Farmer,had undying LOVE for the Kikuyu people,abandoned by her husband after he gave her syphillis_that would debilate her for life,falling in love with Denys Finch Hatton,Dinner & StoryTelling,lossing her BELOVED Farm in Africa,moving back to Denmark_leading a depressing life she hated_unless of course she was away on holiday...all while writing some of the most wonderful stories that a reader could ask for...What A StoryTeller!She often referred to her life as "the tale of two lovers,a pair of locked caskets,each containing the key to the other".
Isak/Karen/Tania/Tanne was a complex woman......
February 12, 2008
This is a terrific biography, but as one might expect Dinesen/Blixen was an exceedingly complex and at time difficult woman, and this biography doesn't shy away from some of the more unflattering aspects of Blixen's character. Thurman plumbs her psyche in a way that isn't overly psychoanalytic but which still makes it clear what Blixen's driving forces were.
Perhaps it is my own prejudices, but I enjoyed the first half of the book, which involved Blixen's childhood and her life in Africa, more than I did the second half, when she had moved back to Europe and become a literary personage. And, like all well done biographies, the end is rather painful.
I believe Thurman won the National Book Award (or perhaps a Pen-Faulkner?) for this biography, and it was certainly well deserved.
Perhaps it is my own prejudices, but I enjoyed the first half of the book, which involved Blixen's childhood and her life in Africa, more than I did the second half, when she had moved back to Europe and become a literary personage. And, like all well done biographies, the end is rather painful.
I believe Thurman won the National Book Award (or perhaps a Pen-Faulkner?) for this biography, and it was certainly well deserved.
July 8, 2007
I love Out of Africa (though I can't abide the movie), and have different feelings about her short stories. But as a reader, i think I prefer her life itself. There is more drama and heartbreak here than anything she later got on paper. Grim and magnificent.
January 19, 2019
I watched the movie.
I became obsessed with this woman.
I read this biography.
I wanted to be this woman.
I became obsessed with this woman.
I read this biography.
I wanted to be this woman.
June 8, 2023
This book takes you beyond Out of Africa and into Dinesen’s whole life of 75 years. It is well written and award-winning. There is no easy way to summarize her life. It is rich with a constant search for meaning and adventure while also filled with a hopeless fear of living in boring Denmark with her uptight relatives. She had a strict, fearful Unitarian mother and a father full of adventure who was linked to royalty and lived the life of a soldier. His favorite child was Karen, and he taught her to love nature with hiking, hunting and daring feats. Their time together was short, but it loomed large in her mind. He committed suicide when Karen was 10 years of age. She had four siblings. Karen was left to her own charming devices and finally found a dashing young cousin, Baron Bror Blixen at age 29. They fled to a 4000 acre farm in Kenya to grow coffee at 6500 feet elevation. Karen fell in love with the people in her role as a rich baroness with many servants. Both Bror and Karen had borrowed money from relatives for the adventure. She soon contracted syphilis from Bror, and somehow lived with the disease for 45 years. Adventures continued (flying, hunting, romance) but they lost the farm. Coffee does not grow at high altitudes. She divorced and returned to Denmark after ten years— bankrupt, a failure to her family . Her writing life continued and she was constantly starved for attention which became worse as she aged. She demanded allegiance. She wrote essays, books, short stories and was nominated for the Nobel prize in 1954. A whirlwind. I do not know how she could go to New York for three months at age 75, and maintain her dashing image when she weighed 70 pounds and could not walk more than a few steps. She was treated with reverence and she loved the glamour. Fully documented with pages of citations, lists of works, selected bibliography and index. The book wraps you up in the swirl.
April 18, 2017
Karen Blixen- a woman being strong before it was acceptable. Syphyliss be damned! Her life, loves and even death lended wisdom to the page. Love her.
July 18, 2023
Good and thorough book. I haven’t read much by her, but Carnival has been a favorite story of mine since my teenage years. Now I will read some of her other books. A remarkable writer and person.
September 9, 2023
A very detailed biography about the baroness. I have enjoyed her short stories and "Out of Africa" but now I know that she appears not to have been a very nice person albeit that this is an empathetic telling of her story.
September 13, 2010
How appropriate is it that this biography about the "life of a storyteller" is the most incredibly complete story telling of the storyteller herself. By far, the most interesting stories are about the eccentric Isak Dinesen's twenty years spent in Africa. It was the time period (early 20th century), when Africa was the place in which most people have embedded their romantic images. To Isak Dinesen, Africa (and life itself) was far more real and incredibly more complicated.
Read
January 16, 2011If you stick it out, you'll feel you've been through the ringer by the time you finish this one. Dinesen's life was hard, romantic and endlessly creative, and her various fiery relationships (friendships and romance) nearly wear the reader out--but I was thoroughly engaged in this book and fascinated by Dinesen's life and adventures. It's a detailed chronicling of her literary development and the reception at home and oversees of her books--beautifully done.
December 18, 2008
I actually am listening to the book on tape version narrated by Davina Porter. Isak Dinesen/Karen Blitzen is the author of Out of Africa and her life was an amazing one. She suffered most of her life from syphilis which she caught from her husband. Her life in Africa, her struggles, her triumphs, her passion, her personality--all make this a fascinating "read."
November 26, 2012
For some reason Karin von Blixen (Isak Dinesen) has one of the most fascinating lives I have ever heard of. Perhaps because of the intensity of her love affairs or maybe because of the willingnes to face life challenges or even due to her way of turning fatality into poetry. Best choice. No doubt. Delicious at sharing with Mozart...
May 27, 2012
Una donna caparbia, che ha precorso i tempi. In parte egoista ed egocentrica, egualmente sensibile e sola. In un'Europa d'inizio secolo, incatenata alle convenzioni. Nella seconda parte della sua vita, dopo l'Africa di grandi emozioni e sconfitte, una scrittrice ineffabile.
March 3, 2021
Excellent, but more information than I needed!
January 4, 2023
I've never read any of Dinesen's work although I've meant to for some time. I did enjoy the movie more than I care to admit. It is very strange to read the biography of an author without knowing her work. Now I feel guilty and will probably finally read the creative nonfiction(?) Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass. (Not sure where the line lies between creative nonfiction and fiction that is mostly based on fact.) I have a feeling that most of Dinesen's more clearly fictional works will not be to my liking, but I suppose I'll take a whack at those as well.
Thurman published this bio of Karen von Blixen-Finecke née Dinesen in the early 1980s and it appears to be the most recent--and probably best--full biography of this interesting figure. The 1967 Migel biography of Blixen, Titania--retitled Tania in a later edition--was written in collaboration with its subject and is, I gather, less than transparent about various parts of her life. Donelson's 1995 Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa focuses mainly on her years in Kenya. Thurman's book is certainly not as critical of its subject as a more recently written biography would be. Thurman does not speculate on whether Blixen may have been bipolar and/or had a personality disorder. ("Disorder" by current Western standards, anyway.) I'm not saying that Dinesen did have these specific conditions, just that the behavior described suggests further inquiry. Thurman also seems to minimize Blixen's hypocrisy and paternalism ("it wasn't paternalism"... yes it was, Brenda). For all Blixen's professions that native Africans are modern people who are fully capable of self-government, etc. her behavior toward her employees had cringe-inducing levels of self-conscious noblesse oblige.
So--I did not like this Tania person. I can sympathize with a person's feeling that she should have been born in a different decade or even century (I myself would have loved to have been mucking about with the likes of Darwin, Wallace, or Humboldt... I'd be a rich white guy in this scenario, obviously) but Blixen felt terribly cheated by the fact that she wasn't a citizen of the 18th century when people knew who they were, men and women, the elite and the plebs, and everyone was comfortable with that arrangement. Especially the elite. Blixen's lifelong snobbery and sense of entitlement was, well, fairly disgusting. Democracy encourages mediocrity? Go to hell, Baroness. I wasn't prepared for so much "philosophy" (in quotes because most of it is self-serving justifications or just plain self-contradictory) but alas, one must have some understanding of this author's beliefs to understand her.
Thurman published this bio of Karen von Blixen-Finecke née Dinesen in the early 1980s and it appears to be the most recent--and probably best--full biography of this interesting figure. The 1967 Migel biography of Blixen, Titania--retitled Tania in a later edition--was written in collaboration with its subject and is, I gather, less than transparent about various parts of her life. Donelson's 1995 Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa focuses mainly on her years in Kenya. Thurman's book is certainly not as critical of its subject as a more recently written biography would be. Thurman does not speculate on whether Blixen may have been bipolar and/or had a personality disorder. ("Disorder" by current Western standards, anyway.) I'm not saying that Dinesen did have these specific conditions, just that the behavior described suggests further inquiry. Thurman also seems to minimize Blixen's hypocrisy and paternalism ("it wasn't paternalism"... yes it was, Brenda). For all Blixen's professions that native Africans are modern people who are fully capable of self-government, etc. her behavior toward her employees had cringe-inducing levels of self-conscious noblesse oblige.
So--I did not like this Tania person. I can sympathize with a person's feeling that she should have been born in a different decade or even century (I myself would have loved to have been mucking about with the likes of Darwin, Wallace, or Humboldt... I'd be a rich white guy in this scenario, obviously) but Blixen felt terribly cheated by the fact that she wasn't a citizen of the 18th century when people knew who they were, men and women, the elite and the plebs, and everyone was comfortable with that arrangement. Especially the elite. Blixen's lifelong snobbery and sense of entitlement was, well, fairly disgusting. Democracy encourages mediocrity? Go to hell, Baroness. I wasn't prepared for so much "philosophy" (in quotes because most of it is self-serving justifications or just plain self-contradictory) but alas, one must have some understanding of this author's beliefs to understand her.
August 23, 2020
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Thurmans Blixen-Biografie beleuchtet viele der betont vagen Passagen in Blixens Memoiren Jenseits von Afrika (noch genauer tut dies die spätere Blixen-Biografin Linda Donelson). Judith Thurman schreibt insgesamt ein sehr ausführliches, mir teils zu ausführliches Werk, das mit Tania Blixens Großeltern beginnt (Tania Blixen, 1885 – 1962, ist auch als Karen Blixen und Isak Dinesen bekannt). Thurman schildert Blixens Jugend mit literarischen und intellektuellen Einflüssen (u.a. Nietzsche, Georg Brandes, Shakespeare etc.). Thurman misst Blixen an Walter Benjamins Ansprüchen – weit entfernt von Afrika und glühender Liebe unter Äquatorsonne.
Historische Geistergeschichten, die Blixen als 20jährige schrieb und teils veröffentlichen konnte, diskutiert Thurman auf vielen Seiten – Inhalt, Qualität und Bezug zu Blixens Leben. Es gibt ein eigenes Kapitel über "Aunt Bess" (in dem dann ausführlich vor allem Georg Brandes erscheint) und später ein weiteres über den Blixen-Bruder "Thomas" (wiederum nicht nur von Thomas berichtend).
Thurman will ernsthaft in Blixens Philosphie und Seele eindringen, muss aber eingestehen, dass Blixen oft abhängig von Launen und Gegenüber argumentierte. Erstmals etwas Leben ins Buch kommt etwa auf Seite 100, wenn Tania Blixen als 24jährige einige Monate in Paris verbringt (ohne zu schreiben oder viel zu malen). Ich gebe zu, dass mich vor allem Blixens interkulturelle und romantische Seiten interessierten, ihre Literatur viel weniger – Adels- und Geistergeschichten aus verflossenenen Jahrhunderten sind nicht mein Ding, und Thurman hat nachgezählt: sie fand nur "two Dinesen tales set in the modern age" (S. 251); Blixen-Biografin Donelson ergänzt: "Out of Africa is superior to her ((Blixens)) other writing, both in its lyricism and in its clear portraits" (Donelson S. 337). Außerdem galt Blixen laut Thurman als "bad-tempered, selfish, hypersensitive" (S. 300), also wiederum nicht genau mein Typ.
Ich habe darum nach Blixens Rückkehr aus Afrika 1931 nur noch ausgewählte Teile der Thurmanschen Biografie gelesen: das Verfassen von Out of Africa 1937; eine Journalistenreise nach Berlin 1940 (bei der Blixen Einladungen zu Nazigrößen ausschlägt); eine gefeierte USA-Reise 1958 und die wenigen verstreuten Absätze zu Shadows on the Grass 1960, insgesamt las ich vielleicht dreieinhalb Fünftel der Biografie.
Thurmans Blixen-Biografie beleuchtet viele der betont vagen Passagen in Blixens Memoiren Jenseits von Afrika (noch genauer tut dies die spätere Blixen-Biografin Linda Donelson). Judith Thurman schreibt insgesamt ein sehr ausführliches, mir teils zu ausführliches Werk, das mit Tania Blixens Großeltern beginnt (Tania Blixen, 1885 – 1962, ist auch als Karen Blixen und Isak Dinesen bekannt). Thurman schildert Blixens Jugend mit literarischen und intellektuellen Einflüssen (u.a. Nietzsche, Georg Brandes, Shakespeare etc.). Thurman misst Blixen an Walter Benjamins Ansprüchen – weit entfernt von Afrika und glühender Liebe unter Äquatorsonne.
Historische Geistergeschichten, die Blixen als 20jährige schrieb und teils veröffentlichen konnte, diskutiert Thurman auf vielen Seiten – Inhalt, Qualität und Bezug zu Blixens Leben. Es gibt ein eigenes Kapitel über "Aunt Bess" (in dem dann ausführlich vor allem Georg Brandes erscheint) und später ein weiteres über den Blixen-Bruder "Thomas" (wiederum nicht nur von Thomas berichtend).
Thurman will ernsthaft in Blixens Philosphie und Seele eindringen, muss aber eingestehen, dass Blixen oft abhängig von Launen und Gegenüber argumentierte. Erstmals etwas Leben ins Buch kommt etwa auf Seite 100, wenn Tania Blixen als 24jährige einige Monate in Paris verbringt (ohne zu schreiben oder viel zu malen). Ich gebe zu, dass mich vor allem Blixens interkulturelle und romantische Seiten interessierten, ihre Literatur viel weniger – Adels- und Geistergeschichten aus verflossenenen Jahrhunderten sind nicht mein Ding, und Thurman hat nachgezählt: sie fand nur "two Dinesen tales set in the modern age" (S. 251); Blixen-Biografin Donelson ergänzt: "Out of Africa is superior to her ((Blixens)) other writing, both in its lyricism and in its clear portraits" (Donelson S. 337). Außerdem galt Blixen laut Thurman als "bad-tempered, selfish, hypersensitive" (S. 300), also wiederum nicht genau mein Typ.
Ich habe darum nach Blixens Rückkehr aus Afrika 1931 nur noch ausgewählte Teile der Thurmanschen Biografie gelesen: das Verfassen von Out of Africa 1937; eine Journalistenreise nach Berlin 1940 (bei der Blixen Einladungen zu Nazigrößen ausschlägt); eine gefeierte USA-Reise 1958 und die wenigen verstreuten Absätze zu Shadows on the Grass 1960, insgesamt las ich vielleicht dreieinhalb Fünftel der Biografie.
October 4, 2018
I had just read a trifecta of : "Out of Africa", "West With the Night" & "Circling the Sun" & wanted to know a bit more about Ms. Dinesen. Such a complex & ineffable woman. If nothing else, her sheer stamina to keep on writing & living in the face of all of her health woes is nothing short of heroic. But she is so much more than that. The book gives a great depth & breadth of information about Isak Dinesen & her family & colleagues, but surprisingly, leaves you feeling that you will never know the full story of her life. I enjoyed the last 75% of the book, more than the first 25% (which is about her early life in Denmark); the parts of the book in Africa & after Africa were the most interesting to me.
January 10, 2020
This is the story of Danish writer Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixon of "Out of Africa" fame. Although Africa was extremely important to Karen, time wise it was a relatively small part of her long and often painful life. She traveled and wrote extensively , was admired by many, and lived a life rich in experiences and famous friends. I have seen her "farm" in Kenya and her home in Denmark is open to the public.
While not an authorized biography the author did have access to letters, unpublished manuscripts, and family documents not available to other authors. In the seven years she researched and spoke to people who knew the Baroness, as she was called, the author has put together a remarkable book. She also writes of the many writings that Karen produced.
While not an authorized biography the author did have access to letters, unpublished manuscripts, and family documents not available to other authors. In the seven years she researched and spoke to people who knew the Baroness, as she was called, the author has put together a remarkable book. She also writes of the many writings that Karen produced.
April 8, 2025
I loved reading this book about the brilliant and infamous Isak Dinesen (also confusingly called Karen Blixen, Tanne, the Baroness, and Tania, often in the same paragraph).
Karen finds herself and her true passions on a coffee farm in east Africa with her first husband. She loved her African servants but at no time would they have been considered as equals. Over 100 years later we are still grappling with colonization and the effects on indigenous peoples. She would be surprised at our conflicting emotions - she was quite clear that there is a hierarchy for humans and we are much happier when we respect “our place” in it. Through her pain and her joy Karen Blixen lived a full and momentous life, well described by Judith Thurman.
Karen finds herself and her true passions on a coffee farm in east Africa with her first husband. She loved her African servants but at no time would they have been considered as equals. Over 100 years later we are still grappling with colonization and the effects on indigenous peoples. She would be surprised at our conflicting emotions - she was quite clear that there is a hierarchy for humans and we are much happier when we respect “our place” in it. Through her pain and her joy Karen Blixen lived a full and momentous life, well described by Judith Thurman.
October 24, 2018
I felt, at times, I needed to close the book and read something lighter. But I’m delighted to have finished it. I knew very little about Isak Dinesen, aside from her being the author of Babette’s Feast and Out of Africa. I found myself in possession of this huge book and thought it would be a great read for the fall season. It was so well researched and written. Sometimes I adored Dinesen, other times I despised her, especially in the way she manipulated people in her life. This is a book that will remain in my library, as I plan to read more of Dinesen’s works and will use it as a reference source.
September 1, 2020
My favorite movie is "Out of Africa", I haven't read the book though. This book on the life of Isak Dinesen gives the reader an insight into the person. She had very high morals and her ideas of how life should be lived/run. To be suffering a debilitating illness that had been passed on to her by her husband in that time affected her whole life. I think she would have been involved in more physical outlets and stayed in Africa rather than moving back to Denmark and the stuffiness of life there. Isak was a hard taskmaster and very controlling, I have not read any other of her stories, after reading this book I wouldn't be interested.
December 13, 2023
Isak « Karen Blixen » Dinesen’s final, extravagant, dignified rage to the end following her « real life » in Kenya was so much more inspiring than Edna St. Vincent Millay’s descent into narcissism and helplessness. I had no conception before reading this biography how celebrated Dinesen was as a writer in her time. Many parallels to Millay (who was a contemporary? Did they read each others’ work?) in Dinesen’s gift for oratory, predatory fascination with younger men, and the competitive dynamics of growing up just one of a large family. But what a twisted little light Dinesen was. I would be her as an old lady.
May 3, 2018
I can't explain why I felt compelled, almost obsessed, to learn more of the life of Karen Blixen, but fortunately, Judith Thurman had a similar obsession in the years she researched and wrote this excellent work, as well as the literary chops to interpret the subject's art. This is not a book with mass appeal, but if you are enthralled with the writings of Isak Dinesen and want to understand the storyteller's life and influences, it is exceptional.
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