Carnevale e altri racconti postumi

by Isak Dinesen, Karen Blixen, Eva Kampmann (Translator)

«Riuscire a trasformare le vicende della propria vita in racconti è una grande gioia, forse l’unica felicità assoluta che un essere umano possa trovare su questa terra, ma – cosa inspiegabile per i profani – è nel medesimo tempo una privazione, addirittura una sciagura»: sono parole che incontriamo in questo libro della Blixen, raccolta postuma di racconti che ci permetterà di constatare come tutta la sua vita sia stata legata a quella «felicità assoluta» che è il narrare storie. Così scopriamo in questa raccolta che novelle totalmente blixeniane come La famiglia de Cats o Zio Théodore erano già state scritte ben prima della pubblicazione delle Sette storie gotiche. Come anche potremo seguire la scrittrice fino alle sue ultime, importanti prove, innanzitutto Secondo incontro, che è di pochi mesi precedente alla morte ed è prezioso anche perché ci lascia presagire qualcosa del labirintico romanzo a lungo progettato dalla Blixen: Albondocani. Qui troviamo, infine, Carnevale, che accompagnò la Blixen per decenni e segna un vertice allucinatorio nella sua opera. Con questa raccolta, che tocca un po’ tutte le fasi della vita della Blixen e tutti i registri della sua opera – dalla leggerezza marionettistica di Zio Théodore sino alla gravità metafisica di Secondo incontro – si scopriranno tutti quei testi narrativi a cui la Blixen molto teneva ma che il tempo e le circostanze non le permisero di raccogliere in vita. La prima edizione di questa raccolta apparve nel 1975; nel 1985, in occasione del centenario della nascita della Blixen, la raccolta fu ripubblicata con l’aggiunta di quattro racconti.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Denmark, Classics, 20th Century, Collections

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Pseudonym used by the Danish author Karen Blixen.

Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke (Danish: [kʰɑːɑn ˈb̥leɡ̊sn̩]), born Karen Christentze Dinesen, was a Danish author, also known by the pen name Isak Dinesen, who wrote works in Danish, French and English. She also at times used the pen names Tania Blixen, Osceola, and Pierre Andrézel.

Blixen is best known for Out of Africa, an account of her life while living in Kenya, and for one of her stories, "Babette's Feast," both of which have been adapted into Academy Award-winning motion pictures. She is also noted for her Seven Gothic Tales, particularly in Denmark.

(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Ero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worship at the feet of Isak Dinesen.

[Gregory]

"In a hundred years-I've been thinking-some other people will dress up as supper party of our period; of a 100 years ago to them. Let us be that tonight until tomorrow noon, a supper party of 2025. Masquerading as people of a hundred years ago. For it is a little silly to be a caricature of something of which you know very little and which means very little to you but to be your own caricature, that is the true carnival."
Written in 1920's or 30's

[Rachel Bayles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really only for the Dinesen fans. Too experimental for a mainstream audience.

[William Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first I am reading of Isak Dinesen. The Fat Man, I read to start, in following my immediate endearment towards it (the name of this story being so blunt and round and fresh, I couldn't help starting there); I was instantly convinced it was a little work of genius, although I wasn't sure if it was a fluke or a genuine effect of Dinesen's project as a writer. Then, I read The Bear and The Kiss, and this confirmed my initial view. Not unlike Kafka, there is something obscene, slightly private and incoherent about these stories; as was the case with some of the best of Kafka, everything here was kept out of publication in her lifetime. If you have ever read Amerika, and thought the Nature Theater of Oklahoma was the best possible ending to the novel, you might feel a similar, if milder, effect in the stories I listed above. I held my breath over the last few pages of The Bear and the Kiss, so heavy did I hang on every word, so unclear which of the many crags of meaning Dinesen would finally decide to hurl us in. Also like Kafka, in these stories there is a gesture towards fairy tale and moral allegory, the point of which refuses to cohere exactly, or even land, in any conventional sense, preferring to float like a gas in front of the reader's eye. Nothing in Dinesen is so wild and willful as say, Description of A Struggle, but might sit aside The Hunter Gracchus, or even Jackals and Arabs, comfortably and not collapse, as most conventional fiction might. I have read one of the Gothic tales she published in her lifetime since reading this collection and I admit it felt somewhat bogged down and convoluted in comparison with these fresh sketches, but i am looking forward to trying again.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having finished reading this collection of stories, I find it difficult to sum up my thoughts, other than to say that each of them, with the exception of “The Ghost Horses”, created expectations that were never met. Each in its own way is atmospheric and each encompasses some sort of confrontation between characters. But the writing style is ponderous, joyless; none of the stories really go anywhere and nothing is ever resolved; they just …. sort of …. end. A few examples:
The de Cats Family: A strange little allegory about a contrived sort of redemption, whereby the collected burden of sins and failings of an entire clan are assumed by one member of the clan, thereby purifying the rest of the family. Struck me as a puerile mockery of the Jesus myth. Left a bad taste in my mouth, even though I’m an agnostic.
Uncle Theodore: A pair of grifters who become entrapped by their own invention. Right out of O Henry’s Gentle Grafter bur without William Sydney Porter’s sly humor to make it palatable.
The Bear and the Kiss: Several young men with time on their hands head off on a pointless hunting expedition, stopping by to disturb a man who had been a local legend in his youth; neither the visit nor the hunt accomplishes anything.
The Last Day: Two young men who had not met since their childhood reminisce as one of them bids a final farewell to his former life; the point being …?
The Ghost Horses is quite a different story; there’s a note of mystery; childhood fantasies; very special friendships and complicated loyalties. An exceptionally fine story, but it could not make up for the deficiencies of all the others.
Overall, a great disappointment, a reluctant 2 stars.

[Zachary Kevala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really weird book. Very strange, like surrealism on steroids. It took a while for me to get into it, but by the 3rd or 4th story, I was fairly interested. Probably won't read something like this again, but it was nice to read something out of my usual interests.

[Lucila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fav

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mundos de personajes aristocráticos que no me seducen. Sin embargo, touché por la escritura y ciertas ideas.

[Virtuella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treasure trove of surprising and intriguing stories

[Susu · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Erzählungen aus dem Nachlass der Autorin - zum Teil eher märchenhaft - kleine Perlen

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dinesen’s meta-narratives, punchlines, and ethereal atmosphere make her one of my favorite writers. Looking forward to reading this one again.