Out of Africa (Abridged) Audiobook

" It is a very good book. I loved the narrative. It takes us to Africa at its core. To the uniqueness and splendid beauty of the continent. But also to the the hardship, the impossible darkness of many white people's lives who did not manage to survive there yet would probably never again be able to live away from that land. "

" One of the quotes on the back of the book is, "True to her credo of the storyteller's story, her tales are...glimpses out of, rather than into, an extraordinary mind." I certainly agree with that quote, but for that very reason, I found it difficult to get "into" this book. Dinesen/Blixen's stories from her time in Africa are illuminating and informative of a time in history. The idea of servants, a belief that all "Natives" are similar, and her beliefs regarding their intelligence seem quite foreign to me, but it is important to understand that those events and beliefs helped shape the Africa that exists today. In very few of her stories did she tell how she felt when an event happened. Combined with the fact that the stories were disjointed, I found it hard to care too much how each tale ended. This book may have made me realize how much I enjoy a story arch (not just themes) - certainly in fiction and also in non-fiction. I would not discourage anyone from reading this, but I would not recommend it, either. I have heard that the movie is quite different, so maybe I would enjoy that more - assuming it has a more discernible story arch. "

" Another wonderful woman that can show you what it feels like to be in another land!! She lived a hard life but relished the land she chose to call home. This is a book I will always have on my bookshelf. "

" Meryl Streep led me astray! The movie was so beautifully done that I was looking forward to the book. Needless to say, I skimmed a number of sections of the book and the ones I did read weren't easy for me to get through. "

" Out of Africa is my all-time favorite book. It was written by Karen Blixen about her life as a coffee plantation owner in Kenya in the early 1900s. It's a riveting account of life in Africa in that era from the point of view of an independent European woman. "

" I thought I would never see the day when I read a book that was worse than the movie. The movie had to have a plot, the book doesn't. The language the author uses is fantastic. Otherwise, this was a loooooong read. "

" An absolute delight. I love her writing. Amazing descriptions. I've read it before, a very long time ago. I hope I live long enough to read it again. "

" I accidentally misplaced this wonderful book when moving and have yet to find it. "

" i love her writing and description of Africa. I could have done without the feeling of colonialism in her stories of the 'natives', but I do recognize the time and place and culture she lived. Such beautiful language though. "

" I tried to like this book, but it's a real yawner. Long on words, short on story. "

" Gorgeous, perfect. "

" About 1/3 of the way through and love it! I tried to read it a few years ago on the flight to Africa and couldn't get into it. I'm really loving it now. i definitely recommend it. "

" Blixen paints a beautiful portrait of Africa. Sometimes her language is really inspired. But for one accustomed to novels -- to books that are intentionally shaped -- the looseness of the narrative is occasionally unsatisfying. "

" One of the best prose I have ever read. Beautiful, and invokes brilliant images of glorious Africa in the early 20th Century which poses such a stark contrast to the image of Africa in modern times, where the world's attention is on AIDS, famine and poverty. "

" I loved the movie and I loved the book even more, although the book did take some liberties with the storyline (of course). What a terrific writer. Her descriptions are amazing. "

" Calm, quiet, peaceful, serene, and restful to read. Her prose combined with the slow pace of life on a coffee farm in Kenya makes for a good bedtime book. "

" Holy crap. I loved this book. It might have made it into my top 10. For an imperialist, Dinesen is marvelously perceptive and compassionate, and her writing is compulsively readable. A must-read, I think. "

" Just heartbreaking. Beautiful and tragic. "

" A re-read that was every bit as enjoyable as the first time, years ago. She's a master with words.This is an opportunity to escape to a far away time and place. "

" Loved the adventures of Isak Dinesen in Africa. "

" I liked this better than Out of Africa. She has a spare style which takes a bit of reading to become acclimated to it. "

" This is one of my all-time favorite books. "

" Excellent memoir about the author's life in Kenya. The writing is beautifully descriptive and the book comes alive in so many ways because of it. "

" Beautiful sad bittersweet book. Dinesen's descriptions of the "Natives" (Kikuyu tribespeople), Somalis, and Masai can be hard to read, given their political and historical context, but she writes of the land and her servants and squatters with such love. "

" This book is a long string of striking metaphors. That is pretty much all. There is no plot or storyline to speak of. Once I quit wondering when something was going to happen, I liked this book. I was able to enjoy the beauty of the language...and vicariously, of Africa. "

" Awesome. This lady was badass. "

" I felt as if I was on the farm in the Ngong Hills with the author. Pretty low key memoir about her life in Africa, most excitement revolves around her lion hunts. Most of the african memoirs I've read revolve around genocide so it was nice to hear about the beautiful countryside of life in Kenya. "

" Not at all like the movie and beautifully written ... in my mind's ear, I could hear Meryl Streep speaking each word. A beautiful book, just beautiful. My husband bought my copy at the William Faulkner bookshop in New Orleans, so I'll treasure it all the more. "

" I read this after seeing the movie and just loved Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, back when I was a hopeless romantic ;)The book is very good, ethereal almost, I can understand why Isak Denisen aka Karen Blixen became a celebrity. "

" Não consegui acabar o livro, infelizmente. Achei tão aborrecido, que não me deu alento para continuar. Certamente, não o vou tentar novamente tão cedo. "

" This was a nice read while I was in Africa, particular for her beautiful descriptions of the African highlands, which I was lucky enough to visit. It stands as a nice piece of colonial literature. "

" enjoyed the film more.... the book was very dry and didn't go into much detail. "