Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Out of Africa

Out of Africa is a memoir of Karen Blixen's love for East Africa and its people. Her imaginative and descriptive prose bring East Africa in the waning days of colonialism to life. 

Filled with poetry and tributes to her close friends like the legendary hunter Denys Fynch Hatton, the book is treasure trove of stories. Blixen, who wrote the book under her pseudonym Isak Dinisen, broke many social taboos that were the order of the day in colonial times. 
Her vivid descriptions of the equatorial sky at night, the Rift Valley and the city of Mombasa are absolutely unforgettable. 

Though Blixen has been criticised for comparing people to animals and allegedly glorifying colonialism, Out of Africa stands out as a masterly work of literature, written by Denmark's greatest writer after Hans Christian Andersen

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