Call number
BIO DINESEN
Collection
Genres
Publication
St Martins Pr (1982), Edition: 1st, 495 pages
Description
& Winner of the National Book Award & 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.
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member briandrewz
This was an absolutely wonderful book. Judith Thurman really gives us a feel for Isak Dinesen and the world she lived in. It's an amazing story of love, loss, and life. Anyone remotely interested in Out of Africa, or Africa in general, would find this a most intriguing read.
LibraryThing member lisapeet
Very good biography. It has to be both rewarding and challenging to write about someone who felt that her life was one big narrative project, and this was really well done and thorough -- you got a feeling for the sense of Dinesen's life, both her own and from those around her, not just the details
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and dates. Which is what I really want from a biography, and this one definitely captured her whole dramatic, messy essence. Show Less
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Fills you in on some of the things you might not get from Dinesen's _Out of Africa_ and her other work. Since most of Dinesen's work tends to be fictionalized and autobiographical, it's good to have another source. Makes you appreciate the many challenges Dinesen faced and makes one even more
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grateful for her many gifts. Show Less
LibraryThing member DebraParmley
I tried for over a year to finish this book and just could not, though I love Isak Dinesen's writings.
LibraryThing member nx74defiant
The writing style didn't really work for me. It references how her work reflects her life. I felt like I would have enjoyed this more if I had already read the works be referenced.
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — 1983)
BAFTA Award (Winner — Best Adapted Screenplay — 1986)
Notable Books List (1982)
Pages
495
ISBN
0312437374 / 9780312437374