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Out of Africa & Shadows on the Grass

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Out of Africa & Shadows on the Grass

By: Isak Dinesen
Narrated by: Susan Lyons
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About this listen

Out of Africa:

In this audiobook, the author of Seven Gothic Tales gives a true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives; of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom; of her guests, from the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner, who visited her; of primitive festivals; of big game that were her near neighbors - lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes; and of Lulu, the little gazelle who came to live with her, unbelievably ladylike and beautiful.

Shadows on the Grass:

Isak Dineson takes up the absorbing story of her life in Kenya begun in the unforgettable Out of Africa, which she published under the name of Karen Blixon. With warmth and humanity, these four stories illuminate her love for the African people, their dignity and traditions, and the beauty and wildness of the landscape. The first three were written in the 1950s and the last, "Echoes from the Hills", was written especially for this volume in the summer of 1960, when the author was in her 70s. In all they provide a moving final chapter to her African reminiscences.

©2015 Random House Audio; 2011 Isak Dinesen Historical Fiction Fiction Africa Elephant

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All stars
Most relevant  
It took me a while to find the unabridged audio edition for this book. I love the story and have read it time and again. Unfortunately the narrator took all the pleasure out of this one, for me at least. She speaks way too fast and her voice remains flat all the while. The real pleasure of reading Karen Blixen is not only in the stories but mostly in her writing style and descriptions of things and people. She needs to be savored like a good, expensive wine. In this narrattive she gets chugged down like cheap beer.

Terrible performance

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I loved this audio book
I thought the narration was quite right
Karen was a wonderful women (apart from all the hunting!)
Her stories ring true, clearly you can see them, smell them, feel them and hear the sounds of Africa.
Perfect escapism

Atmospheric

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A great book. It was written with fine observation of the mileu the author in which she in among was quite fulfilled with the indignation of culturalism.

Great narration, and the text then revield itself.

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Another reviewer complained about the reader but I thought she was perfect. This is a beautifully written and fascinating story but be warned: it's not the love story they made the movie into!

Perfect for Africa!

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I have visited Kenya, a lovely country. This book took me back there, the space, the animals and the Masai

Beautiful captivating

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narrator's voice too annoying. She almost shouts at times, like she thinks she's on stage

narrator's voice too nervous/loud

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I loved both the narration and the book it self. What a wonderful story of a lost time!

Beautiful

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This book is a love story between the author and Africa. It will give the reader / listener a deep understanding of Africa and her people. Beautiful

Beautiful

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Karen Blixen's writings are captivating, beautifully detailed, sensory, and sometimes magical. It it amazing that one person could have had so many and such diverse experiences as Blixon had during her time in Africa. She romantices nothing and tells her stories with great authenticity when one considers the time and ethos of writing. Her approach is obviously questionable today because of how she addressed and viewed the local populations, especially the othering (almost dehumanization) of Africa's indigenous people. It makes one very uncomfortable on many occasions but it is relevant to experience it to gain more insight into the biases and prejudices that collonial settlers brought with them. The discomfort provides one with a better understanding of this sad part of Africa's history.

The narrator did an excellent job of portraying Blixen's personality. Her intonation and accent sounds uncanningly like several of my Danish friends. Every second of the the 16 hours and 35 minutes was captivating and time well spent. I will surely listen to this audio book again just like I re-read the original books several times over the years.

A wonderful literary and audio experience

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I really enjoyed this audible book and decided to listen because of my liking of the film out of Africa.

I thought the narrator was excellent and her Danish accent for me gave it authenticity while reading a memoir of a Dane.

The story itself had many great moments. Her descriptions of when Denis took her flying are some of my favourite visions of the book.

This book is now a period of history that is gone forever and although reviews are not so kind to her in regards to her opinions on the various tribes and native populations. I think they are probably fair and just for what she experienced at the time. Throughout the book she gives me no reason to doubt her sincerity when describing what she saw around her. I also found this is be refreshing as I don’t think someone no matter if they wanted to in modern times, due to obvious reasons of her description and background would be aloud now to write so bluntly and to speak so truthfully about a indigenous population.

This is therefore a must read for not only anyone who is interested in this ladies memoirs but for anyone who is interested in Africa and especially East Africa during the colonial times before the Great War.

My only gripe with this audio book which is why I have not given it 5 stars. Is that this is two books into one! However the chapters have no description and you do not know which book you are reading first. It also fails to tell you when one book finishes and the other starts. Which is just lazy on behalf of the producers.

Fascinating

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