388. Out of Africa

Out of Africa
Isak Dineson
1937
Around 420 pages

Once again, we are playing fast and loose with the definition of the word "novel." And once again, we are discussing a novel that is less famous than its film adaptation. I would have assumed a book about Africa penned by a 1930s white woman would be Margaret Mitchell-esque, to say the least. So this was a pleasant surprise.

In 1913, Karen Blixen moves to British East Africa (modern day Kenya), to marry her second cousin, the  Baron von Bad at Sex (a conjecture on my part, but come on). The Baron and Karen own a coffee plantation in the Ngong Hills, with squatters providing most of the labor. 

Obviously, Karen is put through the ringer, but there is so much joy in these pages and love for the people and the land. Of course, the language is unacceptable now, but the thoughtfulness is remarkable for the time. For example, she takes the trouble to differentiate between the cultures and tribes, rather than lumping every black person as an "African." She is respectful and non judgmental about their practices. Compared to something like She, or Lawrence's Plumed Serpent, that's pretty good.

The movie dials up the romance significantly, but I had a great time just reading about Karen dealing with the struggles of plantation ownership during this era. I also appreciated the non linear style of the narrative. Perfect for a memoir, we typically don't sadly reflect on our lives in chronological order.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

She wrote the novel in English first, then rewrote it in Danish.

The title is likely an abbreviation of the famous ancient Latin adage: Ex Africa semper aliquid novi, which translates as “Out of Africa, always something new."

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