Anecdotes of Destiny by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixon): book review

Anecdotes of Destiny (1958, this edition 2001) is a collection of five short stories set in different locations, written by the author of Out of Africa, Baroness Karen Blixen. These were her last stories before she died in 1962.

Born Karen Dinesen in 1885 in Denmark, she married Baron Bror Blixen-Finecke, although she wrote under the name of Isak Dinesen.

Like Out of Africa (1937) which was made into a film in 1985, one of the short stories, Babette’s Feast, was a 1987 movie. It remains a favourite in the collection.

Babette is a 19th century Parisian political refugee who arrives at the home of elderly spinster sisters, Philippa and Martine, as their cook, on the advice of friend. It is set in an austere Norwegian coastal town. Babette holds a secret that is only revealed after a long quiet period of duty and service.

The story, The Diver, explores what it takes to be a creative person. It takes hope and longing and the courage to take a risk – “without hope one cannot dance” … “without hope you cannot fly” … without hope there is no story. A cowfish maintains that happiness is achieved through the equilibrium obtained by giving up the idea of hope and risk: “We have no hands, so cannot construct anything at all, and are never tempted by vain ambition to alter anything whatever in the universe of the Lord.”

In The Immortal Story there is a story within a story, with fateful consequences, and a rationalist person, Mr Clay, who will have nothing to do with stories, with fiction. He can only accept reality.

All of the stories, although separate, have the same themes of fate and destiny, as well as the relationships between artist, creativity, and daily life.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass...

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog