Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller [B0008]

1983 PB. Winner of the 1983 National Book Award and the 1983 American 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.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Good and thorough book. I haven't read much by her, but Carnival has been a favorite story of mine since my teenage years. Now I will read some of her other books. A remarkable writer and person."; "This book takes you beyond Out of Africa and into Dinesen's whole life of 75 years."; "This author is a genius. Judith Thurman is a far and away the best biographer I have ever read. Her knowledge of multiple languages and her extensive vocabulary crystalized her thoughts eloquently. I learned more about Karen Blixen than I thought was humanly possible. Great read!"