In this book, 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 ...
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In this book, 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. The Random House colophon made its debut in February 1927 on the cover of a little pamphlet called "Announcement Number One." Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer, the company's founders, had acquired the Modern Library from publishers Boni and Liveright two years earlier. One day, their friend the illustrator Rockwell Kent stopped by their office. Cerf later recalled, "Rockwell was sitting at my desk facing Donald, and we were talking about doing a few books on the side, when suddenly I got an inspiration and said, 'I've got the name for our publishing house. We just said we were go-ing to publish a few books on the side at random. Let's call it Random House.' Donald liked the idea, and Rockwell Kent said, 'That's a great name. I'll draw your trademark.' So, sitting at my desk, he took a piece of paper and in five minutes drew Random House, which has been our colophon ever since." Throughout the years, the mission of Random House has remained consistent: to publish books of the highest quality, at random. We are proud to continue this tradition today. This edition is set from the first American edition of 1937 and commemorates theseventy-fifth anniversary of Random House.
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Seller's Description:
Very good in fair dust jacket. owner's bookplate fep. DJ chipped and worn, held together by mylar jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 400 p. Audience: General/trade. While a true first American edition this is more of a reading copy than collectible, but is a nice place holder in the meantime.
The book arrived promptly and in good condition. It's nice to obtain the classics at an affordable price. I understand there is a series of her writings - these may be of interest to me in the future - too many books, to little time.
Ellyb
May 14, 2008
Classic Memoir
Um, wow. Can I just leave it at that? All memoirists should bow before the incomparable Baroness von Blixen, aka Isak Dinesen. For one thing, her experiences were truly life-changing and not likely to be shared by a majority of her readers. For another, in telling her life's story, she utilizes a plain, honest, and clear voice that somehow manages to retain a sweet lyricism, painting her experiences in vivid detail. The mind's eye can really revel in her descriptive language. "Out of Africa" tells of Blixen's time in Kenya owning and operating a coffee plantation, where she also acted as a sort of mediator for her Kikuyu employees. This is a book to be savored to allow all of its calm beauty to sink in.
