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Out of Africa

Isak Dinesen

Discussion: Books Set in Africa

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Books Set in Africa

* African Authors
By Diane , Armchair Tour Guide · 16 posts · 923 views

last updated Feb 06, 2025 09:27PM

Gambia
By Diane , Armchair Tour Guide · 13 posts · 509 views

last updated Sep 30, 2025 10:25AM

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What Members Thought

Jan 05, 2014 Rebekah rated it did not like it

Shelves: e-book, genre-classics, genre-non-fiction, genre-autobiography-memoir, genre-biography, genre-biography-autobiography, genre-biography-memoir, genre-cultural-africa, genre-travel, genre-history

I absolutely hated this book! Books written about colonialism are hard to swallow in our modern era. The author consistently refers to the native population as wild animals, savages, and magical beings. All of the old stereotypes are there. I would have been able to power through that though and just considered it a representative of the views of the time, had it been an interesting narrative or story, or well-written, but the book was also boring and dry to tears. I honestly have no idea why th ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 14, 2008 Katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: essential-lifetime-reading

Wow! What a fantastic book. The power and beauty of words really strike you in this book, more so than I've ever experienced before. I'm used to hurrying through the pages of a book because the plot is exciting. In the case of this beautiful book, I cannot tear myself away simply because the prose is so lovely. I am totally enchanted with Africa and its people after reading this book. I would highly recommend this read to anyone. ...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Lisa of Hopewell rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012, 1001-books-to-read-before-you-di, modern-library-s-best-nonfiction

This book fell apart in the middle--lots of little stories instead of more "book." Odd. Need to finish it.

I "know" some of these people--well their almost-ancestors anyway. I can see the sky and "hear" the night. I'm loving this.

Reading this with the "Catching up on Classics" group here on Good Reads. Not sure about it yet.....but, having lived there, I can picture it all...... ...more

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