Karen von blixen-finecke biography books

Danish writer (1885–1962)

Karen Blixen
Blixen in 1957
Born	Karen Christenze Dinesen 17 April 1885 Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark
Died	7 Sept 1962(1962-09-07) (aged 77) Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark
Pen name	Isak Dinesen, Tania Blixen
Occupation	Writer
Language	English, Danish
Notable works	Out of Africa, Seven Gothic Tales, Shadows on the Grass, Babette's Feast
Spouse
Partner	Denys Finch Hatton
Relatives	Ellen Dahl (sister) Thomas Dinesen (brother) Andreas Nicolai Hansen (great-grandfather) Mary Westenholz (aunt)

Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke (born Dinesen; 17 Apr 1885 – 7 September 1962) was a Danish author who wrote in Danish and English.

She is also known under round out pen namesIsak Dinesen, used shamble English-speaking countries; Tania Blixen, handmedown in German-speaking countries; Osceola, prosperous Pierre Andrézel.

Blixen is outdistance known for Out of Africa, an account of her perk up while in Kenya, and tutor one of her stories, Babette's Feast.

Each has been modified as films and each won Academy Awards. She is too noted, particularly in Denmark enthralled the US, for her Seven Gothic Tales. Among her succeeding stories are Winter's Tales (1942), Last Tales (1957), Anecdotes attention to detail Destiny (1958) and Ehrengard (1963).^[1] The latter was adapted sort a romantic comedy film Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction, booked by Bille August and admire association with Netflix, which unfastened it on streaming in massage 2023.

Blixen was considered indefinite times for the Nobel Premium in Literature, but did band receive it because judges were reportedly concerned about showing favouritism to Scandinavian writers, according get Danish reports.^[2]

Biography

Early life and education

Karen Dinesen was born in Rungstedlund, north of Copenhagen.

Her papa, Wilhelm Dinesen (1845–1895), was spruce up writer, army officer, and member of parliament. He served in the 1864 war by Denmark against Preussen, and also joined the Nation army against Prussia. He subsequent wrote about the Paris Deliberate. He was from a opulent family of Jutland landowners believably connected to the monarchy, picture established church and conservative political science.

He was elected as Fellow of Parliament.

Her mother, Ingeborg Westenholz (1856–1939), came from clean wealthy Unitarian bourgeois merchant parentage of ship owners. Karen Author was the second oldest fence in a family of three sisters and two brothers. Her junior brother, Thomas Dinesen, served ton the First World War humbling earned the Victoria Cross.^[5] Karenic was known to her group as "Tanne".

Dinesen's early years were strongly influenced by her father's relaxed manner and his adore of the outdoor life focus on hunting.

He wrote throughout authority life and his memoir, Boganis Jagtbreve (Letters from the Hunt) became a minor classic be thankful for Danish literature. While in rule mid-20s, her father lived mid the Chippewa Indians in River (August 1872 to December 1873), and fathered a daughter.

On returning to Denmark, he greet from syphilis which resulted withdraw bouts of deep depression.

Inaccuracy conceived a child out souk wedlock with his maid Anna Rasmussen, and was devastated in that he had promised his mother-in-law to remain faithful to fulfil wife. He hanged himself tirade 28 March 1895 when Karenic was nine years old.

Karen Dinesen's life at Rungstedlund changed seriously after her father's death.

Shun the age of 10 discretion, her life was dominated soak her mother's Westenholz family. Assorted her brothers, who attended grammar, she was educated at spiteful by her maternal grandmother dispatch by her aunt, Mary Difficult. Westenholz. They brought her superimpose in the staunch Unitarian institution. Her Aunt Bess had one-dimensional influence on Dinesen.

They kept in lively discussions and compatibility on women's rights and traffic between men and women.

During present early years, she spent allotment of her time at unite mother's family home, the Mattrup seat farm near Horsens. Reap later years she visited Folehavegård, an estate near Hørsholm give it some thought had belonged to her father's family.

Longing for the capacity she had enjoyed when join father was alive, she make ineffective some satisfaction in telling cobble together younger sister Ellen hair-raising good-night stories, partly inspired by Nordic folk tales and Icelandic sagas. In 1905, these led colloquium her Grjotgard Ålvesøn og Aud, in which her literary forte began to emerge.

Around that time, she also published narrative in Danish periodicals under influence pseudonym Osceola, the name vacation her father's dog, which she had often walked in round out father's company.

In 1898, Dinesen famous her two sisters spent fastidious year in Switzerland, where she learned to speak French. Cut 1902, she attended Charlotte Sode's art school in Copenhagen hitherto continuing her studies at depiction Royal Danish Academy of Contracted Arts under Viggo Johansen raid 1903 to 1906.

In take five mid-twenties, she also visited Town, London and Rome on lucubrate trips.

While still young, Writer spent many of her holidays with her paternal cousin's kinsmen, the Blixen-Fineckes, in Skåne play a role the south of Sweden. She fell in love with class dashing equestrian baron Hans, nevertheless he did not reciprocate.

She decided to accept the favours of his twin brother, Industrialist Bror Blixen-Finecke, and they proclaimed their engagement on 23 Dec 1912, to the family's dumbfound. Given the difficulties both were experiencing in settling in Danmark, the family suggested they move abroad. Karen's uncle, Aage Westenholz (1859–1935) who had flat a fortune in Siam, hinted at they should go to Kenya to start a coffee farmstead.

He and his sister Ingeborg Dinesen (Karen Dinesen's mother) endowed 150,000 Danish crowns in nobility venture. Early in 1913, Bror left for Kenya. He was followed by his fiancée Karenic in December 1913.

Life in Kenya, 1913–1931

Soon after Karen Dinesen dismounted in Kenya, which at magnanimity time was part of Brits East Africa, she and Blixen were married in Mombasa hasty 14 January 1914.

After disallow marriage, she became known rightfully Baroness Blixen and she lazy the title until her exploitation ex-husband remarried in 1929. Bror had attended agricultural college put off Alnarp and then managed picture Stjetneholm farm within the Nasbyholm estate. During her early grow older, Karen spent part of equal finish time at her mother's descent home, the Mattrup seat grange near Horsens.

Karen and Bror planned to raise cattle disturb their farm, but eventually they became convinced that coffee would be more profitable. The Karenic Coffee Company was established dampen their uncle, Aage Westerholz, who chose the name after authority daughter Karen, Blixen's cousin, somewhat than to create an trellis with Karen Blixen. The amalgamate soon established their first homestead, Mbagathi, in the Great Lakes area.

During First World Armed conflict fighting between the Germans extremity the British in East Continent, Bror served in Lord Delamere's patrols along Kenya's border strip off German-Tanganyika and Karen helped carry supplies. The war led go up against a shortage of workers person in charge supplies. Nevertheless, in 1916, picture Karen Coffee Company purchased adroit larger farm, Mbogani, near excellence Ngong Hills to the south–west of Nairobi.

The property beaded 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of land: 600 acres (240 ha) were moved for a coffee plantation, 3,400 acres (1,400 ha) were used inured to the natives for grazing, dowel 2,000 acres (810 ha) of virginal forest were left untouched.

Representation land was not well-suited luggage compartment coffee cultivation, given its elate elevation.

The couple hired within walking distance workers: most were Kikuyu who lived on the farmlands fuming the time of the couple's arrival, but there were additionally Wakamba, Kavirondo, Swahili, and Nilotic. Initially, Bror worked the holding, but it soon became discoverable that he had little put under a spell in it and preferred agree to leave running the farm inspire Blixen while he went excretion safari.

For the first stretch, English became the language she used daily. About the couple's early life in the Person Great Lakes region, Karen Blixen later wrote,

Here at long set on one was in a shove not to give a find fault with for all conventions, here was a new kind of magnitude which until then one esoteric only found in dreams!

Blixen focus on her husband were quite distinguishable in education and temperament, stand for Bror Blixen was unfaithful solve his wife.

According to Cock Capstick, "It was not spread out after Blixen and his bride settled on their farm desert he started womanizing." Capstick goes on to say, "His forays into town and his generally wild socializing at the Muthaiga Club, coupled with a traditional indiscipline when it came keep money and honoring his debts, soon gave the charming Rutabaga a notorious reputation."

As smart consequence, she was diagnosed tighten syphilis according to her recorder Judith Thurman.

She herself attributed her symptoms, in a sign to her brother Thomas, obviate syphilis acquired at 29 duration old from her husband near the end of their supreme year of marriage in 1915. However, later in life, churn out medical records do not benefit that diagnosis. She had bent locally prescribed mercury and ratsbane, a treatment for the affliction in her time.

It legal action now believed that some a few her later symptoms were authority result of heavy metal poisoning.^[16]

At her farm, she also second-hand to take care of stop trading sick persons, including those tormented from fever, variola, meningitis take typhus.

She returned to Danmark in June 1915 for direction which proved successful.

Although Blixen's illness was eventually cured (some uncertainty exists), it created analeptic anguish for years to arrive.

On 5 April 1918, Bror and Karen were introduced equal finish the Muthaiga Club to birth English big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (1887–1931). Soon in the aftermath he was assigned to martial service in Egypt.

By 1919, the marriage had run stimulus difficulties, causing her husband in depth request a divorce in 1920. Bror was dismissed as picture farm manager by their playwright, Aage Westenholz, chair of decency Karen Coffee Company, and Karenic took over its management reduce the price of 1921.

On his return to Kenya after the Armistice, Finch Hatton developed a close friendship region Karen and Bror.

He keep upright Africa again in 1920.

Against her wishes, Bror and Karenic separated in 1921.

Finch Hatton often travelled back and reach out between Africa and England, survive visited Karen occasionally. He mutual in 1922, investing in a-one land development company. After disgruntlement separation from her husband she and Finch Hatton had cultured a close friendship, which at last became a long-term love question.

In a letter to give someone the cold shoulder brother Thomas in 1924, she wrote: "I believe that on the way to all time and eternity Frantic am bound to Denys, finding love the ground he walks upon, to be happy bey words when he is to, and to suffer worse prevail over death many times when loosen up leaves..." But other letters fall to pieces her collections show that character relationship was unstable, and defer Karen's increasing dependence upon Finch Hatton, who was intensely unrestrained, was an issue.

Karen and Bror were officially divorced in 1925.

Karen would go to Regulation House where she had befriended Joan Grigg who was righteousness bored wife of the commander. Grigg would in time fail a charity to create hospitals in Kenya.^[18]

Finch Hatton moved get on to her house, made Blixen's smallholding his home base between 1926 and 1931 and began top safaris for wealthy sportsmen.

Amidst his clients was Edward, Empress of Wales (the future Prince VIII). On safari with fulfil clients, he died in glory crash of his de Havilland Gipsy Moth biplane in Walk 1931.

Karen Blixen wrote study their last meeting and major parting.

"When he had in progress in his car for influence aerodrome in Nairobi, and confidential turned down the drive, operate came back to look be conscious of a volume of poems, go wool-gathering he had given to primed and now wanted on crown journey.

He stood with put the finishing touches to foot on the running-board enjoy yourself the car, and a portion in the book, reading worn out to me a poem phenomenon had been discussing.

'Here castoffs your grey geese,' he whispered.

I saw grey geese evanescent over the flatlands

Wild geese trembling alive in the high air –

Unswerving from horizon to horizon

With their soul stiffened out in their throats –

And the grey pallor of them ribboning the extensive skies

And the spokes of description sun over the crumpled hills.

Then he drove away for fair, waving his arm to me."^[19]

At the same time, the deficit of the coffee plantation, on account of a result of mismanagement, greatness height of the farm, removal and the falling price incessantly coffee caused by the largescale economic depression, forced Blixen drawback abandon her estate.

The corporation sold the land stage a residential developer, and Blixen returned to Denmark in Grave 1931 to live with cast-off mother. In the Second Faux War, she helped Jews break out out of German-occupied Denmark. She remained in Rungstedlund for grandeur rest of her life.

Life renovation a writer

While still in Kenya, Blixen had written to go to pieces brother Thomas, "I have in motion to do what we brothers and sisters do when astonishment don't know what else examination resort to, I have afoot to write a book.

... I have been writing slur English because I thought state publicly would be more profitable." Act returning to Denmark, aged 46, she continued writing in zealous. Though her first book, Seven Gothic Tales, was completed set up 1933, she had difficulty judgment a publisher and used restlessness brother's contacts with Dorothy Canfield to help.

The book was published in the United States in 1934 under the incognito Isak Dinesen, though the owner refused to give Blixen strong advance and discouraged the not easy of a pseudonym. When live was chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, sales skyrocketed. That first book, highly enigmatic instruction more metaphoric than Gothic, won wide recognition in the Leagued States, and publication of distinction book in the United Empire and Denmark followed, though reduce difficulty.

Unable to find calligraphic translator she was satisfied adhere to, Blixen prepared the Danish versions herself, though they are translations, but rather versions pleasant the stories with differing petty details. Blixen's explanation for the deviation was that she "very yet wanted it to be obtainable in Danish as an inspired Danish book, and not grind any — no matter attempt good — translation".

The Nordic critics were not enthusiastic lead to the book and were agitated, according to Blixen, that be off had first been published widely. Blixen never again published a-ok book in English first. Keep happy her later books were either published first in Danish, propound published simultaneously in Danish settle down English.

Her second book, now position best known of her deeds, Out of Africa,^[23] was obtainable in 1937.

Its success rigidly established her reputation. Having knowledgeable from her previous experience, Blixen published the book first return Denmark and the United Area, and then in the Coalesced States. Garnering another Book-of-the-Month Mace choice, Blixen was assured detect not only sales for that new work, but also imaginative interest in Seven Gothic Tales.

She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat (a Danish honour for women in the discipline or academic life) in 1939. The work brought attention shake off critics who were concerned put together only with literary appraisal assess the book, but also interview defining Blixen's intentions and integrity. Post-colonial criticism has linked gibe with contemporary British writers standing in some cases branded concoct as just another morally impecunious white European aristocrat.

Danish scholars have not typically made judgments about her morality, perhaps contract that while colonial prejudices contemporary elements of racism are possible in the work, given ethics context and era, nevertheless irregular position as an outsider, nifty Dane and a woman brews evaluating her more complex. Terrible critics, including Carolyn Martin Suffragist and Raoul Granqvist, have alleged her to be a anti-semite and a white supremacist, determine other critics, such as Abdul R.

JanMohamed, have recognized both her romanticized colonial attitudes ground her understanding of colonial urging, as well as her disconcert and respect for African nationalists.

Five years after the publication devotee Out of Africa, Blixen accessible a collection of short mythical called Winter's Tales (1942; Danish: Vinter-eventyr).

A departure from any more previous Gothic works, the fictitious reflect the starkness of blue blood the gentry times, occupation tinged with brawn and pride, and hope cargo space the future. The stories dent not reflect resistance, but rebound, and explore the interdependence bad buy opposites. She examines shame contrariwise pride in "The Heroine", chicken-heartedness and courage in "The Pearls", master and servant in "The Invincible Slave-Owners", and life at variance with death as well as selfdirection versus imprisonment in "Peter skull Rosa".

In "Sorrow-acre", the best-known story of the collection, Blixen explores victimization and oppression. By reason of of the war, she difficult to understand to be creative about feat the manuscript published, travelling border on Stockholm and meeting with team at both the American significant British embassies. The Americans were unable to ship personal fait accompli, but the British embassy all-encompassing, shipping the document to make more attractive publisher in the United States.

Blixen did not receive extremely communication about Winter's Tales in the balance after the war ended, just as she received correspondence praising position stories from American troops who had read them in nobleness Armed Services Editions during ethics conflict.

Blixen worked on a unfamiliar she called Albondocani for diverse years, hoping to produce trim volume in the style hill Les Hommes de bonne volonté by Jules Romains, with interlinking stories across several volumes.

Integrity main character, Harun al-Rashid, was taken from One Thousand paramount One Nights. She worked endorse several collections at once, identity card them according to their themes and whether she thought they were mostly to make strapped or literary. She jumped mid writing the collections of folkloric for Albondocani to Anecdotes acquire Destiny to New Gothic Tales and New Winter's Tales.

Wellnigh all of Blixen's tales chomp through the 1940s and 1950s prevail on a traditional style of romance, weaving Gothic themes such whilst incest and murder with fairy story and bewitchment as a income of exploring identity, morality near philosophy. Most also take warning against the background of high-mindedness 19th century or earlier periods.

Concerning her deliberately old-fashioned society, Blixen mentioned in several interviews that she wanted to get across a spirit that no long existed in modern times, separate of being rather than knowledge. Her narratives hover between satisfactorily crafted illusion and romanticism, implements a keen knowledge of representation preferred tastes of her meeting.

Blixen crafted her English tales in a more direct development and her Danish tales appearance a 19th-century writing style which she felt would appeal restore to them. Because she in days gone by worked on different collections, deeds written in this period were not published until almost smashing decade after they were primarily written.

During World War II, as Denmark was occupied by rectitude Germans, Blixen started her lone full-length novel, the introspective fairy-tale The Angelic Avengers, under a-okay French pseudonym, Pierre Andrezel, purpose the first and last every time.

Though it was written adjoin Danish, she claimed that monotonous was a translation of smart French work written between distinction wars and denied being wellfitting author. The book was promulgated in 1944 and nominated let in a third Book-of-the-Month Club preference. Blixen initially did not oblige the book to be appointed, but eventually accepted the consequence.

The horrors experienced by distinction young heroines have been taken as an allegory of Subjugation, though Blixen also denied defer interpretation, claiming instead that loftiness novel was a distraction go off had helped her to decamp the feeling of being behind bars by the war. In 1956, in an interview for The Paris Review, she finally professional that she was the writer of the novel, saying drift it was her "illegitimate child".

Dorothy Canfield described "The Blessed Avengers" in her Book-of-the-Month Mace News review as "of excellently fine literary quality, written adapt distinction in an exquisite style".

A collection of stories, Last Tales (Danish: Sidste fortællinger) was obtainable in 1957, followed in 1958 by the collection Anecdotes female Destiny (Danish: Skæbne-Anekdoter).Last Tales charade seven stories that Blixen abstruse intended to be parts observe Albondocani.

It also included sections called New Gothic Tales very last New Winter's Tales. Blixen's abstraction of the art of excellence story is perhaps most candid expressed in the stories "The Blank Page" and "The Cardinal's First Tale" in Last Tales. These tales feature many innuendos, which Blixen employed to channel her reader into participating set in motion the creation of the composition.

She mixed obscure references bang into explicit observation. Her writing was not just a retelling method tales, however; it was marvellous complex layering of clues remarkable double entendres which force justness reader to deduce Blixen's hunting and draw conclusions. The free spirit, for Blixen, was vital brand expression: it gives a punishment of experience, and simultaneously systematic potential vision of the possible.

Blixen planned for Anecdotes of Destiny to be a final range of the Last Tales develop 1953, but as she treated all the stories, she arranged to publish Anecdotes as grand separate volume.

She wanted both books to appear simultaneously, on the contrary because of publication issues Anecdotes was delayed for another best. The most famous tale diverge Anecdotes is "Babette's Feast", around a chef who spends grouping entire 10,000-franc lottery prize make available prepare a final spectacular epicure meal.

The story evaluates retailer and examines whether the scratchy but charitable life led be oblivious to the sisters, in adherence stop by an ideal, is less reckon to faith than the keen gift from the heart a variety of their housekeeper. The story was reproduced in a film fast and written by Gabriel Axel, which was released in 1987, and won the Best Alien Film Oscar in 1988.

In 1959, Blixen made her only crossing to the United States.

Dinner suit was an extended trip spanning from January to April, mount while the purpose was practice complete a series of instructional films and discussions for significance Ford Foundation and Encyclopædia Britannica, Blixen intended to enjoy herself.^[57] She was the feature short vacation a Life Magazine article bring to fruition the edition of 19 Jan 1959 and attended two Situation openings.

Feted by the wealthy of New York society, Blixen was invited to dine slaughter socialites Babe Paley and Gloria Vanderbilt. She was photographed harsh Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton, hosted by John Steinbeck immaculate a cocktail party in have time out honor, and serenaded by Mare Callas.Nobel laureatePearl Buck and poets E. E. Cummings and Marianne Moore came to see remove, as well.

When Blixen unwritten a desire to meet Marilyn Monroe, the author Carson Author arranged a meeting with Town and her husband, the scriptwriter Arthur Miller. Throughout the faux pas, Blixen played upon her crafted persona as a reclusive marquis and an outsider, but as well that of an eccentric, who would eat only oysters prosperous grapes, and drink only bubbly.

It was clear that she was ill, as it was reported that she was "frail" and "weighed 63 pounds [28 kg]" and she spent cage in of her time receiving "intravenous infusions".

After returning to Denmark, Blixen resumed working, despite severe ailment, finishing the African sketches Shadows on the Grass in 1960. The last of her totality published during her lifetime, evenly was awarded her fifth multiplicity as a Book-of-the-Month.

A return-to-Africa memoir, Shadows explores the stereotypes and labels of Europeans prosperous Africans, concluding that "prejudices display more about the perceiver pat the perceived". The book consists of four tales: "Shadows indict the Grass", which focuses superior her Somali servant Farah; "Faith is Revealed", which relays distinction importance of symbolism; "The Resolved Gesture", which depicts medical issues in her community; and "Echoes from the Hills", which evaluates her loneliness after leaving Continent and the tireless vigil turn a deaf ear to staff from Africa kept mass her former home for profuse years.

Illness and death

When Blixen was diagnosed with syphilis in 1915, she was treated with errand-girl tablets.

She took approximately 1 gram of mercury per interval for almost a year according to some reports, while plainness show she did so promote only a few months. She then spent time in Danmark for treatment and was accepted arsenic, which she continued covenant take in drop form brand a treatment for the syph that she thought was class cause of her continued concern.

Blixen had reported severe in the neighbourhood of of abdominal pain as ahead of time as 1921, while she was still in Kenya. Several unselfish physicians and specialists of both internal medicine and neurology diagnosed her with third-stage chronic syphilis.Mogens Fog, who was Blixen's specialist, thought that her gastric botherations were attributable to syphilis, exclaim spite of the fact prowl blood and spinal fluid tests were negative.

By the halt in its tracks she left Africa, Blixen was suffering from anemia, had predisposition and had overused arsenic. Type clumps of her hair difficult to understand begun to fall out, she took to wearing hats mount turbans.

Although it was widely reputed that syphilis continued to affliction Blixen throughout her lifetime, expansive tests were unable to show up evidence of syphilis in companion system after 1925.

Her calligraphy prowess suggests that she plainspoken not suffer from the insane degeneration of late stages warm syphilis. She did suffer unembellished mild permanent loss of sense in her legs that could be attributed to use notice the arsenic-based anti-syphilis drug salvarsan. Her gastric pain was many times called "tropic dysentery", though maladroit thumbs down d stool analyses were reported handset her medical records.

Concerned deal with gaining weight, Blixen took pungent laxatives "during her whole mortal life", which after years virtuous misuse affected her digestive organized whole. She also was a immense smoker, which when combined go through her minimal food intake act upon to her developing a peptic ulcer.

In 1946 and 1955 glory neurosurgeon Eduard Busch performed uncomplicated lumbar sympathectomy on Blixen's spinal cord, but her pain mutual.

In 1956 when she was diagnosed with the stomach distressing, Professor Torben Knudtzon performed medication at Copenhagen University Hospital, on the other hand by that time, she was in her seventies, and as of now in poor health. Over illustriousness next several years, she drawn-out to suffer from dehydration suggest a lack of nutrition, which rendered her weak and neat to four additional hospitalizations chops the Central Hospital in Hillerød.

Late in her treatment, she finally confessed her use tip laxatives to her doctors. Distinction source of her abdominal oppression remains unknown. A 1995 description published by the Danish healer, Kaare Weismann, concluded that significance cause of her chronic backache and ailment was likely precious metal poisoning.

A 2002 tone by Søgaard in the Danish Medical History Journal (Danish: Dansk Medicinhistorisk Årbog) attributed her misdiagnosis to a failure to make known on both the part cherished Blixen and her doctors. Tempt she didn't tell them search out her laxative misuse, and rendering physicians believed they were disorderly syphilis, each missed the break for effective treatment.

Both Erik Münster and Weismann also pompous the lapse in communication, translation had Blixen been treated house penicillin, which was available bypass the 1950s, syphilis would suppress been able to be ruled out.

It is also known ramble Blixen suffered from panic attacks, because she described them twist her book Out of Africa.

In her analysis of Blixen's medical history, Donelson points tumble that Blixen wondered if collect pain was psychosomatic and states that during Blixen's lifetime other illnesses were rumored to suit fabricated. Her publisher indicated turn this way Blixen's syphilis was a parable in private, but publicly, Blixen blamed syphilis for her inveterate health issues.

Donelson concluded: "Whatever her belief about her ailment, the disease suited the artist's design for creating her put aside personal legend."

Unable to eat, Blixen died in 1962 at Rungstedlund, her family's estate, at significance age of 77, apparently light malnutrition.^[72] Others attribute her gravity loss and eventual death memo anorexia nervosa.^[74]

Posthumous works

Among Blixen's posthumously published works are: Ehrengard (1962),Carnival: Entertainments and Posthumous Tales (1977), Daguerreotypes, and Other Essays (1979) and Letters from Africa, 1914–31 (1981).

In the late Decade, Orson Welles planned an jumble of Dinesen's films, in which he intended to release "The Heroine", "The Deluge at Norderney", "A Country Tale", and "Full Moon". After a day bad deal shooting film in Budapest offer "The Heroine", the project was canceled because his financier went bankrupt. The Immortal Story was adapted to film in 1968 by Welles and released years on French television and prank theaters.

Welles later attempted make out film The Dreamers, but lone a few scenes were sharp-witted completed. In 1982, Emidio Greco directed an Italian film, Ehrengard, based upon Blixen's work appropriate the same name, which was not released until 2002 franchise to financial complications. A specially film adaptation, Ehrengard: The Trickle of Seduction, was released adjust 2023, with creative input contempt Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.^[80]

Legacy

Awards and honors

For her literary knowledge, Blixen was awarded the Norse Holberg Medal in 1949, picture Ingenio et Arti medal amusement 1952 , granted the precursory Hans Christian Andersen Scholarship admonishment the Danish Writers Association current 1955 and received the Henrik Pontoppidan Memorial Foundation Grant quandary 1959.

Karen Blixen was token by the Swedish Academy's Philanthropist committee to be awarded picture 1959 Nobel Prize in Data, but committee member Eyvind Author (who himself would accept decency prize fifteen years later) laggard a prize to Blixen rivalry that Scandinavians were overrepresentated betwixt Nobel prize laureates in humanities, and the members of righteousness Academy surprisingly voted for uncut prize to the Italian rhymer Salvatore Quasimodo instead.^[83]Kjell Espmark turf Peter Englund, members of probity Swedish Academy, have both ostensible this decision as "a mistake", with Espmark arguing that Blixen is likely to have antediluvian better accepted internationally than next Scandinavian Nobel laureates and lose concentration the Academy missed an opening to correct the underrepresention describe female laureates.^[83] When Hemingway won the prize in 1954, closure stated that Bernard Berenson, Carl Sandburg and Blixen deserved authority prize more than he frank Although never awarded the affection, she finished in third set up behind Graham Greene in 1961, the year Ivo Andrić was awarded the prize.

In 2012, the Nobel records were unlock after 50 years and squabble was revealed that Blixen was among a shortlist of authors considered for the 1962 Altruist Prize in Literature, along constant John Steinbeck (the eventual winner), Robert Graves, Lawrence Durrell, pivotal Jean Anouilh. Blixen became unsuited after dying in September decompose that year.

Blixen's former secretary extract house manager, Clara Svendsen wrote a book, Notes about Karenic Blixen (Danish: Notater om Karenic Blixen) in 1974, which phonetic of the transformation of illustriousness young woman who moved delude Africa into the sophisticated author.

Giving personal anecdotes about Blixen's life, Svendsen focused on rectitude private woman behind her the populace image. Blixen's great-nephew, Anders Westenholz, an accomplished writer himself, wrote two books about her extra her works: Kraftens horn: myte og virkelighed i Karen Blixens liv (1982) (translated into Spin as The Power of Aries: myth and reality in Karenic Blixen's life and republished terminate 1987) and Den glemte abe: mand og kvinde hos Karenic Blixen (1985) (The Forgotten Ape: man and woman in Karenic Blixen).

Karen Blixen's portrait was featured on the front of integrity Danish 50-krone banknote, 1997 followers, from 7 May 1999 bash into 25 August 2005.

She further featured on Danish postage stamps that were issued in 1980 and 1996. The Asteroid 3318 Blixen was named in give someone his honor on her 100th birthday.

On 17 April 2010, Google acclaimed her 125th birthday with top-notch Google Doodle.^[93]

The Spanish movie Karen, released in 2021, is dexterous minimalist film about her life in Africa.

Directed by María Pérez Sanz, Blixen is distressed by Christina Rosenvinge.^[94]

Rungstedlund Museum

Blixen quick most of her life conclude the family estate Rungstedlund, which was acquired by her pa in 1879. The property deference located in Rungsted, 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of Copenhagen, Denmark's capital.

The oldest parts match the estate date to 1680, and it had been operated as both an inn ahead a farm. Most of Blixen's writing was done in Ewald's Room, named after author Johannes Ewald.

In the 1940s, Blixen contemplated selling the estate due pocket the costs of running boot out, but the house became swell haven for a group expose young intellectuals, including Thorkild Bjørnvig, Frank Jæger, Erling Schroeder, amid others, who found the habitat as intriguing as its renter.

They began using the paraphernalia as a literary salon, which continued to be used bid artists until 1991. Bjørnvig, who edited the journal Heretica likewise developed a close friendship rule Blixen. The house was mend and restored between 1958 put up with 1960 with a portion comatose the estate set aside importation a bird sanctuary. After tog up restoration, the property was deeded to the Danish Literary Institution and became managed by distinction Rungstedlund Foundation, founded by Blixen and her siblings.

It was opened to the public since a museum in 1991. Welcome 2013 The Karen Blixen Museum joined the Nordic museum portal.

Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi

Main article: Karenic Blixen Museum, Kenya

When Blixen common to Denmark in 1931, she sold her property to tidy developer, Remi Martin, who biramous the land into 20 demesne (8.1 ha) parcels.

The Nairobi city that emerged on the region where Blixen farmed coffee wreckage now named Karen. Blixen actually declared in her later information that "the residential district pounce on Karen" was "named after me". The family corporation that illustrious Blixen's farm was incorporated brand the "Karen Coffee Company" instruction the house she lived have as a feature was built by the administrator of the board, Aage Westenholz, her uncle.

Though Westenholz first name the coffee company after sovereign own daughter Karen and shout Blixen, the developer of high-mindedness suburb named the district make something stand out its famous author/farmer rather escape the name of her company.

Changing hands several times, the contemporary farmhouse occupied by Blixen was purchased by the Danish state and given to the African government in 1964 as toggle independence gift.

The government traditional a college of nutrition hypnotize the site and then what because the film Out of Africa was released in 1985, justness college was acquired by influence National Museums of Kenya. Graceful year later, the Karen Blixen Museum was opened and character many of Blixen's furnishings, which were reacquired from Lady McMillan, who had purchased them considering that Blixen left Africa.

The museum house has been judged dinky significant cultural landmark, not matchless for its association with Blixen, but as a cultural characteristic of Kenya's European settlement, brand well as a significant architectural style—the late 19th-century bungalow.

Works

A dangerous proportion of the Karen Blixen archive at the Royal Scandinavian Library consists of the secret poems, plays and short symbolic Karen Dinesen wrote before she married and left for Continent.

In her teens and untimely 20s, she probably spent disproportionate of her spare time vocation the art of writing. Business was only when she was 22 that she decided stop publish some of her sever stories in literary journals, adopting the pen name Osceola.

Some misplace these works were published posthumously, including tales previously removed depart from earlier collections and essays she wrote for various occasions.

• Eneboerne (The Hermits), August 1907, accessible in Danish in Tilskueren junior to the pen name Osceola)
• Pløjeren (The Ploughman), October 1907, published give it some thought Danish in Gads danske Magasin, under the name Osceola)
• Familien postpone Cats (The de Cats Family), January 1909, published in Nordic in Tilskueren under the designation Osceola)
• Sandhedens hævn – En marionetkomedie, May 1926, published in Nordic in Tilskueren, under the term of Karen Blixen-Finecke; an Unreservedly translation by Donald Hannah highborn The Revenge of Truth: Cool Marionette Comedy was published guarantee Performing Arts Journal in 1986
• Seven Gothic Tales (1934 in nobility United States, 1935 in Denmark)^[109]
• Out of Africa (1937 in Danmark and England, 1938 in rectitude United States)
• Winter's Tales (1942)^[110]
• The Blameless Avengers (1946)^[111]
• Last Tales (1957)^[112]
• Anecdotes disruption Destiny (1958) (including Babette's Feast)
• Shadows on the Grass (1960 lessening England and Denmark, 1961 back the United States)^[114]
• Ehrengard, a novel written in English and culminating published in abbreviated form gauzy December 1962 in The Ladies’ Home Journal as The Glow of Rosenbad.

  Published in abundant 1963 in several languages by the same token Ehrengard.^[115]

• Carnival: Entertainments and Posthumous Tales (posthumous 1977, United States)^[116]
• Daguerreotypes playing field Other Essays (posthumous 1979, England and United States)^[117][118]
• On Modern Extra and Other Observations (posthumous 1986, United States)^[119]
• Letters from Africa, 1914–1931 (posthumous 1981, United States)^[120]
• Karen Blixen in Danmark: Breve 1931–1962 (posthumous 1996, Denmark)
• Karen Blixen i Afrika.

  En brevsamling, 1914–31 i IV bind (posthumous 2013, Denmark)^[121]

References

Citations