babette_valerie's review against another edition
3.0
This collection of short stories might surely be of a certain literary importance, yet I found their content terribly boring and couldn't really connect with any of the characters! 🤷🏼♀️
Die hier präsentierten Geschichten sind gewiss von einer gewissen literarischen Wichtigkeit, aber inhaltlich sind sie unglaublich langweilig und ich konnte auch keine Bindung mit den verschiedenen Charaktere aufbauen! 🤷🏼♀️
Die hier präsentierten Geschichten sind gewiss von einer gewissen literarischen Wichtigkeit, aber inhaltlich sind sie unglaublich langweilig und ich konnte auch keine Bindung mit den verschiedenen Charaktere aufbauen! 🤷🏼♀️
jenc5309's review against another edition
3.0
I only read the story "Babette's Feast" for book club. I really enjoyed the story & we had a great conversation about the characters during our meeting.
b_niki's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
redservant's review against another edition
4.0
7/10 - A collection of long-ish short stories that take pleasure in chance and coincidence. Blixen's stories play with the sudden reversals and transformations of fairytales - but magic is replaced by the power of art, beauty, and the sea. Each has precisely drawn characters and a subtle sense of humour.
wendoxford's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted to love...ended up unsure whether I even liked it as a collection.
Whilst I found it "interesting" - the weird narrative technique jarred with me. It felt (albeit cleverly) like a distant voice honing the bits of story to tell. The stories largely felt like proverbs and I enjoyed that we weren't spoon fed a learning experience but we were being prompted to consider the implications of our behaviour.
I felt left besieged by biblical fairy stories which does not actually reflect the content but how it made me feel
Whilst I found it "interesting" - the weird narrative technique jarred with me. It felt (albeit cleverly) like a distant voice honing the bits of story to tell. The stories largely felt like proverbs and I enjoyed that we weren't spoon fed a learning experience but we were being prompted to consider the implications of our behaviour.
I felt left besieged by biblical fairy stories which does not actually reflect the content but how it made me feel
cais's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
The book has two brilliant stories: Babbette's Feast and Ehrengard. The rest is weird or boring (so it all averages out to a 3). Anyway, worth finding and reading for those two, especially if you like A. S. Byatt; the writing reminded me quite a bit of her stuff.
suannelaqueur's review against another edition
4.0
My parents recently went to a party where the hosts recreated the great feast from the book Babette's Feast, by Isak Dinesen. This famous meal features a dish, "Cailles en Sarcophage." Translation: Quail in Coffins. It's quail in a puff pastry shell with truffles and fois gras. I found a picture of it on Wikipedia and in my opinion, it's about the most un-romantic thing I've ever seen on a plate. If I could get beyond it looking like poultry suicide, and were inclined to make it, I do currently have the package of puff pastry in my freezer. But I still don't know how or where to get quail. What I did have however, were two cornish hens in the fridge, and Anna Shapiro's terrific book A Feast of Words. She has taken the quail dish from Babette's Feast and altered it to a more appealing Quail with Potatoes and Grapes. It sounded delicious and just the kind of special thing I was wanting to make for Valentine's Day. I didn't follow the exactly: first, Cornish hens need longer cooking time than quail. Second, I used about half the amount of butter. More here: http://suannelaqueurwrites.com/literary-eats/think-romantical-thoughts
bookpossum's review against another edition
4.0
TheMobileRead Literary bookclub's choice of "Babette's Feast" for December led me to read the book of short stories. I enjoyed the layers in the "Feast" story very much and felt for Babette, who was indeed a great artist, for having to restrict her cooking to the plainest of food for so many years.
I also enjoyed "The Immortal Story" very much; the other stories in the book did not appeal to me so much, but they were all worth reading.
I also enjoyed "The Immortal Story" very much; the other stories in the book did not appeal to me so much, but they were all worth reading.
bobbo49's review against another edition
4.0
I knew the lead story from the movie, of course, but it still sparkles and intrigues. The remaining stories are more quirky and slightly darker, somewhat magical, but beautifully written nonetheless.