Short Stories, Irish literature, Classics, Modern Fiction, Contemporary Literary Fiction, The Japanese Novel, Post Colonial Asian Fiction, The Legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and quality Historical Novels are Among my Interests








Monday, February 13, 2017

Babette's Feast by Karen Blixen (1950, written under pen name Isak Dinesen,)





1885 to 1962 - Denmark

Most Famous Works 

Out of Africa -her autobiography 1937

Gothic Tales 1938

"Babette's Feast" (first published in Ladies Home Journal) is a delight fable-like work set in 19th century Denmark.  Babette, from France, is the cook for two middle aged spinsters sisters.  Their deceased father was the leader of a religious cult once very popular in Denmark.  The sisters have romantic memories of affairs that almost happened.

Babette is from Paris.  One day she wins a substantial prize in a French lottery.  She decides to use the money to stage a magnificent feast for the sisters and their friends.  We learn Babette was once one of the greatest chefs in all of Paris. I super enjoyed this story.

Right now I am impacted by a lingering weaking  health issue so some posts like this one will be more like reading journal entries.  


There is a highly rated movie based on this story, 1987, I hope to see one day

Mel u





7 comments:

Mudpuddle said...

KB was an impressive writer; i've read some of her short stories and liked them, but not this one... hope your health improves soon... being sick is not fun...

RTD said...

I am concerned and wish you well. As a fellow traveler on the sometimes rocky road to wellness, I am sympathetic to whatever struggles you might be facing. Reading, though, is almost always a tonic for whatever ails us. So I also wish you happy reading in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.

Suko said...

The book as well as the movie version sounds quite appealing. Mel, I hope you feel better soon--take good care.

Mel u said...

Mudpuddle. Thanks as always for your comments and well wishes

Mel u said...

R. T. Davis. First apologies for political rant in my Orwell post. For sure Reading has gotten me through difficult periods. Thanks for your comments and visits

Mel u said...

Suko, thanks very for your well wishes

james b chester said...

I can highly recommend the movie. I saw it first run back in the day. A back theatre sat in rapture watching people eat dinner for an hour. It was fantastic. I still remember the French couple in back of me and how they reacted to the arrival of the cheese plate. "Ahhh, fromage!" said loud enough for most of the theatre to giggle afterwards.

How you are back in good health soon.