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El Festín De Babette (1958)

by Karen Blixen(Favorite Author)

3.86 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Nórdica Libros

review 1: Saw this in the library and assuming it was translated from Danish, took it out. Found that she wrote in English, though, which strikes me as a bit odd.It read nicely, but was more a collection of individual moments than an actual story. Also, as is usual for tales like this, there seemed to be a 'message' - which I didn't get. I ended the book thinking 'right - er...so?', which is never a good sign as a response to art. ;)There was an afterword about Blixen's life and work which said she had a troubled life and wrote about situations like the ones she experienced in her life. This makes sense - a kind of 'venting' story. And as I'm not interested in that kind of text, it explains my 'meh'-reaction.It also said "it is a parable about the liberation man can get through art ... morefrom the necessities forced upon him by life" - makes sense, too, even though I didn't get it from the text straight away.
review 2: A wonderful story of two spinsters' devotion to their cleric father who initiated a humble following of disciples in Christ. He has long since died. Babette, exiled from France, shows up on their doorstep seeking refuge after her husband and son are killed in Paris. She seeks to become a servant in their house; the daughters reluctantly consent. On the 100th anniversary of their father's birth, his followers gather to celebrate his life and goodness. Old rivalries and grievances dissipate in the spirit of the evening. But the greatest gift is given by Babette who spends her small fortune to provide a banquet for the gathered group. Christlike love is exemplified throughout this engaging story. The book has since been made into a marvellous motion picture which closely follows the storyline. It is a great read. less

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