My comments in video: https://youtu.be/vzZV7VNNI08

Why didn't they give her the Nobel Prize?

I am truly surprised that the Danish writer has not been awarded the Nobel Prize. She has an outstanding narrative capacity that is both enveloping and suggestive, with great depth. In fact, I found evocations in each of her stories that are comparable to some works by the winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Maybe it's because as I read, I retain what I read in my memory and seem to see references everywhere, almost like a paranoid mania. Or perhaps the great writer indeed has powerful stories that are worthy of a Nobel. I hope you will leave me your comments to confirm whether I am a maniac or to share in the surprise of not finding this author among the awardees.

Greetings

¿Por qué no le dieron el Premio Nobel?

Me sorprende muchísimo que la escritora danesa no haya sido galardonada con el premio. Pues posee una gran capacidad narrativa que es envolvente, sugestiva y de gran profundidad. Tanto que encontré evocación en cada uno de sus cuentos con alguna obra de los ganadores del premio nobel de literatura. Tal vez sea que mientras leo, conservo en mi memoria lo que leo y creo ver referencias por todas partes, casi como una manía paranoica. O tal vez, la gran escritora posee cuentos poderosos, cuentos dignos de un Nobel. Ojalá me dejen sus comentarios para corroborar si soy un maniático o para sumarse ustedes a la sorpresa de no encontrar a esta autora premiada.

Saludos

There are eleven long stories, mostly set in the distant lands of the North. The writing style is very beautiful, with detailed and evocative descriptions of landscapes, typical of the novels of the 1800s. The atmospheres are melancholy, magical, surreal, and dark, a reading that leads to escape and travel in time. Sometimes perhaps I found these stories too surreal and distant from me, especially because they are all steeped in a morality not always easy to interpret, also related to the religious culture of the time.

The author's use of language creates a vivid and immersive world. The descriptions of the landscapes transport the reader to a different place and time, allowing them to experience the emotions and sensations of the characters. The melancholy and magical atmospheres add an element of mystery and wonder, making the stories even more captivating.

However, the surreality of some of the stories can be a bit overwhelming at times. The moral lessons they convey may not be immediately clear, and require some thought and reflection. Nevertheless, these stories offer a unique and fascinating perspective on the past, and are well worth reading for anyone interested in literature and history.

I spent an entire week completely in thrall to these tales. Each one is like a world that opens up immediately, as if it is evoked, fully-fledged and fleshed out, by the simple phrase "once upon a time", and then closes completely, much like a stone that is tossed into a vast, calm, black lake. Blixen/Dinesen examines life, death, sex, fate, faith, magic, history, and time with a knowing, cool, and amoral eye. She also has a natural storyteller's gift for providing just the right amount of detail, not too much. She understands how to allow the reader's imagination to fill in the gaps between the lines. No one writes like this anymore. So many writers nowadays feel the need to research their fiction extensively and then overemphasize that research, letting knowledge overpower the story rather than enhance it. These stories are not only wholly engrossing but also simply entertaining, in the way that fables are to children, especially when read aloud.

Winter's Tales is truly a remarkable collection of stories that deserve to be read and savored.

“These are hard times for dreamers,” said Amélie Poulain in Amélie, 14 years ago. And I can continue to say that they are even harder for writer dreamers. In today's fast-paced world, the dream hardly has its place anymore, not even where it should be at home: between the pages of a good book. But true dreamers are not hindered by what is or isn't in fashion, by what is demanded or not. And they go about their business. This is what Karen Blixen does too. I read her many years ago with a book that attracted me, Out of Africa, and I don't remember anything from it anymore, just a feeling of wonder and delight, as sometimes happens with books read in childhood. This time, for sure, I will remember the volume Winter's Tales, ed. Humanitas Fiction, 2014, first published in 1942, in the middle of World War II. The author, Karen Blixen, who also signed with the pseudonym Isak Dinesen, was a very interesting woman. She traveled a lot, wrote quite a bit, especially short prose, but also novels. And her own life could be put into a fiction.

From source: From Dream to Dream: Karen Blixen – “Winter's Tales” – SemneBune http://semnebune.ro/2015/din-vis-in-v...
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Not in the same way perfect as the seven fantastic tales. The stories are shorter and darker, and one doesn't quite get to "live" in each story. However, this doesn't make them any less magical.

Yes, I can't help but compare the winter fairy tales with the seven fantastic tales, but that's just because the latter are SO good.

And yet, the fairy tales invite comparison. The better ones are both counterpoints and repetitions of the old themes, but the best of the winter fairy tales tower high in perfection, they are fantastic in their own right.

4.5 but gets 5 because no book that contains Sorg-Agre deserves less than that.

It should be noted that these winter fairy tales have their own unique charm. Although they may not be as elaborate and detailed as the seven fantastic tales, they manage to capture the essence of the genre in a concise and powerful way. The shorter length allows for a more immediate impact, and the darker themes add an element of mystery and intrigue.

Each story is like a small gem, shining with its own light. Some may focus on themes of love and loss, while others explore the power of magic and the unknown. Despite their differences, they all share a common thread of imagination and wonder, transporting the reader to a world of snow and ice, where anything is possible.

In conclusion, while the seven fantastic tales may be the gold standard, the winter fairy tales have their own place in the hearts of readers. They offer a different perspective on the genre, and their unique qualities make them well worth reading and enjoying.

This is a truly beautiful and life-changing book of stories.

It is not just an ordinary collection of tales; rather, it is something truly special.

The stories within its pages have the power to touch the deepest parts of our souls and inspire us to look at life from a different perspective.

Each story is carefully crafted, filled with vivid descriptions and engaging characters that draw the reader in and keep them hooked until the very end.

Whether you are looking for a source of entertainment, a source of inspiration, or simply a good read, this book is sure to satisfy.

It is a book that you will want to read again and again, and one that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

So if you are in need of a little magic in your life, pick up this book and let the stories work their charm on you.

You won't be disappointed.

This is just not as good as her earlier collection "Seven Gothic Tales," which has some of the best short stories ever written.

That book had a youthful excitement and vigor, full of surprising stories that delighted in the art of keeping the reader on his toes. It was like a vibrant tapestry of imagination, pulling the reader into a world of mystery and wonder.

"Winter's Tales," on the other hand, is much...frostier. Much of it seems cold and dead. It feels as if Dinesen has decided not to be childish any more and instead feels obliged to share great "mature" wisdom with everyone without bothering to tell a ripping good story. The magic and charm that were so prevalent in her earlier work seem to have vanished.

Mind you, "Winter's Tales" was written during the dark days of WWII, so there's a reason why she's not as chipper. The war must have had a profound impact on her, perhaps dampening her creative spirit. But as far as posterity is concerned, that doesn't cut the mustard. The book fails to engage the reader in the same way as her previous works, leaving a sense of disappointment.

I believe that short story collections usually have a certain degree of inconsistency. However, I relished every story in this particular collection.

It was C.S. Lewis who once said that there will come a day when we are old enough to read fairytales anew, and that statement holds particularly true for me at present.

These stories indeed possessed a fairytale-like charm, making them highly enjoyable. Not only were her depictions of the Scandinavian region alluring, but there was also a wealth of wisdom in her words.

The writing was also interspersed with biblical language, and I found her style to be profound yet light. Apparently, "Out of Africa" showcases Dinesen's/Blixen's writing even more splendidly, so I'm certain that I'm in for a wonderful treat.

I'm looking forward to delving deeper into her works and experiencing the magic she weaves with her words.

I have a feeling that each story will be a unique adventure, taking me to different places and introducing me to diverse characters and emotions.

This collection has truly piqued my interest and made me eager to explore more of her literary offerings.

In this moment, he thought, he saw the paths of life as an intertwined and intricate web, a labyrinth. It was not given to him or any mortal to untangle it or to separate the threads of the web. Life and death, happiness and unhappiness, the past and the future were joined in the pattern.

It is well worth reading Blixen just to have access to her strange, overwintered beautiful Danish.

But the stories in Winter's Tales are also worth a visit. Especially when one, like me, hears them read aloud with my grandmother's thin voice in one's inner ear.

Blixen understands people like no other. Her characters in this memory-laden fairytale landscape of a bygone time are never simple or predictable. They are cruel, humiliated, humble, beautiful, strange, and always seized by violent emotions.

Pale-nosed men like in The Young Man with the Carnation and Grief-Anger mingle among tragic women and strange children. One is seized and surprised again and again. The stories are like old chests with endless small layers and new tales hidden in the old.

The truth is never quite true, we experience again and again. A child can change mothers, the number of pearls in a beautiful necklace can grow, what was once a cruel drowned death, a Judas act, suddenly becomes a beautiful love dream. The world flickers before your eyes. Read Blixen!

And if anyone should be worried that Winter's Tales is (almost) free from the heavy colonial heritage that inevitably hampers the free reading of many of Blixen's other great tales. Then let yourself be charmed here with a clear conscience by the queen of staging.

I picked up this book in the past summer.

At that time, I was thinking about the "Snow Queen" by H. C. Andersen and was simply curious to read some more Danish fairy tales.

However, these stories were not what I had anticipated. They were not just for children as I thought.

There are 11 stories in total, and most of them are romantic, except for 3.

I really liked the narrative style with its colorful descriptions, fjord-ish construction, and sometimes unexpected situations.

I also enjoyed some of the fantastic elements in the stories.

But above all, I liked "Peter and Rosa" the most. It is a love story with a tragic, yet expected, end.

The way the author described the relationship between Peter and Rosa was very touching, and the ending left a deep impression on me.

Overall, although these stories were not what I initially thought they would be, I still found them to be quite interesting and engaging.

DNF (Did Not Finish) at page 82.

The first four stories failed to engage me. I'm not entirely certain what was lacking, but for some reason, I simply have no desire to continue.

Perhaps it was the pacing, which felt a bit off, or maybe the characters didn't resonate with me on a deep enough level.

It could also be that the plot didn't have enough twists and turns to keep my interest piqued.

Whatever the reason, I've decided to call it quits and move on to something else.

Maybe another book will capture my attention and hold it from start to finish.

Until then, I'll keep searching for that perfect read.

Despite having been warmly recommended to me, I cannot say that I particularly appreciated these stories.

There is an underlying melancholy, an atmosphere often of lost grandeur, and the language is frequently poetic, at times fairy-tale-like.

I have not been able to draw much else from them, probably because I lack the necessary references.

Perhaps if I had a better understanding of the cultural and historical context in which these stories were written, I would be able to appreciate them more fully.

As it stands, however, they remain somewhat inaccessible to me, and I find myself struggling to engage with them on a deeper level.

Nonetheless, I recognize that they may hold great value for others, and I am willing to keep an open mind and continue to explore them in the hope that I may one day come to a greater appreciation of their beauty and significance.