Winter's Tales by Isak Dinesen is a collection of short stories that showcases the author's remarkable writing skills.

One story that stands out is about a young man who was set to inherit his uncle's wealth until the uncle remarried the fiancée of his deceased son. The young man, however, is not overly concerned as he has always desired to venture out on his own.

Before leaving, he visits his uncle. During the visit, the uncle shares the story of a young man who was framed for setting fire to the uncle's barn and fields. There is no concrete proof, but the uncle's two workers claim the lad is guilty, while the lad protests his innocence. The boy's old mother has come to the uncle to plead for leniency on behalf of her son.

The uncle agrees to spare the boy if the old mother can harvest his large field of grain before the harvest. If she succeeds, her son will be set free; otherwise, he will be imprisoned.

The next day, before sunrise, the old woman is already in the field cutting the grain. The uncle watches her, and as the day progresses, he finds himself mentally urging her on. He even orders the boy to be brought out to encourage his mother. However, by late afternoon, the hard work begins to take its toll on the old woman. The nephew protests, but the uncle, afraid of looking weak in front of his workers, refuses to make things easier for her.

Just as the sun is setting, the old woman cuts the last of the grain and collapses. Her son and the others rush to her aid, but she cannot be saved. In her selfless love, she has saved her son, but at the cost of her own life.

Winter's Tales is a captivating collection that explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the human condition. Dinesen's prose is both beautiful and engaging, making these stories a joy to read.

My Magic Skin by Karen Blixen is a remarkable work. Karen Blixen, one of the many pseudonyms used by this Danish baroness, has a story that is worthy of literary investigation on its own. She married her cousin in Kenya and together they started and managed a coffee plantation. Later, she divorced him, but not before he transmitted syphilis to her.

She is also the author of Out of Africa, an autobiographical novel from 1937 from which the同名电影 was adapted (the one with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, directed by Sidney Pollack, which won 7 Oscars).

My Magic Skin is a collection of eleven short stories published in 1942. Although they are all unconnected, they are coherent. It is always strange (strangely wonderful) to see how the writing and sensations of another era can be extremely modern and able to adapt to the anxieties of today, just like high-waisted jeans that never go out of style.

I'm truly sad to admit that this book has been sitting on my bookshelf since 2013, and yet I am only just now getting around to reading it.

To my pleasant surprise, it was very well-written. The author's prose was engaging and drew me in from the very first page.

There were a few stories within the collection that seemed rather cliffhanger-y, or whose endings were perhaps a little too open to interpretation for my personal taste. However, I supposed that was part of the fun and charm of writing such tales.

Ironically, my least favorite tale was the very last one. I'm sure you'll understand the irony if you take the time to read the book for yourself.

Overall, despite my minor quibbles with a few of the stories, I found this book to be an enjoyable read and would recommend it to others who enjoy a good collection of short stories.

Isak Dinesen was the pen name of Karen Blixen. She is perhaps most famous for her memoir Out of Africa.

However, Winter’s Tales is a collection of short stories. These stories are set in her native Denmark, mainly in the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

They all have a fairy-tale like quality. There is an underlying current of darkness that lingers, just as all good fairy tales should possess.

Among them, Sorrow-acre was probably my favorite. It had a certain charm and mystery that drew me in. The way the story was told, with its vivid descriptions and unique characters, made it truly captivating.

Each story in Winter’s Tales seems to transport the reader to a different world, a world filled with magic, mystery, and a touch of the unknown.

It is a collection that is well worth reading, especially for those who love fairy tales and stories with a hint of darkness.

The Young Man with the Carnation

I have a profound appreciation for the intricate nature of this story. The short stories are cleverly interwoven, enhancing the depth of the atmosphere rather than just focusing on the characters.

Charlie, to me, is a young man with well-defined goals. He aims to escape poverty, marry a beautiful girl, and have his talent recognized. He has worked hard for these aspirations, but now that they are achieved, he finds himself questioning. What else is there for him to seek? Are these accomplishments truly what he expected?

Clearly, he doesn't derive much happiness from attaining these goals. Instead, he feels a sense of emptiness, identifying with the hollow ships and resonating with his own hollow mind. A life of privilege has left him unable to discuss what truly matters, and he pressures himself to meet the expectations of others (such as writing another novel about the poor, which is difficult when he is so estranged from them). However, in the final pages, the "deus ex-machina" intervention from the Lord ensures that he will have just enough hardship to continue writing. Writing is a tortuous process, yet feeling empty and inadequate doesn't seem to be the kind of hardship that inspires the most creativity in a person.

When he tells his stories to the sailors and creates a new narration, it feels as if he is rediscovering his voice. For a moment, he is liberated from all expectations and the image imposed on him by his new peers. It gives him a newfound freedom of expression.

It is rather ironic that the short story is not named after its protagonist but after a man he meets for perhaps only two minutes. Nevertheless, this young man with the carnation symbolizes his lost ingenuity and sense of wonder at life, a time when pleasures were simpler.

Both the main story and the one about Lady Helena revolve around finding one's place in the world, although Lady Helena is far more determined in this pursuit. Charlie lacks the courage to give up his newfound comfort and find his true place. He is not strong enough to detach himself from a society based on appearances. In contrast, the seamen represent adventure, detachment from the community, and the ability to make any place their home, as long as they have women and some whiskey.

I picked up this book because my summer vacation was a week in Copenhagen.

And I like to discover the country I'm traveling to through the eyes of a local writer. The stories are interesting, and surely many are inspired by real life.

Unfortunately, some have endings left to the reader's decision, which is strange... and didn't really charm me that much. The most appreciated sequences were the descriptions of Denmark, the places, the people, the attitudes, the myths, the beliefs...

It was like taking a virtual tour of the country, getting to know its culture and history in a different way.

I could imagine myself walking through the streets of Copenhagen, seeing the beautiful architecture and meeting the friendly locals.

The book also made me think about my own experiences while traveling and how they have shaped my perspective of the world.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read that gave me a deeper understanding of Denmark and its people.

Karen Blixen has been on my to-read list for quite some time. The reason is that Vargas Llosa mentions her Gothic tales in one of his essay books.

I was truly surprised by this collection of winter tales. The content is heavy, but in the best possible way. I am convinced that every reader will have the experience that each tale feels like reading a novel. This is due to its rich content, carefully crafted prose, and the profound sense of awe that each story leaves you with.

Until now, I felt that I had never read a true example of Scandinavian literature. This led me to wrongly believe that the term was reserved for more renowned literatures such as French, English, Russian, or Spanish. However, this book transmits a true and sincere feeling of the Scandinavian perspective on art, life, love, and death. It was unknown to me before, and I am sure it will stay with me for a long time.

These stories were truly moving and one-of-a-kind.

I took my time perusing through them, and had to dwell on each story for a considerable period before progressing to the next.

Karen Blixen/Dinesen's writing is characterized by vivid descriptions that bring the scenes and characters to life.

Each story is also imbued with a philosophical inquiry, which reveals that this is a writer who has delved deeply into the mysteries of the world and its diverse inhabitants.

Her words have the power to transport the reader to different times and places, and to make them think about life, love, and the human condition.

It is no wonder that her works have endured and continue to be beloved by readers around the world.

Whether you are a fan of literature or simply looking for a good read, Karen Blixen/Dinesen's stories are sure to captivate and inspire you.

A pleasant narrative with a lot of paraphrasing of the Christian Bible.

In some stories, empathy is achieved with some characters. However, due to the brevity of the accounts, these are fleeting, just for the moment.

The use of rich language and vivid descriptions helps to bring the stories to life.

Readers can imagine themselves in the shoes of the characters and experience their joys and sorrows.

Although the stories may be short, they still manage to convey important messages and lessons.

Overall, it is an engaging and thought-provoking read that offers a unique perspective on the Christian faith.

Whether you are a believer or not, this narrative can provide entertainment and inspiration.

It shows that even in a few words, powerful stories can be told and meaningful connections can be made.

"Life and Death are two closed chests, each of which contains the key to the other."

Instinctively, I would have given only one star, but I give two because it has taught me to be tenacious in reading, not to give up even when you are bored to death and the style is really not yours... too flowery, baroque, aristocratic... of an excessive lyricism... and this becomes an obstacle that covers everything else... and it is a pity, in fact. But the themes are often interesting and profound, and not all the stories are to be discarded. I would save two or three of them, those that have the most soul of the Nordic fairy tale and she, like a Scheherazade's novella, ideally tells by the fire...

Above all, "The Tale of the Boy", Simon, the sailor saved by the personification of the falcon that in turn had been saved.

However, the style remains very mannered, far from the wonderful way of storytelling of, for example, Selma Lagerlöf, a Nordic author of her generation and, not by chance, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

It's not for me.

First meeting with Karen Blixen, and I find she offers a mixed pleasure. One cannot deny that she is a skilled writer, there are some formulations and especially some philosophical images that are unrivaled, but towards the end it becomes a bit monotonous and drawn-out to my taste. Sometimes it is decidedly boring.

Winter's Tales consists of 11 novellas, all of which, more or less clearly, have fate as the theme and centerpiece.

As so often before, there are some of the novellas that I like better than others. The ones I would like to highlight are:
The Ship Boy's Tale
Heloise
The Dreaming Child
Alkmene
An Uplifting Story

Finally, I would also like to highlight the story "Sorrow-Acre", which for me was the highlight of the book and a small masterpiece in its own right. In the story, Karen Blixen manages to depict society's strongest and weakest in their connection to each other, both good and bad. She unexpectedly draws parallels to the pyramids of Egypt and does it in an incredibly moving way. Such a powerful story.

I would like to read more of Blixen, especially more early novellas written under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen. I will look for "Seven Gothic Tales".

There is an aura of sadness in these stories which were written during the Second World War.

They were extremely popular with soldiers, perhaps because they offered a brief escape from the harsh realities of war.

The stories have the power to evoke a different time and place, transporting the reader to a world that is both familiar and foreign.

For example, "The Invincible Slave-Owners" evokes old-fashioned superior attitudes toward servants and the fragility of the social image.

Isak Dinesen, the author of these stories, lived another 20 years after the war and continued to write more books, which received great acclaim.

Her works have since become classics of literature, beloved by readers around the world for their beauty, complexity, and profound insights into the human condition.

Despite the passage of time, her stories continue to resonate with readers, reminding us of the power of literature to connect us with the past and with each other.