Story of an African Farm

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

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A low pick on this much-belated review (the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead read it in July!)—although this is mostly pulled from my comments in our discussions, I still wanted to finally get a review posted!

I read this solely because L.M. Montgomery references it multiple times in her journals & her comments about it piqued my curiosity. And while there was a lot about the book that was frustrating, I‘m glad I read it because of the LMM connection.⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Overall, the story felt disjointed & uneven—Parts 1 & 2 are vastly different, and the book is filled with almost forced philosophizing. A couple chapters felt like they were just setup for long one-sided conversations on philosophy, religion, and feminism. I kept pondering how Schreiner might have conveyed the same ideas more naturally within the story instead of using long monologues. It was fascinating how progressive ⤵️ 3w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …so much of the philosophizing felt, for its time, but the story‘s feminist views felt ironic against its backdrop of colonialism and casual racism.

The ending was quite bleak & hopeless—this certainly wasn‘t an uplifting read—but reading it in the context of LMM‘s journals was fascinating. Many of the ideas reflect her spiritual and religious views as articulated in her journals, and I noticed lots of passages that echoed her writing. 3w

rubyslippersreads Great review! This is another one I think I‘ll pass on. 2w

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BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - African Farm discussion 5/5:

LMM references this book several times in her journals:
Vol. 1—Oct. 7, 1897, p. 38
Vol. 2—March 6, 1901, p. 9
Vol. 4—Jan. 31, 1920, pp. 240-41
Vol. 5—Oct. 29, 1925, p. 420

What do you think LMM appreciated about this book? Where do you see influences on her writing?

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean I‘ve thought several of our adjacent reads were a bust—but not this one. I‘m so glad we included this even though there was a lot about it that was frustrating. I could see LMM being influenced by the spiritual and religious views here—so many of the ideas reflect her views as articulated in her journals. And I noticed so many passages that echoed her writing. A couple quotes below ⬇ (edited) 3mo

BarbaraJean “I once heard an old man say, that he never saw intellect help a woman so much as a pretty ankle; and it was the truth.”
—Lyndall in African Farm (Part 2, Chapter 4 “Lyndall“)

“Emily, you remember that. You have brains—hide them. Your ankles will do more for you than your brains ever will.”
—Aunt Nancy Priest in Emily of New Moon (Chapter 25) 3mo

BarbaraJean This sounds SO like Anne:
“I will tell you... where I could pray. If there were a wall of rock on the edge of a world, and one rock stretched out far, far into space, and I stood alone upon it, alone, with stars above me, and stars below me—I would not say anything; but the feeling would be prayer.“
—Waldo, in African Farm (Part 2, Ch. 6 “A Boer-Wedding“) 3mo

BarbaraJean Last one…there are SO many! @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder This is almost EXACTLY what we were musing about re: EoNM a few weeks ago—the soul/brain/body forms of love. In LMM‘s journal on Jan. 31, 1920, she quotes a passage from African Farm: “who knows whether there is no love that holds all—friendship, passion, worship?” Then she discusses different forms of love:
“Yes, I think there must be a love which embraces them all but it is rarer ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …than a blue diamond. Most of us have to content ourselves with far less. I have loved different men in vastly different ways but I have never loved any man with the whole force of my nature—with passion and friendship and worship. They have all been present repeatedly but never altogether in any of my loves. Perhaps it is as well, for such a love, in spite of its rapture and wonder and happiness, would make a woman an absolute slave…” 3mo

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BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - African Farm discussion 4/5:

How did this work for you as a story, with so many philosophical or religious digressions? Would you have preferred the book to be one or the other—philosophy or story? Or did it work for you as is?

Published in 1883, this has been called an early feminist classic. What ideas (feminist or otherwise) did you find to be progressive for their time?

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean The story felt really uneven to me, partly because of how different Parts 1 & 2 were from each other, but also because the philosophizing felt forced. I wish the author had done more to integrate the ideas into the narrative more naturally, rather than putting in long monologues from Lyndall, Waldo, Waldo's stranger, and others. The ideas in those monologues were integral to those characters, but the way they were presented was awkward. 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) That said, Waldo's ideas on religion & personal faith, and Lyndall's ideas (and choices) felt super progressive for the time (probably what LMM refers to when she says the book “made a tremendous sensation“). The fact that any moralizing on those ideas was put into Tant' Sannie's mouth, and clearly presented as wrong-headed, also felt ahead of its time (but it aligned with what we've seen in LMM's journals when she critiques religion). 3mo

julieclair This didn‘t really feel like a story at all to me, but rather as a series of narrative vignettes interspersed with philosophical essays. It was much too disjointed for me. 3mo

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julieclair Lyndall‘s feminist attitudes and beliefs were obviously progressive for the time, but so were Tant Sannie‘s, with her multiple husbands. 3mo

lauraisntwilder I never managed to get around to this one. I sort of hate summer for how busy and hectic it is. Maybe I'll read it one day! 🤞 3mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I felt the same—it was too disjointed. I spent a lot of time wondering how she could have conveyed the same ideas more naturally within the story instead of using long monologues like she did. @lauraisntwilder Someday! 😁 It was such a mixed bag for me—really uneven—but it was fascinating to read it with LMM‘s journals as a backdrop. 3mo

27 likes6 comments

BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Story of an African Farm discussion 3/5:

Did you find the ending satisfying?
Do you think it offers resolution for the main characters and the questions they struggle with?
Did it offer resolution for you?

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean I was so conflicted about the ending. I had a really hard time with Lyndall's fate. It all felt so bleak and hopeless, then somehow Waldo's reflections at the end made it work for me. For me, it did feel like there was resolution for Waldo and Em, but I don't see a resolution that resolves the questions Lyndall (and her story) raises. 3mo

julieclair The ending just made me sad. I agree that Waldo and Em did find resolution, but still, the overarching feeling was one of sadness, I thought. For Lyndall, I‘m not sure resolution was even possible for her, being so far ahead of her time. I don‘t think that the society she lived in could have supported resolution for her in any way. 3mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I think you‘re right, that there couldn‘t have been resolution for Lyndall. I really wanted it to work, for her to get out and make her own way in the world (become a successful actress!), but the narrative is far too realistic for that. 3mo

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BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - discussion 2/5:
Part One focuses on Bonaparte‘s sojourn at the farm and Waldo, Lyndall, and Em together as children. Part Two focuses on the three as young adults making their way separate from one another.

How do the children‘s experiences in Part One shape their lives in Part Two?
Do you see other connections between Parts One & Two?
Did the two parts feel like a cohesive narrative to you? Why/why not?

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean The two parts felt disjointed at first, but looking back, I think Part 1 lays out the seeds of who the children become in Part 2. It's Bonaparte that made the book NOT feel cohesive to me! The whole Bonaparte thing felt out of place, other than providing some drama against which the children could demonstrate who they were (observant but passive & compliant Em, opinionated Lyndall struggling against constraints, Waldo trying to learn & grow). 3mo

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BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

This book was not at ALL what I expected! Let‘s discuss!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Story of an African Farm discussion 1/5:

What impact does the setting (the African Farm of the title) have on the story? How did you feel about the characterization and treatment of native people throughout the book?

What roles do the adults (Tant‘ Sannie, Otto, Bonaparte) play in the children‘s growth (whether positively or negatively)?

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

rubyslippersreads I completely missed this one but, depending on the comments, may go back and catch up. 3mo

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Would love to hear your thoughts if you end up going back to read it! 3mo

julieclair Tha characterization of the natives really disturbed me. Even setting aside the outdated language, the whites seemed to regard the natives almost like they would a piece of furniture. There to perform a function and otherwise beneath their notice. 3mo

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BarbaraJean I was struck by how little impact the African setting had on the story. It could almost be any remote area with a harsh climate. Other than the fact that the characters are so isolated, the setting didn't seem to have a lot of impact. I thought there would be more overt racism than there is, so I kind of took it in stride that the native characters are kind of just bit players, often referred to with outdated terms that are now seen as racist. ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I did find Lyndall's progressive feminist views ironic against the backdrop of casual racism and colonialism. When she says: “…if I might but be one of those born in the future; then, perhaps, to be born a woman will not be to be born branded.” (Part 2, Ch. 4)—I doubt she sees the connection between her “branding“ as a woman and the racism & colonialism that “brand,“ repress and confine the native South Africans. 3mo

julieclair The setting on the African farm, with its isolation, served to make every human relationship more intense. And the pastoral setting left lots of time in the day for thinking, dreaming and philosophizing. 3mo

julieclair Otto was a lovely role model of a good, kind, faith-filled man. I can‘t even discuss that despicable Bonaparte. Tant Sante wasn‘t a great influence, either. 3mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I was expecting more overt racism, so the characterization of native characters hit differently with me. It bothered me, but to some extent it was a relief that active, malicious actions or egregious stereotypes were absent. But as you said, the absence of notice is itself disturbing. I love your comments on the setting. The isolation really does intensify things, and the philosophizing makes more sense when I think of it that way. 3mo

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BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

“…Bonaparte soon came to a conclusion as to the nature of the book and its contents, by the application of a simple rule now largely acted upon, but which, becoming universal, would save much thought and valuable time. It is of marvellous simplicity, of infinite utility, of universal applicability. It may easily be committed to memory, and runs thus:—
Whenever you come into contact with any book, person, or opinion… ⤵️

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean …of which you absolutely comprehend nothing, declare that book, person, or opinion to be immoral. Bespatter it, vituperate against it, strongly insist that any man or woman harbouring it is a fool or a knave, or both. Carefully abstain from studying it. Do all that in you lies to annihilate that book, person, or opinion.
…‘This book,‘ said Bonaparte, ‘is not a fit and proper study for a young and immature mind.‘” 3mo

BarbaraJean Well, if that doesn‘t remind me of something… 🤔 #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent 3mo

TheAromaofBooks By the way, in my copy, after Chapter 13 it switches to Part 2 and starts numbering the chapters again. So should I just count 2:1 as 14, etc, to get to our goal of chapter 18 by Saturday? 2:1 is also divided into multiple labeled sections as well, just to keep things bonus confusing 😂 3mo

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BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Ugh, me too!! I‘m having to do chapter math every time I pick it up to read now! I read 2:1 yesterday and was further confused by the subsections!! Yes, just count part 2, chapter 1 as chapter 14 and so on. This is what happens when I look up the table of contents online before I have a copy of the book in hand 🙄 3mo

TheAromaofBooks Okay, that is what I thought, but decided I should double check haha I have also gotten burned in the past by looking up how long/how many chapters a book has and getting LIED TO. Robinson Crusoe was the worst, since apparently some editions have chapters and some don't! 3mo

julieclair @TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean I was wondering about the chapter numbers, too. I‘m listening on audio, but have just kept plowing ahead. This week‘s listening has been slow going, though. 3mo

TheAromaofBooks @julieclair @BarbaraJean - This week has definitely felt slower to me - and I'm not through it all yet!! I think I was somewhat let down by the abrupt departure of Bonaparte. It made it feel like the entire first part of the book was kind of pointless? It was weird. 3mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair When I saw the change in chapter numbering, I kind of panicked and thought I'd gotten it completely wrong in the schedule! But then I counted the total number of chapters and realized the total was still correct, technically. I incorrectly assumed they'd be numbered sequentially 1-27 instead of split up like this. And I guess there's no point to updating the schedule now, since next week's reading is just to finish the book 😆 3mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @julieclair This week's chapters have felt slower to me, too. All the philosophical conversations (almost monologues)! Re: Bonaparte—I felt that, too. I thought it was interesting that the author kind of gave a caveat about him in the Preface: “Two strangers appear on the scene, and some have fancied that in the second they have again the first, who returns in a new guise. Why this should be we cannot tell... ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean ...unless there is a feeling that a man should not appear upon the scene, and then dis-appear, leaving behind him no more substantial trace than a mere book; that he should return later on as husband or lover, to fill some more important part than that of the mere stimulator of thought.“

I'm guessing based on that, Bonaparte doesn't return! 3mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @julieclair @lauraisntwilder Also, I was going to post a separate check-in post today, but we're already kind of having our weekly check-in here, so I'm going to let this be that, without a separate post!! 3mo

TheAromaofBooks This section felt kind of preachy, without a lot of story to back it up. 3mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yeah, there were a couple of chapters in this week's section that felt like they were just setup for long one-sided conversations on philosophy and feminism. I loved what Lyndall had to say, but it was awkward the way she went on and on, with Waldo just there to provide the setup for her next long comment. The idea-heavy parts last week—like where Waldo struggled with his view of God—were woven into the story much more naturally. 3mo

julieclair @TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean I agree that this week‘s chapters felt like a series of longwinded monologues. Rather boring, as they didn‘t have much of a plot connecting them. The comment in the Preface about the two strangers is interesting. I agree, it seems like Bonaparte will not reappear, and that‘s fine by me! 3mo

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BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

“When that day comes, and I am strong, I will hate everything that has power, and help everything that is weak.”

I LOVE Lyndall—the above quote is 🔥

Nine chapters in and I‘m feeling a lot of injustice fatigue with this book! Some wonderful characters, and some despicable. I‘m so interested to see what the author does with the views of God she‘s woven in so far.

How‘s your reading going? #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lil1inblue What an excellent quote! 🤩😍🥰 3mo

dabbe What a prevalent quote! 🩵🎯🩵 3mo

TheAromaofBooks I am not sure what I was expecting, but this isn't exactly it 😂 I think I thought the story would be focused more on the girls, but it's really been a lot of set up getting this jerk settled into place. I'm pretty hooked, though. 3mo

julieclair I loved this quote! And I agree with @TheAromaofBooks … this wasn‘t the pastoral tale I was expecting, but I‘m hooked! 3mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @julieclair I‘m with you both—this is not at all what I was expecting! I thought it would be more nostalgic and reflective. The philosophical digressions are super interesting but unexpected—I‘m so curious to find out where it all goes. 3mo

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BarbaraJean

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

The next #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead pick is an #LMMAdjacent—LMM references Story of an African Farm several times in her journals. Published in 1883, it‘s been called an early feminist classic. However, I‘m bracing myself for the inevitable racism. 😬

I picked up my library copy today, and it‘s a big illustrated one! Super interested to dive in.

Schedule:
July 13 - 19: Chapters 1-9
July 20 - 26. Chapters 10-18
July 27 - Aug. 2: Chapters 19-27

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

rubyslippersreads What a gorgeous edition! 4mo

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TiminCalifornia

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

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December 11 marks the 100 year anniversary of the author's death, a fact I only became aware of when reading about Schreiner after finishing the book. I recommend with reservations. Be prepared to hold two opposing views simultaneously here. Pros: Beautiful writing on nature, spirituality, and society expectations of women and men. Cons: Jarringly racist views and perjorative terms. My #DoubleSpin read for #BookSpinBingo. #classics

TheAromaofBooks

Mrs_B Welcome to Litsy!!! 5y

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 5y

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TiminCalifornia

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner