Comprehending a difficult text

[failexam]

I am having a lot of difficulty comprehending this passage from 'Out of Arfica' by Isak Dinesen. Any help would be nice.

'The geographical position, and the height of the land combined to create a landscape that had not its like in all the world. There was no fat on it and no luxuriance anywhere; it was Africa distilled up through six thousand feet, like the strong and refined essence of a continent. The colours were dry and burnt, like the colours in pottery. The trees had a light delicate foliage, the structure of which was different from that of the trees in Europe; it did not grow in bows or cupolas, but in horizontal layers, and the formation gave to the tall solitary trees a likeness to the palms, or a heroic and romantic air like fullrigged ships with their sails clewed up, and to the edge of a wood a strange appearance as if the whole wood were faintly vibrating. Upon the grass of the great plains the crooked bare old thorn-trees were scattered, and the grass was spiced like thyme and bog-myrtle; in some places the scent was so strong, that it smarted in the nostrils. All the flowers that you found on the plains, or upon the creepers and liana in the native forest, were diminutive like flowers of the downs,—only just in the beginning of the long rains a number of big, massive heavy-scented lilies sprang out on the plains. The views were immensely wide. Everything that you saw made for greatness and freedom, and unequalled nobility.'

I would be grateful if someone would paraphrase this text in simple words.

[failexam]

1) In the context of the passage, does the word ‘fat’ mean an excess of either vegetation or beauty or other elements that make up the landscape? If so, what could those other elements be?

2) Doesn’t the word ‘luxuriance’ support the claim that the word ‘fat’ refers to a profusion of vegetation or beauty of nature?

3) Are the lack of ‘fat’ and ‘luxuriance anywhere’ the ‘strong and refined essence’ of ‘Africa distilled’?

[mal4mac]

1) In the context of the passage, does the word ‘fat’ mean an excess of either vegetation or beauty or other elements that make up the landscape? If so, what could those other elements be?

I think "fat" is being use in the sense of Genesis 45:17-18 (King James Version), 1611:

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

So ‘fat’ is referring to a profusion of vegetation, but its more the edible part of that vegetation, the crops, berries, seeds, etc. Luxuriance also implies a profusion, but this time concentrating on the sensual aspects: the visual beauty, wonderful scents...

The passage is saying that at sea level Africa is fat and luxuriant, but here, "up on high", these features are distilled; think of the land at sea level being like a "fat and luxuriant" grape vineyard, and the high country like a fine brandy, the distillation of the grapes. The high country is presented as being very beautiful and very exotic: "not its like in the world".

It's a great passage! I've seen the film, and you make me want to read the novel. I might be an old sentimentalist, but I especially love the theme music to the film. Here it is, with an incredible backdrop of the country the author is talking about in your extract:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKlA15b0Unc

[mona amon]

I love the film! The book is very different from the film, but has its own charm, clearly evident in this passage.