The Story of an African Farm

Olive Schreiner

• Publisher: Passerino
• Year: 2023
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9791222438597
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

The Story of an African Farm (published in 1883 under the pseudonym Ralph Iron) was South African author Olive Schreiner 's first published novel. It was an immediate success and has become recognised as one of the first feminist novels. The novel details the lives of three characters, first as children and then as adults – Waldo, Em and Lyndall – who live on a farm in the Karoo region of South Africa. The story is set in the middle- to late-19th century – the First Boer War is alluded to, but not mentioned by name. The book is semi-autobiographical: in particular, the two principal protagonists (Waldo and Lyndall) display strong similarities to Schreiner's life and philosophy. The book was first published in 1883 in London, under the pseudonym Ralph Iron. It quickly became a best-seller, despite causing some controversy over its frank portrayal of freethought, feminism, premarital sex and pregnancy out of wedlock, and transvestitism. Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a South African author, anti-war campaigner and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel The Story of an African Farm (1883), which has been highly acclaimed. It deals boldly with such contemporary issues as agnosticism, existential independence, individualism, the professional aspirations of women, and the elemental nature of life on the colonial frontier.

Table of contents

• Cover
• The Story of an African Farm
• Table of contents
• Preface.
• Glossary.
• Part I.
• Chapter 1.I. Shadows From Child-Life.
• Chapter 1.II. Plans and Bushman Paintings.
• Chapter 1.III. I Was A Stranger, and Ye Took Me In.
• Chapter 1.IV. Blessed is He That Believeth.
• Chapter 1.V. Sunday Services.
• Chapter 1.VI. Bonaparte Blenkins Makes His Nest.
• Chapter 1.VII. He Sets His Trap.
• Chapter 1.VIII. He Catches the Old Bird.
• Chapter 1.IX. He Sees A Ghost.
• Chapter 1.X. He Shows His Teeth.
• Chapter 1.XI. He Snaps.
• Chapter 1.XII. He Bites.
• Chapter 1.XIII. He Makes Love.
• PART II.
• Chapter 2.I. Times and Seasons.
• Chapter 2.II. Waldo’s Stranger.
• Chapter 2.III. Gregory Rose Finds His Affinity.
• Chapter 2.IV. Lyndall.
• Chapter 2.V. Tant Sannie Holds An Upsitting, and Gregory Writes A
• Chapter 2.VI. A Boer-wedding.
• Chapter 2.VII. Waldo Goes Out to Taste Life, and Em Stays At Home and
• Chapter 2.VIII. The Kopje.
• Chapter 2.IX. Lyndall’s Stranger.
• Chapter 2.X. Gregory Rose Has An Idea.
• Chapter 2.XI. An Unfinished Letter.
• Chapter 2.XII. Gregory’s Womanhood.
• Chapter 2.XIII. Dreams.
• Chapter 2.XIV. Waldo Goes Out to Sit in the Sunshine.