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She: A History of Adventure

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About this listen

Somewhere in Africa, a tiny, primitive tribe, the Amahaggers, live secretly amongst the debris of a lost Egyptian civilization, ruled by the beautiful semi-goddess Ayesha, or She-who-must-be-obeyed. Ludwig Horace Holly, a Cambridge academic, is reluctantly drawn into plans for a voyage in search of this legendary queen. With his adopted son, Leo, he sets out on a brave journey, following a trail of clues. Shipwrecked and captured by cannibals, their voyage soon turns into a nightmare.

This masterpiece of suspense and adventure, by the author of King Solomon's Mines, contains some of the most sensual, gently erotic passages in 19th-century literature.

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Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos Audiobooks Action & Adventure Classics Fantasy Fiction Historical Fiction World Literature Magic Adventure Royalty

Editor reviews

One of the classics of 19th-century imperialist literature, She tells the story of Cambridge academic Horace Holly's discovery of a lost African kingdom while on a journey with his ward, Leo Vincey. Narrator Bill Homewood has a big, sonorous voice that encompasses the scope and thrills of this adventure tale as Holly and Vincey encounter a primitive tribe of natives ruled by a mysterious white queen, the demi-goddess Ayesha, or She-who-must-be-obeyed. Along with his masterful use of tempo to create tension and suspense, Homewood lures listeners with his velvety characterization of the powerful Ayesha, evoking a sense of danger and sensuality that will leave listeners' pulses racing.

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Ayesha cover art
Ayesha By: H. Rider Haggard
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Just to say, if you're trying to decide which narration to choose, choose this. Don't choose the Alan Munro version - the reviews of it are very accurate. I gave up in the end because it was just too painful for words; a halting, oddly intoned, patronising American accent. I had to swap to this version. Bill Homewood is certainly better than Alan Munro and very "proper English" but somehow a little too "pompous" for an adventure story. The accent is possibly pertinent to the character but it just needs a bit more life and passion in it.
As for the story - it's a Classic and I just wanted to ready it for the experience.

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The Novel is interesting in its representation of the East and to study its presentation of the Other.

The novels plot however feels somewhat clichéd for a modern reader, it almost feels like a teen adventure novel.

Though, the characters of Holly and Job gave some much needed comic relief to the largely stuffy and dense dialogue of Ayesha/She.

All in all great if you are studying Victorian literature at the height of Imperialism. Definitely interesting to inspect when read through the frame of Edward Said/Spivak.

Interesting in its depiction of the East

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I loved 'King Soloman's Mines' and so was pleased to get this- and it starts well enough- the proper Rider Haggard formula; three Englishmen set out on an African adventure- all good stuff.

Then it goes wrong and the middle section of the book becomes terribly tedious. In short (and not to spoil the plot)they reach a land ruled by a woman so beautiful that all the men who see her fall helplessly in love- The whole thing is so tedious because it is so entirely lacking in psychological truth.

So the men are in love- Rider Haggard himself is in love- the reader is supposed to be in love (and presumably they were- this book sold millions)- But I was not. I thought Aleysha dull, portentous and probably suffering from clinical depression (why else would she be sitting in a cave for 2000 years?)

The plot did pick up a little at the end but I thought the whole thing was rather less than the sum of its parts because the 'uncanny' aspects were so over done and so left me unable/unwilling to suspend disbelief.

Beautiful reading, pity about the book.

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