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indy_q's review
2.0
Another sorry of empire and how we have colonised and vilified women for centuries. I do love the representation of matriarchal power seen in this novel though. Ayesha may be kinda evil but she’s a badass too.
chloro16's review
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
actually don't read this if you want to stay sane
ariannefowler's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
A good lost world adventure story. It was written in 1887, so there is some language and thoughts that are problematic in a 21st century world. If you can overlook that, it's a lightly entertaining adventure book.
grayjay's review against another edition
2.0
She is a Victorian adventure romance that greatly influenced the development of the fantasy genre and is a progenitor of the "lost world" and "lost race" sub-genres.
It explores themes of gender and power and uses fantastical elements such as the secret to immortality, rebirth, and past lives.
Unfortunately, readers will be faced with some troubling influences from Victorian thinking such as racial decline and purity, some racist physical descriptions, and a racist, colonialist worldview.
It explores themes of gender and power and uses fantastical elements such as the secret to immortality, rebirth, and past lives.
Unfortunately, readers will be faced with some troubling influences from Victorian thinking such as racial decline and purity, some racist physical descriptions, and a racist, colonialist worldview.
liambetts's review against another edition
3.0
read this for science and science fiction in 19th century. it's the ninth most popular book of all time but I feel like no one knows about it -- I'd never heard of it before.
likecymbeline's review
2.0
There's an Ezra Koenig tweet I think of a lot:
I once received a text asking if I'd ever read Swann's Way. I went to the library, read it in one painful sitting & texted back "ya why?"
I made one reference in something I wrote to 'She/She Who Must Be Obeyed' -- a reference that I knew from the context and summary was entirely apt, not to mention a totally in-passing and not significant moment, but here I am reading an entire novel just to back up my work and not be uncovered as a phony or fake lit buff. Or something.
As an adventure book, this doesn't have the style and panache that I prefer, and it exemplifies all the worst parts of Victorian imperialism. The sheer amount of racism (which manages to squeeze in some antisemitism and even a dig at the Irish, when it's not too busy dehumanizing Africans) was expected and made the first section of the book especially hard to read, and I didn't know if I'd be able to finish. The sheer fear and hatred of women was also obvious and abundant, but the character of She, Assha, was also downright fascinating. The story moved when we were in her presence and in the caves. As we arrived at pits of skeletons and strange rituals for the dead, I was curiously compelled. The scenes inside the volcano were cinematic in scope: I could see the 90s/00s "Lost World" genre of movies playing out, down to the comic relief character and the one hot chick on the team.
I also detected a surprising amount of Tolkien influences, and looked up after to see that it had indeed been an inspiration for scenes and story beats for his work. I can't say that I enjoyed this book, but I have had it on my periphery for a long time and hey. Now I can back up that reference. So that's a win. Surely?
lalexvp's review
3.0
I was first introduced to H. Rider Haggard in my class on British Imperialism in college where we studied history though novels of the time. We studied his "King Solomon's Mines" with the intent of viewing the British Empire as 19th century contemporaries might have - and what better place to do this than through propagandist adventure novels targeted at young boys?! I'd like to say that "She" - one of Haggard's more grown up novels - is a step up, but I can't say that with thorough conviction. True, "She" is definitely more gruesome and complex in how it questions the human condition and society at large, but overall the story, the themes, and, most importantly, the perspective is very much the same.
Haggard, I only learned through the third party introduction to this book, was a politically active Tory (conservative) who was stationed as an administrator in South Africa for a time and wished to remain there for the rest of his days. The Boer Wars prevented this ambition from happening, but we can see all of these predispositions in his writing nonetheless. During this time period - "She" was written in 1887 - we can assume that Haggard would be anticipating the fall of the Empire he loved so dearly as its influence is already wavering. He sees the women's emancipation movement taking form, he sees huge changes in industry and how society is relating to these changes, etc. and each of these observations concerns him. As a proud British conservative, he believes in the glory of the Empire and believes in upholding the age old traditions defining what it means to be British. Therefore, keeping all of this in mind, we can interpret "She" to be a bit of a warning to contemporaries of the consequences these changes could have for Britain and her empire while also exploring the complexities of the human condition which make upholding traditions of the past so important.
First off, I'll provide a brief synopsis: Our heroes are two men, one age 25 and beautiful the other in his 40's and hideous (these adjectives are very important, I promise). The elder has been the guardian of the younger for 20 years after the boy's father died in strange circumstances. Upon the boy turning 25, our elder hero delivers a secret package to the younger, as instructed, which contains a letter and certain artifacts pertaining to a quest that has been the object of the family since antiquity and up until that point every generation had failed. This quest, in short, is to travel to an obscure point in Africa and kill a white woman who appears to be a sorceress. Like all good quests, "King Solomon's Mines" included, our heroes undergo various trials and tribulations before achieving their goal and righting all the wrong in the world.
Predictably, the first theme we draw from the book is that of white vs black and the racial justifications for Britain's empire. Haggard and his heroes demonstrate through wit, manner, intelligence, and custom that white = civilized and that civilized = proper and that proper = sacred - therefore, Britain's empire is a necessary crusade to bring civilization to the black man who is, by nature, a savage beast needing to be tamed. In "She", this is made blatantly clear from the start as our heroes find themselves in an African community of cannibals ruled by women (we will get to the fabulous theme of women shortly). This tribe wears loin clothes, speaks a bastard dialect of Arabic, and acts on any sexual desire they so choose without regard to morals ("morals", of course, as interpreted and held by our white, civilized heroes).
The only hope that these savages of being saved at all is that they worship and are ruled by a white queen, She. She is a nickname for She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed which is an interesting title for the White Queen because it fully describes her relationship to her people as it is impersonal and disconnected and also feared. This relationship corresponds to how the British related to those whom they colonized as well - the fear of She stems from the fact that she appears to be an immortal sorceress with power over the natural order, whereas in the case of the British the fear stemmed from advanced technology and a strangeness of character and custom that was exceptionally difficult to relate to. She is especially impersonal because she wears a pure white veil from head to foot giving her the visage of a mummy, promulgating the fear of the unknown in her people.
It turns out, however, that She does in fact have a name, Ayesha, and is in fact mortal, simply 2,000 years old. She also does have power over some elements of Nature through wisdom she acquired by arguably unnatural ways. As our heroes develop a deep and personal connection with the white woman of antiquity, we are left with the understanding that Ayesha is intended to represent the ideal woman in character as well as figure. Our educated men are able to speak with Ayesha about the classics, as it's her own history, in each of the ancient languages she is fluent in with an air of aristocratic discourse that so starkly differs from the people over whom she rules. She is a modest ruler who doesn't even want to be the queen of such a retched people and is uncontrollably worshiped by the masses - she simply uses the people as tools to do her bidding, being consistently tyrannical and merciless nature as she kills anyone who disobeys her. Despite this, her humble and modest character is held intact through the eyes of our heroes because a woman of such stature truly has no other way to protect herself against such savages, violence being the only thing they are able to understand. Under her veil this white woman also has the shape and manner of everything the ideal woman should have. In fact, the veil itself is to protect men and women alike from falling victim to the power of her immense Beauty which is so phenomenal as to be considered a danger to all who look upon it. And it's true - both of our heroes fall immediately in love with Ayesha once they see her face, grovelling at her feet and uttering nonsense despite their vast intellects and civilized natures.
With such power over Nature and Men alike, why would She remain in such a position, you might ask? Well, the answer is simple - she has spent the last 2,000 years waiting for her dead lover to enter this world again and to come find her where they last met all those years ago. This devotion and loyalty to a single man only makes her more attractive to our heroes while placing the final touches on the mold of our ideal woman to the typical 19th century reader. More importantly, this theme of reincarnation is something Haggard explored thoroughly in this book but never quite developed. It's clear that his understanding of reincarnation was limited, but it is interesting to see it placed as the backdrop for our quest because our heroes seem to accept it despite their civilized, presumably Anglican beliefs. Their relationship to Providence is as one would imagine a generic non-devout but believing Christian's would be, but our heroes have no sense of doubt when the subject of being reborn is addressed. Discussion of the Creator and Nature seem to go hand in hand, implying that an active God and the concept of reincarnation are compatible to either Haggard or at least to his characters.
The religious components which are more fully developed are those of Truth, Beauty, and Time. Ayesha is, of course, the symbol of the former two in that Truth is veiled from Man and Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty. Beauty is a component of righteousness in that our younger hero, the more gorgeous and god-like of the two, turns out to be the very reincarnation of Ayesha's lost lover that she has been waiting these 2,000 years for. Therefore, whether through the agency of Providence or of Fate, he is destined to be Ayesha's partner as only the most beautiful could be the proper match for her. Our elder hero is not necessarily evil despite his hideousness but, rather, he is simply not the one who is meant to be paired with someone of Ayesha's stature. Time, of course, is addressed through reincarnation but also by taking the reader through the history of the world's great civilizations through conversations with Ayesha. As we discuss what happened to these lost civilizations, Ayesha is also learning what has happened since them in a line of events presented in an auspicious light. Furthermore, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the imagined people of Kor - this book's own lost civilization - are all placed next to the British, implying to the contemporary reader that their own Empire has met if not exceeded the greatness of these peoples of antiquity. As such, it is critical to preserve its greatness which Haggard fears is slipping.
Overall, it was a very good and enjoyable read though I was disappointed in the outcome of the plot. I am also disappointed to learn that, presumably while in a financial pinch, Haggard wrote a sequel to this book which based on the plot could only be possible through the further misuse of the concept of reincarnation. Haggard believed that "She" would be the book that he became the most well known for, and while it was a best seller during his lifetime and surely appreciated as a piece of literature I simply don't see how it can stand the tests of the ages beyond what it already has.
Haggard, I only learned through the third party introduction to this book, was a politically active Tory (conservative) who was stationed as an administrator in South Africa for a time and wished to remain there for the rest of his days. The Boer Wars prevented this ambition from happening, but we can see all of these predispositions in his writing nonetheless. During this time period - "She" was written in 1887 - we can assume that Haggard would be anticipating the fall of the Empire he loved so dearly as its influence is already wavering. He sees the women's emancipation movement taking form, he sees huge changes in industry and how society is relating to these changes, etc. and each of these observations concerns him. As a proud British conservative, he believes in the glory of the Empire and believes in upholding the age old traditions defining what it means to be British. Therefore, keeping all of this in mind, we can interpret "She" to be a bit of a warning to contemporaries of the consequences these changes could have for Britain and her empire while also exploring the complexities of the human condition which make upholding traditions of the past so important.
First off, I'll provide a brief synopsis: Our heroes are two men, one age 25 and beautiful the other in his 40's and hideous (these adjectives are very important, I promise). The elder has been the guardian of the younger for 20 years after the boy's father died in strange circumstances. Upon the boy turning 25, our elder hero delivers a secret package to the younger, as instructed, which contains a letter and certain artifacts pertaining to a quest that has been the object of the family since antiquity and up until that point every generation had failed. This quest, in short, is to travel to an obscure point in Africa and kill a white woman who appears to be a sorceress. Like all good quests, "King Solomon's Mines" included, our heroes undergo various trials and tribulations before achieving their goal and righting all the wrong in the world.
Predictably, the first theme we draw from the book is that of white vs black and the racial justifications for Britain's empire. Haggard and his heroes demonstrate through wit, manner, intelligence, and custom that white = civilized and that civilized = proper and that proper = sacred - therefore, Britain's empire is a necessary crusade to bring civilization to the black man who is, by nature, a savage beast needing to be tamed. In "She", this is made blatantly clear from the start as our heroes find themselves in an African community of cannibals ruled by women (we will get to the fabulous theme of women shortly). This tribe wears loin clothes, speaks a bastard dialect of Arabic, and acts on any sexual desire they so choose without regard to morals ("morals", of course, as interpreted and held by our white, civilized heroes).
The only hope that these savages of being saved at all is that they worship and are ruled by a white queen, She. She is a nickname for She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed which is an interesting title for the White Queen because it fully describes her relationship to her people as it is impersonal and disconnected and also feared. This relationship corresponds to how the British related to those whom they colonized as well - the fear of She stems from the fact that she appears to be an immortal sorceress with power over the natural order, whereas in the case of the British the fear stemmed from advanced technology and a strangeness of character and custom that was exceptionally difficult to relate to. She is especially impersonal because she wears a pure white veil from head to foot giving her the visage of a mummy, promulgating the fear of the unknown in her people.
It turns out, however, that She does in fact have a name, Ayesha, and is in fact mortal, simply 2,000 years old. She also does have power over some elements of Nature through wisdom she acquired by arguably unnatural ways. As our heroes develop a deep and personal connection with the white woman of antiquity, we are left with the understanding that Ayesha is intended to represent the ideal woman in character as well as figure. Our educated men are able to speak with Ayesha about the classics, as it's her own history, in each of the ancient languages she is fluent in with an air of aristocratic discourse that so starkly differs from the people over whom she rules. She is a modest ruler who doesn't even want to be the queen of such a retched people and is uncontrollably worshiped by the masses - she simply uses the people as tools to do her bidding, being consistently tyrannical and merciless nature as she kills anyone who disobeys her. Despite this, her humble and modest character is held intact through the eyes of our heroes because a woman of such stature truly has no other way to protect herself against such savages, violence being the only thing they are able to understand. Under her veil this white woman also has the shape and manner of everything the ideal woman should have. In fact, the veil itself is to protect men and women alike from falling victim to the power of her immense Beauty which is so phenomenal as to be considered a danger to all who look upon it. And it's true - both of our heroes fall immediately in love with Ayesha once they see her face, grovelling at her feet and uttering nonsense despite their vast intellects and civilized natures.
With such power over Nature and Men alike, why would She remain in such a position, you might ask? Well, the answer is simple - she has spent the last 2,000 years waiting for her dead lover to enter this world again and to come find her where they last met all those years ago. This devotion and loyalty to a single man only makes her more attractive to our heroes while placing the final touches on the mold of our ideal woman to the typical 19th century reader. More importantly, this theme of reincarnation is something Haggard explored thoroughly in this book but never quite developed. It's clear that his understanding of reincarnation was limited, but it is interesting to see it placed as the backdrop for our quest because our heroes seem to accept it despite their civilized, presumably Anglican beliefs. Their relationship to Providence is as one would imagine a generic non-devout but believing Christian's would be, but our heroes have no sense of doubt when the subject of being reborn is addressed. Discussion of the Creator and Nature seem to go hand in hand, implying that an active God and the concept of reincarnation are compatible to either Haggard or at least to his characters.
The religious components which are more fully developed are those of Truth, Beauty, and Time. Ayesha is, of course, the symbol of the former two in that Truth is veiled from Man and Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty. Beauty is a component of righteousness in that our younger hero, the more gorgeous and god-like of the two, turns out to be the very reincarnation of Ayesha's lost lover that she has been waiting these 2,000 years for. Therefore, whether through the agency of Providence or of Fate, he is destined to be Ayesha's partner as only the most beautiful could be the proper match for her. Our elder hero is not necessarily evil despite his hideousness but, rather, he is simply not the one who is meant to be paired with someone of Ayesha's stature. Time, of course, is addressed through reincarnation but also by taking the reader through the history of the world's great civilizations through conversations with Ayesha. As we discuss what happened to these lost civilizations, Ayesha is also learning what has happened since them in a line of events presented in an auspicious light. Furthermore, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the imagined people of Kor - this book's own lost civilization - are all placed next to the British, implying to the contemporary reader that their own Empire has met if not exceeded the greatness of these peoples of antiquity. As such, it is critical to preserve its greatness which Haggard fears is slipping.
Overall, it was a very good and enjoyable read though I was disappointed in the outcome of the plot. I am also disappointed to learn that, presumably while in a financial pinch, Haggard wrote a sequel to this book which based on the plot could only be possible through the further misuse of the concept of reincarnation. Haggard believed that "She" would be the book that he became the most well known for, and while it was a best seller during his lifetime and surely appreciated as a piece of literature I simply don't see how it can stand the tests of the ages beyond what it already has.
bearthelumberjack's review against another edition
It was atrociously awful. It's literally about nothing and the entire plot can be summarized in one paragraph.