Allan Quatermain, archetypal Frontier Partisan hero, and his love, the Boer farm girl Marie Marais.
H. Rider Haggard was born on June 22, 1856. He was the author of “King Solomon’s Mines,” Allan Quatermain,” “She” and many other tales, mostly set in his beloved Africa.
His Allan Quatermain was based largely upon the great hunter Frederick Courteney Selous, both in appearance and character. The American scout Frederick Russell Burnham named his daughter Nada after Haggard’s “Nada the Lily.” After Nada died during the siege of Bulawayo during the Matabele Rebellion of 1896, Haggard dedicated three books to her.
Haggard was an adventure writer par excellence and his best works stand the test of time. He was a major influence on both J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard, not to mention Carl Jung. He’s not read much anymore these days because he was a British Imperialist White Male. That’s sad and stupid. Fortunately, it’s correctable. Everything he wrote is readily available, often free e-book downloads. If you haven’t read “King Solomon’s Mines,” do. It’s one of the great Frontier Partisan tales of all time.
Eccentric Cowboy says
Haggard is a superb writer, and I’m happy beyond words that I managed to get so much of his work on my Kindle. If anyone else can spin a yarn about ill fated expeditions into the wild unknown better than Haggard, I haven’t heard of him.
His work most definitely stands up to the test of time, which is by far the harshest test for literature. I also find that his views on the denizens of Africa remarkably mature and understanding, especially for his time. Heck, he was more understanding than quite a few people I know today!
King Solomon’s Mines are most certainly worth the read. It’s not everyday that a writer invents an entire sub-genre of literature! 🙂
JimC says
X-ring.
Paul McNamee says
I’ve read King Solomon’s Mines and Eric Brighteyes. I need to find time for some of the others.
JimC says
I read Eric Brighteyes when I was a kid. Probably need to revisit that… Haggard had The Northern Thing as bad as JRRT.
Lane Batot says
Is that a misprint–JULY 22nd? What’s a month, here and there…..
JimC says
Sheesh. Red face… Fixed.
wayne says
I carry an early U.S. printing of Haggard’s She in my traveling bookcase when I camp in “the old style” as a member of the Acorn Patrol. Any work of literature is best read in the mindset of the period during which it was written. To do otherwise is unfair to the author. For his time, I think Haggard did a fair job of representing the peoples of Africa.
JimC says
Well said.
john maddox roberts says
I am one of the legion of writers who can proudly proclaim: “I stole from H. Rider Haggard!”