Professor Tolkien read this classic adventure story, and praised it in print.
This new edition of “She” is richer than all previous editions, because it is the first to contain illustrations from not one but four artists who were contemporaries of JRR Tolkien, and whose works he admired. The story is an enduring classic, packed with action, mystery, wonder, supernatural marvels and beauty, along with violence and darkness.
JRR Tolkien greatly enjoyed the works of H. Rider Haggard, the author of She.
Many parallels can be drawn between The Lord of the Rings and She. Readers will find echoes of Galadriel and her mirror here, and even the literary progenitors of Frodo and The One Ring. This edition contains more than 40 original illustrations as enjoyed by JRR Tolkien.
Dart-Thornton’s introduction explores the ways She influenced the writing of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
This Professor’s Bookshelf edition is ornamented with the original pictures printed in the 1887 edition and other editions read by Tolkien.
She is generally considered to be one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with 83 million copies sold by 1965, it is one of the best-selling books of all time.
Haggard’s Lost World genre influenced popular American pulp writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, Talbot Mundy, Philip José Farmer, and Abraham Merritt.
ISBN: 9781925110135 (paperback)
She:
A History of Adventure
A Book That Inspired Tolkien
With Original Illustrations
The Professor’s Bookshelf Book # 11
By H. Rider Haggard
Illustrated by Maurice Greiffenhagen,
Charles H. M. Kerr, E.K. Johnson and G.C. Wilmshurst.
Introduced by Cecilia Dart-Thornton
With original illustrations.
About the Author
Sir Henry Rider Haggard KBE (22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential.
Wikipedia
Movie Adaptions:
Haggard’s writings have been turned into films many times including: King Solomon’s Mines, She: A History of Adventure, Dawn, Jess, Beatrice, Swallow, Stella Fregelius and Moon of Israel.
Note: This book contains outdated attitudes, language and cultural depictions that may cause offence these days.
We include this information to allow readers to make an informed decision when deciding what books to read.
“Rider Haggard’s works have been criticised for their depictions of non-Europeans. His novels portray many of the stereotypes associated with colonialism, yet they are unusual for the degree of sympathy with which the native populations are portrayed. Africans often play heroic roles in the novels, although the protagonists are typically European.” [Wikipedia]
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