Like the old days

March 2, 2014

SHE by H. Rider Haggard

Ursula Andress as SHE

All the books I read after Frankenstein didn't impress me much. That's the reason why I didn't write anything about them. They failed to seize my mind. I remember I have said in my review of King Solomon's Mines that She and Ayesha: The Return of She are next in my reading list. The time finally came to pick up She and what do you know? It overpowered me completely! Rider Haggard did it again. He is a genius! The words to admire him for this work falls short by miles. The concept of creating a woman who is so beautiful in every way, whose grandeur and beauty mesmerizes every man on earth is put forth by the power of words. There is more. It is very desirable for anyone that such a goddess should defy her age and live more than a thousand years. It is so! She is more than 2000 years old. She is not only beautiful by her appearance but also by her splendid Wisdom of Life she has gained over the years. The charm with which philosophy of Life is sandwiched in this history of adventure is truly remarkable. It talks about religion and the faith in God and His existence by giving details which seem subtle and clear at the same time. Such written accounts have made me read again and again to understand the core, which is much more than meets the eye.

It was incredible for to me to learn about the fictitious Caves of Kor. The beautiful landscapes, the tribe of Amahaggar and their hideous customs: the skill with which these are written greatly stimulated my mind. The insides of the caves are described in such a great detail that the sculptures on the walls of the caves have their own tales of history; especially the story of Wedded-in-Death is an exciting one. Ah! The more I try to say about the book, the lesser I succeed in describing its splendor!

Don't be surprised that I haven't revealed anything about the plot and the characters of the story like I do in my book reviews. Its only because I don't want to. Because it will kill the enthusiasm of enjoyment for anyone who is wanting to read the book. Finally, here is a list my favorite chapters of the novel:

Book Cover

Chapters:
10. Speculations
17. The Balance Turns
20. Triumph
21. The Dead And Living Meet
22. Job Has a Presentiment
23. Temple of Truth
25. The Spirit of Life

Further reading:
Quotes and passages from She: Goodreads.com

What's that annoying word?