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I wanted to enjoy this one a lot more than I did. I was expecting racism, given the time period that the book was written in, but it wasn't as bad as some I've read, even modern novels (I'm looking at you Blood Meridian! Now that was a HORRIBLE book!). I wasn't expecting the anti-Semitic diatribe, which made me argue out loud with the long dead writer. Or at least his narrator. I expected more out of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, and disliked the misogynistic tone of the whole novel. I've read worse, but this one was too snide.
The descriptions of the journey and the places were good, but rather boring. The narrator was ok, but the characters were rather 2 dimensional and flat and I never really cared about them at all. Again, I've read worse, but I've also read much, much better. Given the amount of praise this novel as one of the progenitors of the whole 'lost world' genre, I just expected something.... more.
It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, it just wasn't more than a 'meh' book for me. While the supposed 'lesser races' were treated better than they are by some authors of the time, the whole colonial outlook was annoying. And for a book about a female leader and supposedly equal status of women society, I ended up having to roll my eyes far too often at the condescension towards women. I have to wonder if Haggard really liked women that much, though I know he was married. Because he sure couldn't write a decent female lead character. And female equality? Pft. As the tribal elder put it, they 'worship' women - until the women go too far, then they kill the old women as an example to the young ones. In other words, they allow women to think they have equal say or status, until the menfolk decide they've overstepped and show that they really don't. They're just indulged. Bah, that left a bad taste in my mouth.
But as I said, I've read worse. I was just hoping for a bit more adventure story, instead of a lot of talk back and forth by the narrator and She, who is apparently very wicked, but it's ok because she's really really beautiful, so that's not so bad. Even Haggard makes a comment about how superficial his men are about beauty, even if it is done as a footnote. So 2.5 stars. If he only had written his female lead as someone who really did have the 'wisdom of the ancients', instead of acting as a stereotypical Victorian female, full of emotional drama, pouting, sudden rages and sudden tears. But I'll give him this, at least his two main female characters are acknowledged as supremely loyal. That puts Haggard up at least a notch or two over some writers - and not all of them are from the Victorian times.
I've got some of the Quartermain novels on my to read list. I might give one a try, but not anytime soon.
The descriptions of the journey and the places were good, but rather boring. The narrator was ok, but the characters were rather 2 dimensional and flat and I never really cared about them at all. Again, I've read worse, but I've also read much, much better. Given the amount of praise this novel as one of the progenitors of the whole 'lost world' genre, I just expected something.... more.
It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, it just wasn't more than a 'meh' book for me. While the supposed 'lesser races' were treated better than they are by some authors of the time, the whole colonial outlook was annoying. And for a book about a female leader and supposedly equal status of women society, I ended up having to roll my eyes far too often at the condescension towards women. I have to wonder if Haggard really liked women that much, though I know he was married. Because he sure couldn't write a decent female lead character. And female equality? Pft. As the tribal elder put it, they 'worship' women - until the women go too far, then they kill the old women as an example to the young ones. In other words, they allow women to think they have equal say or status, until the menfolk decide they've overstepped and show that they really don't. They're just indulged. Bah, that left a bad taste in my mouth.
But as I said, I've read worse. I was just hoping for a bit more adventure story, instead of a lot of talk back and forth by the narrator and She, who is apparently very wicked, but it's ok because she's really really beautiful, so that's not so bad. Even Haggard makes a comment about how superficial his men are about beauty, even if it is done as a footnote. So 2.5 stars. If he only had written his female lead as someone who really did have the 'wisdom of the ancients', instead of acting as a stereotypical Victorian female, full of emotional drama, pouting, sudden rages and sudden tears. But I'll give him this, at least his two main female characters are acknowledged as supremely loyal. That puts Haggard up at least a notch or two over some writers - and not all of them are from the Victorian times.
I've got some of the Quartermain novels on my to read list. I might give one a try, but not anytime soon.