She Who Must Be Obeyed
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Interesting how many dominant women have adopted the name of Ayesha, white Queen of the Amahagger people, ruler of the Kingdom of Kôr: She Who Must Be Obeyed.
Have any of them actually read the novel sequence? I haven’t - that kind of late Victorian white man among the primitives isn’t something I can tolerate.
The novels seem to have been reprinted many times so someone is getting pleasure from them. Maybe they appeal to neo-pagans.
Nice early dust jacket.
While the Conan covers made Frank Frazetta famous Lancer sometimes had very lame cover art. This looks like it might have originally been planned for a historical novel about Cleopatra.
Kneeling. Isn’t he the stern imperialist.
I’d like to see a larger picture of this cover.
A more contemporary cutie-cum-fire goddess.
An early movie poster.
H. Rider Haggard’s largely forgotten popular novels can be read and downloaded for free.
Comments
I scanned the Gutenberg site. I had no idea that Haggard was so prolific!
I might have to d/load and read She and Ayesha. I probably last read them when I was about 13.
Tom Allen
The Edge of Vanilla
Posted by: Tom Allen | December 10, 2006 11:54 AM
I have read “She” and have been very frustrated trying to find it on video.
I would prefer the non-Gahagan version, as apparently Helen Gahagen did not adapt well from stage to screen.
Netflix does not carry it. It is on their list so perhaps they will some day. This is annoying as that particular movie is one of the reasons I joined Netflix.
Posted by: R | December 10, 2006 8:10 PM
I should probably note that yes, the prose is quite turgid. But there’s nothing like reading the original. There are often some surprises there, like the stereotyped cowboy in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
I was quite taken with another novel of his, “The Jewel of Seven Stars” (I was 12; I might not like it now). It was of a powerful female mummy, and you might find some images that would tickle you. Amazon has a rather silly half-naked one here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0881845019/ref=sibdppt/103-8400820-3739869#reader-link . The ending, as I recall, was left ambiguous.
Posted by: R | December 10, 2006 8:15 PM
I’ve learned to never go to an Amazon Reader link using Opera - thought I’d have to reboot the PC.
Sounds like Haggard’s Cleopatra as a “user of men.” If I can find the copy that I set aside I’ll probably try reading Sax Rohmer’s Sumuru which seems to have inspired a surprising number of movies.
Posted by: Richard | December 10, 2006 9:06 PM