H. Rider Haggard

We're not just about Wilbur Smith!

H. Rider Haggard

Postby wadeburgess » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:42 pm

His novels are the standard for which all other adventure authors strive to meet. Haggard not only had well-researched and correct details in his novels, but he also wrote novels completely devoid of X-rated portions, which I greatly admire and actually prefer. Wilbur's novels are engaging and fun, but they are often smutty. His novels would be better with those portions excised. Haggard is my all-time favorite author. Wilbur has acknowledged reading Haggard and trying to emulate his works.
Please contact me if you collect Wilbur Smith first editions.
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Postby Penina Spinka » Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:13 pm

Dear Wadeburgess,
You wrote this note a while back, but I just found it. I loved H. Rider Haggard's She. The Return of She was not as good. Do you recall the stone steps carrying the impression of Ayesha's feet after thousands of years walking up and down them? Smith did the same thing with Eos. A tribute - not borrowing - in my opinion. The blue river and the flame of youth and eternal life - H Rider would have shared those ideas after so long. He's not using them any more.
I just finished The Quest and discovered this forum yesterday. Smith is one of my inspirations in my own writing. Look under the Other Authors discussion to read about my novels.
Best,
Penina Keen Spinka
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby Matbow » Sat Sep 29, 2007 6:02 pm

Hi Penina,

Would you like to post some details about the books you have written?

Matt
“Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.”

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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby Penina Spinka » Sat Sep 29, 2007 8:01 pm

Dear Matt,
Thank you, but I have. I hoped I did it right, so I entered info into the Author's section. I'm not familiar with how this forum works, but I went into new authors at the invitation of Nefer, one of the moderators. I have 4 published novels, and 2 close to ready for an agent. I live in AZ where I have a lovely writers' group near Phoenix in Glendale, AZ. Look for Penina Keen Spinka in Yahoo or Google for reviews of my novels. I hope to grow in my profession, and find H. Rider and Wilbur excellent role models.
Please check out what I've written and get back to me. Where do you live? Do you write?
All best,
Penina
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby Penina Spinka » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:25 pm

New Note of HRH
I just finished reading Allan and She. Allan wrote this right after hearing about the demise of his old (really old) friend. He met her long before "She" died. Haggard puts his two best characters together for a great adventure.
Get yourself a copy.
Happy New Year,
Penina
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby masvingo » Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:28 pm

I always enjoy Wilbur Smith's character Ralph who is partly based on the explorer Frederick Courteney Selous. I had heard that HRH also based his character Allan Quatermain on FCSelous, so when I came across a copy of 'King Solomon's mines' in a 2nd hand shop, I thought I should read it.

A good story written in an amusing manner!
It got off to a good start with the line; '....the [Cape Town] botanical gardens, which seem to me likely to confer a great benefit on the country, and the new houses of Parliament, which I expect will do nothing of the sort....'.

There are several ideas in the book that WS appears to have picked-up and reused in his books:
When a wound wont heal after a mauling 'there must be some poison in a Lion's teeth'.
The 'sniffing out' ceremony of the Zulu Impi by the witches.
Mr Neville travelling with a faithful Bushman/Hottentot hunter.

I would have preferred it if it hadn't dissappeared into a fictional land, but then I am a fan of the Ballantyne novels which are reasonably historically accurate, and can be followed on the map.

Masvingo.
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby jeffw » Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:51 pm

Hi masvingo - are you from there or just using the name?
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby masvingo » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:42 pm

Hi Jeff,

No, a name only, I'm afraid. I'm not from Zimbabwe. It's just a place which I enjoyed visiting, and which left me with a positive impression.

When I was younger I used to back pack quite widely. Not the twenty countries in thirty days approach, but visit one country each year, having learnt what I could of their history etc. Some countries are easier to travel than others, Zimbabwe was one of the nicest. Besides being a beautiful country, it has some of the most honest and honourable people in the world.

I wish them well in their current troubles, but I doubt the country will ever be the same again.

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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby jeffw » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:32 am

Hi Masvingo - good to talk - like you pointed out, rough times to come for Zimbabwe. Rider Haggard based his story of Sheba's Breasts on twin peaks to the west of Zimbabwe ruins, me and my old man mined gold in the 'cleavage', back in '74.
Stay in touch, enjoy your energy.
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby tedd » Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:01 pm

Hi Jeff - note you are reading Last Resort which I have just picked up and will start tonight - has some promise according to the cover blurb.
An old Zim friend's letter received this week confirms your and masvingo's views about the deterioration in Zim.
Excerpts - "lots of horrendous potholes in roads, traffic lights not working, lots of power cuts. Shops well-stocked but very expensive - more farms being taken over and nothing being produced, so lots of imports resulting in high prices - biggest worry is the thousands of Chinese in the country - several HUGE Chinese compounds in the richest residential areas with very high walls and tight security, buying up lots of property and creating Chinese army barracks on the edge of town - the Chinese are poaching and paying native poachers for ivory and rhino horn - they are raping our country and resources with the blessing of our Great Leader - it makes me go cold for our future"
I doubt any country could recover its former glory after such treatment!!!
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby jeffw » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:34 am

Hi Tedd - you got it all in one, mate. South Africa, unfortunately is going the same way. So much colonial good undone in so few years. Smuts, Rhodes, Churchill, Smithy and dozens of other great men must br writhing in their graves!! :? We had the best of it - no more - not ever will good times return to Africa - just killing, perversity,corruption and general mayhem. Makes me kick-off sometimes; rant finished, sorry about that. :)
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby tedd » Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:47 am

The following definition applies to Zimbabwe but also to MOST other countries on our world

INEPTOCRACY (in-ep-toc-ra-cy) -

a system of government where the least capable to lead, are elected by
the least capable of producing,
and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or
succeed,
are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated
wealth of a diminishing number of producers
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby jeffw » Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:30 pm

Hi Tedd - very learned - I like that!! :D
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby tedd » Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:49 pm

Whacko!!
Anyway - let's get back to H Rider Haggard. As a kid I read Tarzan comics but my parents would not have comics in the house so I turned to Tarzan books. I had soon read most or all published and looked for other African books for juveniles - Henty did for a while but then I found Haggard, a more adult writer but plenty of adventure nevertheless. And so began my interest in Africa which eventually (after WW2) led to me joining the Rhodesian Police and leaving the old country for many years and eventually permanently.
Thus you can say that HRH (among others) influenced and directed the whole of my life. My collecting interest is still Africana but HRH does not form any part of it, focussing mainly on non-fiction. WS is the only fiction on my shelves although I sometimes think that many of the non-fiction books I have are stretching the imagination a bit and contain some exaggerations and maybe untruths.
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby jeffw » Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:23 pm

Hi Tedd - have you read any of Francis Brett Young's books? Or Stuart Cloete's, Turning Wheels? One of my favourites.
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby tedd » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:49 pm

Hi Jeff - I think I read most of Cloete's books - Turning Wheels was the best. Have never read Young's books although I had a visit from an ex SAS(RSA) chap recently who said that they are worth reading - I think he mentioned City of Gold or some such title - I'll keep an eye out for them. Am finding the Last Resort a good book, plenty of humour despite the tragedy of it.

Have asked this before but not sure you replied - have you read Saunders 'GonareZhou'?
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Re: H. Rider Haggard

Postby jeffw » Wed Mar 21, 2012 3:04 pm

Hi Tedd - no, haven't read that. Sounds interesting so will shop around. Getting a lot of interest in Sons of Africa now. Going up by +- 30% a month. Hope it continues.
You take care.
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