She

By: H. Rider Haggard

Narrated by: Alan Munro

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the best-selling books of all time, with over 100 million copies sold in 44 different languages. The novel was extraordinarily popular upon its release and has never been out of print.

Follow the journey of Horace Holly and his ward, Leo Vincey, to a lost kingdom in the African interior. There they encounter a primitive race of natives and a mysterious white queen named Ayesha who reigns as the all-powerful "She", or "She-who-must-be-obeyed". In this work, Rider Haggard developed the conventions of the Lost World subgenre, which many later authors emulated.

This is the blueprint for the Indiana Jones series.

Public Domain (P)2016 Trout Lake Media

Enjoyable book, difficult reader

The book itself is a fun adventure which yields exactly what one would expect from a book written in this time. I personally enjoy the narrative style, along with the slow and thoughtful considerations of various scenes and events which break up the immediate plot considerations. The story itself is good: it kept me interested.

The reader, however, was a struggle. He mispronounces several words, and one particular name throughout the WHOLE book which, for the first several hours, gave me a "nails on the chalk board" feeling every time he said it. He also struggles to give the inflection in dialogue which the narrative itself suggests. However, there are no "mistakes" per se, and his voice is very easy listening.

You will go bald listening to this story.

The reader's constant pauses at every single sentence just destroyed the flow of thought of the story. It was by pure will that I finished it. But I am now bald cause I pulled out all of my hair in frustration.

Classic

A classic in the truest sense of the word. Excellent story & outstanding prose. The reader did a great job with a lovely voice.

Quite a yarn

Even though on audible, the reader was really terrible and uninspiring to the imagination, this vivid book captured my attention. For one written, so long ago with no predecessors it’s truly impressive. Compelling plot, and storyline. Totally bizarre characters. An almost believable fantasy. If you want to be transported back to the days of Flash Gordon and Tarzan, read this book.

What details

Hard to get through as every little thing seems to have to be described in detail. Still a good story.

Worst Narration Ever

Would you try another book from H. Rider Haggard and/or Alan Munro?

I would not buy another book narrated by Alan Munro - his poor pacing and choppy performance is exceeded only by his abysmal pronunciation. He takes a wonderful story and makes it exceedingly painful to listen to.

What did you like best about this story?

The story itself is classic in every sense of the word. It is a foundational work in the genre. It is absolutely on the same level as John Carter of Mars and Tarzan.

dated classic & some mind boggling misprounciation

You have to go in expecting some Eugenic white European colonizing bias given the time period and audience of the piece. Sadly, that is just the product of the time and place. HOWEVER, what I can't understand is how in this MODERN RECORDING no one either noticed or cared to inform the narrator how to pronounce the name Job. You know, like the book in the Bible. For hours, you get to hear him call the character job, like going to work. This probably could be ignored, but you get hours of this. So distracting.

Quite a yarn

I enjoyed the story and the curious reflections related to our existence. The prose were delightful. Some readers were annoyed by the narration but I was not rather I felt it invited me further into considering what was said. I was brought to this book after hearing it was one of the ten most read fictions (of the English language anyway). I can see why. It is mind candy. The book is tainted from the perspective of 1880s Britain. That said, I found it fascinating.

A Tale for and through the ages

Pretend, oh reader, that you are sitting near a warm cozy fire in the comfort of your home. No internet, no modern conveniences, only the teller of this tale to keep you company. Be transported to another time another place. Enjoy a master storyteller.

A fascinating gothic of it's time.

Some things age well like the original Planet of the Apes from 1968. Other things sadly do not. There are elements of this story that could and would be considered pricelessly timeless. The idea of a woman living in a lost remote subterannean culture that never ages, can not die, is eerie and enchanting. The idea that SHE has wisdom lost and secrets of Kingdoms akin to that of Atlantis or Ancient Egypt adds an element of intrigue. The adventurous spirit of her would be, possible reincarnated lover harkens to the inner Dracula fan ever waiting his beloved reborn Princess in Mina. There is blood, adventure, loyal comradery from the side characters. This is what's good about the story and is why it should continue to be read.
That said, let us not ignore the sad facts. Being a twenty-thirty some woman myself of the year 2023, there are things I found slightly offensive, demeaning and out right baffling as a female reader often making me go, "Seriously dude?" Other times there were things I found frankly rascist and insulting especially to my modern mind. However THAT. IS THE POINT. One can not read this novel which was written long ago and not constantly be reminded of the era upon which it was written and by who. In many ways the things I found rascist and offensive I know for a fact would not even have been thought of as such by the author of the time. For it was a different time! This is like reading a piece of history in that it without meaning too shows us both the prejudices and the values of the authors time. There is good and bad both muddled together.
Oddly enough I felt like Ayesha in a way, except unlike Ayesha coming from the past, I instead come from the future, and can see the folly and the mystery of man's mutable, fickle and yet ever evolving heart. Would I recommend this story? Yes. However, I would ask listeners to first reconcile that this is a dated story. Written of it's time. Yet, by that very same stroke that is precisely what makes it feel the most other worldly of all.