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She: A History of Adventure
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
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She: A History of Adventure
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Summary
Somewhere in Africa, a tiny, primitive tribe, the Amahaggers, live secretly amongst the debris of a lost Egyptian civilization, ruled by the beautiful semi-goddess Ayesha, or She-who-must-be-obeyed. Ludwig Horace Holly, a Cambridge academic, is reluctantly drawn into plans for a voyage in search of this legendary queen. With his adopted son, Leo, he sets out on a brave journey, following a trail of clues. Shipwrecked and captured by cannibals, their voyage soon turns into a nightmare.
This masterpiece of suspense and adventure, by the author of King Solomon's Mines, contains some of the most sensual, gently erotic passages in 19th-century literature.
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Editor reviews
One of the classics of 19th-century imperialist literature, She tells the story of Cambridge academic Horace Holly's discovery of a lost African kingdom while on a journey with his ward, Leo Vincey. Narrator Bill Homewood has a big, sonorous voice that encompasses the scope and thrills of this adventure tale as Holly and Vincey encounter a primitive tribe of natives ruled by a mysterious white queen, the demi-goddess Ayesha, or She-who-must-be-obeyed. Along with his masterful use of tempo to create tension and suspense, Homewood lures listeners with his velvety characterization of the powerful Ayesha, evoking a sense of danger and sensuality that will leave listeners' pulses racing.
What listeners say about She: A History of Adventure
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Christian Gurdin
- 12-01-20
Interesting in its depiction of the East
The Novel is interesting in its representation of the East and to study its presentation of the Other.
The novels plot however feels somewhat clichéd for a modern reader, it almost feels like a teen adventure novel.
Though, the characters of Holly and Job gave some much needed comic relief to the largely stuffy and dense dialogue of Ayesha/She.
All in all great if you are studying Victorian literature at the height of Imperialism. Definitely interesting to inspect when read through the frame of Edward Said/Spivak.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- LMcA
- 29-08-20
Choose this narration
Just to say, if you're trying to decide which narration to choose, choose this. Don't choose the Alan Munro version - the reviews of it are very accurate. I gave up in the end because it was just too painful for words; a halting, oddly intoned, patronising American accent. I had to swap to this version. Bill Homewood is certainly better than Alan Munro and very "proper English" but somehow a little too "pompous" for an adventure story. The accent is possibly pertinent to the character but it just needs a bit more life and passion in it.
As for the story - it's a Classic and I just wanted to ready it for the experience.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Philip
- 15-03-11
Beautiful reading, pity about the book.
I loved 'King Soloman's Mines' and so was pleased to get this- and it starts well enough- the proper Rider Haggard formula; three Englishmen set out on an African adventure- all good stuff.
Then it goes wrong and the middle section of the book becomes terribly tedious. In short (and not to spoil the plot)they reach a land ruled by a woman so beautiful that all the men who see her fall helplessly in love- The whole thing is so tedious because it is so entirely lacking in psychological truth.
So the men are in love- Rider Haggard himself is in love- the reader is supposed to be in love (and presumably they were- this book sold millions)- But I was not. I thought Aleysha dull, portentous and probably suffering from clinical depression (why else would she be sitting in a cave for 2000 years?)
The plot did pick up a little at the end but I thought the whole thing was rather less than the sum of its parts because the 'uncanny' aspects were so over done and so left me unable/unwilling to suspend disbelief.
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5 people found this helpful