Customer Reviews

Pearl-Maiden

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I have set myself to reading all of the H. Rider Haggard novels, and my library had a 1903 (!) edition of this book. Geez, it is AWESOME! I love early Christianity books like _Ben Hur_ and _Quo Vadis_; this book is up in their league.

That having been said, _Pearl Maiden_ spends very little time trying to assure the reader that Christianity is the best way, the only way, and that every other culture and faith that has come before it is misguided at best and infernal at worst. That's one of the things I really admire about Haggard, the more so as I read more of his books: for a man of his time, he is remarkably open-minded.

So, what's the book about? The twisting, turning plot follows the adventures of Miriam (the "Pearl Maiden" of the book's title), an orphan whose Christian mother puts the baby into the care of a loyal servant woman. Miriam grows up in an adoring colony of Essenes, who educate her and teach her a trade (sculpting) but who, because of the dictates of their order, must send her forth into the world. She goes to live with her grandfather, a powerful Jewish merchant who hates the Roman rule and takes part in the defense of Jerusalem from Titus' forces.

Miriam, whose grandfather has allowed her to retain her Christian faith, finds herself in a conflict, for she has fallen in love with Marcus, a Roman officer. To further complicate the plot, she has been raised with Caleb, a young Jewish boy, who loves her and no other.

Well, I won't divulge any more of the the plot; you will want to savour it for yourself. It's a nice, fat book (my edition is over 500 pages), that will satisfy anyone who enjoys an action-packed historical yarn. I was up until one this morning finishing it off.

An author's work has a certain integrity in terms of content and style. An editor can sustain that integrity with respect or presumptuously overrule and violate it. Judge which course editor Christopher D. Kou took on behalf of Christian Liberty Press, publisher of this centennial edition of H. Rider Haggard's "Pearl Maiden." In fact his Editor's Note testimony is self-incriminating: "I have thoroughly revised and edited the original text to make the story clearer and more enjoyable for modern readers. Grammar and word usage have been changed and updated, and much of the dialog has been rephrased. Some Latin terms have been restored in lieu of the contemporary Victorian English equivalents found in the original text....readers familiar with the 1903 edition will also note two new scenes near the final pages of this version." Kou's approach--which he regarded as benign--actually constitutes first-degree editorial text-slaughter and ought to be condemned. Avoid this ravaged edition of "Pearl Maiden" and seek another preserving Haggard's original story.

How can some one edit, revise, change dialogue, names and scenes and claim it is still the original? Kou readily admits to this atrocities in regards to Haggard's work. Haggard wrote brilliantly and Kou has completely mutilated Haggard's story.

What Kou has done is equivalent to rewriting Shakespeare's Othello as a Dick & Jane Bible Primer and claiming it is as Shakespeare's original work.

Find an unedited original and avoid this edition.

I love this book!!!!!!! Probably my favorite Haggard novel and thats saying a lot as in my opinon he is one of the greatest writers of that century.
I have read a lot of historical fiction but this is by a million light years my favorite. You have to read it. It's a wonderful story I don't think I could ever get tired of it and I've already read it 13 times in two years.

This is a book that perfectly depicts the mixed emotions an struggles of those forced to live through all of the fall of Jerusalem. Over all it's great!