When the World Shook [Paperback]

H. Rider Haggard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2003

If H. Rider Haggard--one of the greatest adventure writers of all time--is remembered now, it is for his novels featuring Allan Quatermain, a heroic adventurer whose exploits in Africa form the most important sequence of Haggard's books. Quatermain's adventures are chronicled in such novels as King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quaterman, She, and 11 others. In When the World Shook, Haggard takes his popular formula for Victorian adventure fiction into the contemporary world, with this tale of three modern-day English adventurers who find an ancient god (complete with beautiful daughter) asleep beneath a South Seas volcano.... Written late in his life, When the World Shook is perhaps the most current of all of Haggard's novels; it features many contemporary inventions, from aeroplanes to cameras, as well as Haggard's trademark gripping storytelling and likeable, sympathetic characters. "His tales remain powerfully in the memory..." --The Encyclopedia of Fantasy

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (January 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587157470
• ISBN-13: 978-1587157479
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,200,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not his best work, February 28, 2000

By 

P. Kendell (Wokingham, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When the World Shook (Pulp fictions) (Paperback)

WHEN THE WORLD SHOOK is late Haggard, written during the Great War, not very long before his death in 1925. Sad to say, it's a retread of the themes and ideas that made such an impact in early works like SHE, KING SOLOMON'S MINES and ALLAN QUATERMAIN. Three English chaps are marooned on a mysterious South Seas island. The natives tell of their powerful god Oro; whom the chaps find has been sleeping for 250,000 years. They wake him, and his beautiful daughter, who is the spitting image of our hero's dead wife, while he is a dead ringer for her lost love...

The story continues along familiar HRH lines, building to a climax which is not too different from that of SHE. However, there are a couple of things which make this yarn worth investigation for HRH fans. Firstly, the 20th century intervenes, with its aeroplanes, Kodaks and telephones. This is a novelty in the otherwise strictly Victorian goings-on. Secondly, the Great War parts of the story, while revealing unpleasantly jingoistic aspects of HRH's writing, are also illuminating in so far as they give a view of that conflict that differs from that put forward by the War Poets, but is nevertheless penned by a writer with a powerful romantic imagination.

4.0 out of 5 stars A greaat fantasy really enjoyed, August 22, 2011

By 

Potiphar (Crossville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When the World Shook (Pulp fictions) (Paperback)

I found a First Edition copy Circa 1917, some years back and it was the second time I had read the story. The first time was a very beat up Bantam Paperback, probably from the 50s. It is what it is, Fantasy, it has humor, vivid descriptions to peek the imagination and is just a Fun read.

The First Edition, I kept for about 10 years right next to a First Edition Tarzan. One day I did what was probably a foolish thing, I packed it up and sent it to, Peter Jackson in New Zealand. I got a nice letter of thanks with his signature, probably signed by one of several Secretaries but at least someone in his organization acknowledged getting it. Perhaps one day he may do it as a movie, strange things happen.

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHEN THE EARTH TREMBLED, August 25, 2000

By 

MICHAEL A BLODGETT (Lewisville, TX. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When the World Shook (Pulp fictions) (Paperback)

I was only searching for this book; I was reading a book by the old master,R.A. HEINLEIN,(rocket ship galileo), when i caught a reference to Haggard's "when the earth TREMBLED". HOW COME THE NAME DISCREPENCY?