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A review by scrooge3
The People of the Mist by H. Rider Haggard
4.0
This is a classic lost race fantasy novel, first published serially, then in book form in October, 1894.
It's the tale of a British adventurer seeking wealth in the wilds of Africa, finding romance, and discovering a lost race and its monstrous god.
The penniless Leonard Outram attempts to redress the undeserved loss of his family estates and his fiancee by seeking his fortune in Africa. In the course of his adventures, he and his Zulu companion Otter save a young Portuguese woman, Juanna Rodd, together with her nursemaid Soa, from slavery. Leonard and Juanna are plainly attracted to each other, but prone to bickering, and their romance is impeded by the watchful and jealous Soa. The protagonists seek the legendary People of the Mist, said to possess a fabulous hoard of jewels. On finding them, they immediately become embroiled in the turbulent political affairs of the lost race, which is riven by a power-struggle between its king and the priests of its giant crocodile god. The heroic Outram can do little more than react to events. The action climaxes in a hair-raising escape by tobogganning a large flat stone down a steep glacier.
The action set pieces are exciting and very well told. The romance is handled less well adroitly. The first few chapters could have been left out entirely; we could have learned all we needed to know about Outram's motivations through flashbacks or even a few simple expositions. Some of the class and race stereotypes don't age well, but the characters are definitely unique and interesting. Overall, a very enjoyable romp.
It's the tale of a British adventurer seeking wealth in the wilds of Africa, finding romance, and discovering a lost race and its monstrous god.
The penniless Leonard Outram attempts to redress the undeserved loss of his family estates and his fiancee by seeking his fortune in Africa. In the course of his adventures, he and his Zulu companion Otter save a young Portuguese woman, Juanna Rodd, together with her nursemaid Soa, from slavery. Leonard and Juanna are plainly attracted to each other, but prone to bickering, and their romance is impeded by the watchful and jealous Soa. The protagonists seek the legendary People of the Mist, said to possess a fabulous hoard of jewels. On finding them, they immediately become embroiled in the turbulent political affairs of the lost race, which is riven by a power-struggle between its king and the priests of its giant crocodile god. The heroic Outram can do little more than react to events. The action climaxes in a hair-raising escape by tobogganning a large flat stone down a steep glacier.
The action set pieces are exciting and very well told. The romance is handled less well adroitly. The first few chapters could have been left out entirely; we could have learned all we needed to know about Outram's motivations through flashbacks or even a few simple expositions. Some of the class and race stereotypes don't age well, but the characters are definitely unique and interesting. Overall, a very enjoyable romp.