H. Rider Haggard
H. Rider Haggard: A Life of Adventure and Imagination
#### Full Name and Common Aliases
H. Rider Haggard's full name was Sir Henry Rider Haggard. He is commonly known as H.R.H.
#### Birth and Death Dates
Sir Henry Rider Haggard was born on June 22, 1856, in St. Mary Bourne, Hampshire, England. He passed away on May 14, 1925, at the age of 68.
#### Nationality and Profession(s)
Haggard was a British author, best known for his adventure novels that often explored themes of colonialism, magic, and mythology.
#### Early Life and Background
Growing up in a family of modest means, Haggard developed a love for nature, history, and the arts. He attended Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied classics and theology. After graduating, he worked as a secretary to Sir Henry Bulwer-Lytton, the British High Commissioner to South Africa.
#### Major Accomplishments
Haggard's writing career spanned over four decades, during which he published more than 50 novels, plays, and short stories. Some of his most notable works include:
King Solomon's Mines (1885) - an adventure novel that tells the story of a group of adventurers who embark on a quest for gold in Africa
She: A History of Adventure Between London and Egypt (1887) - a fantasy novel that explores themes of colonialism, power, and the feminine mystique
#### Notable Works or Actions
In addition to his novels, Haggard was also a prolific playwright and essayist. He wrote numerous articles on topics such as history, politics, and literature. Some of his notable essays include:
Cetywayo and His White Neighbours (1881) - a historical account of the Zulu Wars in South Africa
The Great War (1915) - a collection of essays on the First World War
#### Impact and Legacy
Haggard's writing had a significant impact on popular culture, influencing authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. His novels often explored themes that were relevant to his time, including colonialism, imperialism, and the role of women in society.
#### Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Haggard's writing continues to be widely read and quoted today due to its:
Imagination and creativity: Haggard's novels often explored fantastical themes and ideas, which continue to captivate readers.
Historical significance: His works often reflected the social and political issues of his time, providing valuable insights into the past.
* Influence on popular culture: Haggard's writing has influenced numerous authors and creators, shaping the landscape of fantasy and adventure literature.
H. Rider Haggard was a prolific author who left an indelible mark on literature. His novels continue to be widely read and quoted today due to their imagination, historical significance, and influence on popular culture.
Quotes by H. Rider Haggard
H. Rider Haggard's insights on:
There are two things in the world, as I have found out, which cannot be prevented: you cannot keep a Zulu from fighting, or a sailor from falling in love upon the slightest provocation!
Love to a woman is what the sun is to the world, it is her life, her animating principle, without which she must droop, and, if the plant be very tender, die. Except under its influence, a woman can never attain her full growth, never touch the height of her possibilities, or bloom into the plenitude of her moral beauty. A loveless marriage dwarfs our natures, a marriage where love is develops them to their utmost.
I love thee, Macumazahn, for we have grown grey together, and there is that between us that cannot be seen, and yet is too strong for breaking;.
Ah! how little knowledge does a man acquire in his life. He gathers it up like water, but like water it runs between his fingers, and yet, if his hands be but wet as though with dew, behold a generation of fools call out, ‘See, he is a wise man!’ Is it not so?
The flesh dies, or at least it changes, and its passions pass, but that other passion of the spirit – that longing for oneness – is undying as itself.
When is truth pleasing? It is only when we clothe it’s nakedness with rags of imagination, or sweeten it with fiction, that it can please.
We were like confirmed opium-eaters: in our moments of reason we well knew the deadly nature of our pursuit, but we certainly were not prepared to abandon its terrible delights.
Our future was so completely unknown, and I think that the unknown and the awful always bring a man nearer to his Maker.
Whilst we were at Durban he cut off a Kafir’s big toe in a way which it was a pleasure to see. But he was quite nonplussed when the Kafir, who had sat stolidly watching the operation, asked him to put on another, saying that a “white one” would do at a pinch.
Men and women, empires and cities, thrones, principalities, and powers, mountains, rivers, and unfathomed seas, worlds, spaces, and universes, all have their day, and all must go.