She

H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was an English writer who spent several years in southern Africa before turning to fiction. He became one of the most popular authors of his time with King Solomon’s Mines in 1885, and She followed in 1887. Together with their sequels they helped define the lost-world adventure, a genre that influenced writers and film makers for generations.

The twenty-nine recordings begin with an introduction and the arrival of a mysterious visitor, then follow the narrator through years of waiting and into the expedition itself. The novel blends exotic travel with themes of immortality, desire and power, and it carries the assumptions of its age about empire, race and gender, which modern listeners will notice. Even so, the pace, the imagination and the figure of its extraordinary heroine have kept the book in print for over a century.

The book is also remembered for its atmosphere: caves, ruins and ceremonies create a world that feels both ancient and threatening. Haggard’s story builds suspense at a steady pace and holds a few surprises in reserve, so those who have not met it before should enjoy discovering them for themselves.

The 29 recordings run to about 11.6 hours in all and are read by LibriVox volunteers, so the journey to Africa is shared among many voices. It is a book for several evenings, and the pace of the story carries a listener comfortably across the breaks. The Introduction sets the frame, with an editor presenting the manuscript, and the chapter titles that follow, such as The Sherd of Amenartas, The Squall and The Head of the Ethiopian, promise just the mixture of antiquity, danger and the unexpected that the book delivers.