When the World Shook (1919) is a late work of H. Rider Haggard that brings together the author's recurring preoccupations—imperial exploration, metaphysical speculation, and the limits of human knowledge—into a single fantastical narrative. Set against the background of imperial adventure, the novel follows a trio of Englishmen—Humphrey Arbuthnot, a successful writer; Bastin, a devout but dogmatic clergyman; and Bickley, a rationalist doctor—on a journey that takes them far beyond the familiar terrain of Edwardian society and deep into an ancient world untouched by time. The narrative, structured in the form of a first-person memoir, details both the external voyage and the internal transformations that occur when these men encounter a hidden civilization, one whose existence challenges their assumptions about science, theology, and the nature of power itself.
In When the World Shook, Haggard creates not merely a tale of lost worlds but a profound meditation on the cycles of civilization and decay. Central to the narrative is a tension between technological progress and spiritual regression, which is embodied in the ancient ruler who survives from a bygone era, a figure who once held dominion over empires and now represents a living relic of a forgotten epoch. Through this character, Haggard explores themes of immortality, dominion, and the seductive danger of unchecked power. The ancient being is both awe-inspiring and cautionary—a paradox of wisdom and megalomania.
Unlike earlier adventure novels that rest comfortably within the realm of colonial romance, When the World Shook bears a more philosophical bent. The interplay between Bastin's religious orthodoxy and Bickley's scientific atheism underscores the novel's broader examination of epistemology. Humphrey Arbuthnot serves as a mediating figure, embodying the thoughtful observer torn between competing worldviews. Their conversations, often laced with humor and irony, reflect Haggard's own ambivalence about religion and rationalism in the face of life's mysteries.
The novel's setting—a volcanic island hidden in the Pacific—echoes the motif of the "lost world" that Haggard helped to pioneer. But here the exotic is not merely geographical; it is metaphysical. The island is more than a backdrop for adventure; it is a liminal space where the past and present, the mortal and immortal, the seen and the unseen converge. Haggard's descriptions of the terrain, replete with ancient ruins and subterranean temples, are infused with a gothic grandeur that enhances the novel's sense of timelessness and dread.
When the World Shook also reflects Haggard's post-WWI disillusionment. Though the novel was conceived before the war, its final form bears the marks of a world shaken by unprecedented violence and existential crisis. The collapse of the old order, the questioning of imperial purpose, and the fear of unchecked technological advancement all resonate within the narrative. Haggard's ancient civilization, though long vanished, serves as an allegory for the fragility of empire and the arrogance of modernity.
Stylistically, the novel maintains Haggard's characteristic blend of fast-paced adventure, lush descriptive passages, and philosophical digression. Yet its tone is darker and more introspective than his earlier works. The text does not merely celebrate the thrill of discovery but interrogates its consequences. The moral ambiguity of the ancient ruler and the ultimate fate of the island suggest a more complex worldview than the binary oppositions often found in adventure fiction.
In sum, When the World Shook is a richly layered work that combines speculative fiction with spiritual inquiry. It demonstrates Haggard's enduring ability to weave compelling narratives that entertain while simultaneously probing deep questions about human destiny, belief, and the burdens of power. Though less renowned than She or King Solomon's Mines, this novel deserves critical attention for its ambitious scope and its nuanced interrogation of the very ideologies that underpin the imperial adventure genre.
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In When the World Shook, Haggard creates not merely a tale of lost worlds but a profound meditation on the cycles of civilization and decay. Central to the narrative is a tension between technological progress and spiritual regression, which is embodied in the ancient ruler who survives from a bygone era, a figure who once held dominion over empires and now represents a living relic of a forgotten epoch. Through this character, Haggard explores themes of immortality, dominion, and the seductive danger of unchecked power. The ancient being is both awe-inspiring and cautionary—a paradox of wisdom and megalomania.
Unlike earlier adventure novels that rest comfortably within the realm of colonial romance, When the World Shook bears a more philosophical bent. The interplay between Bastin's religious orthodoxy and Bickley's scientific atheism underscores the novel's broader examination of epistemology. Humphrey Arbuthnot serves as a mediating figure, embodying the thoughtful observer torn between competing worldviews. Their conversations, often laced with humor and irony, reflect Haggard's own ambivalence about religion and rationalism in the face of life's mysteries.
The novel's setting—a volcanic island hidden in the Pacific—echoes the motif of the "lost world" that Haggard helped to pioneer. But here the exotic is not merely geographical; it is metaphysical. The island is more than a backdrop for adventure; it is a liminal space where the past and present, the mortal and immortal, the seen and the unseen converge. Haggard's descriptions of the terrain, replete with ancient ruins and subterranean temples, are infused with a gothic grandeur that enhances the novel's sense of timelessness and dread.
When the World Shook also reflects Haggard's post-WWI disillusionment. Though the novel was conceived before the war, its final form bears the marks of a world shaken by unprecedented violence and existential crisis. The collapse of the old order, the questioning of imperial purpose, and the fear of unchecked technological advancement all resonate within the narrative. Haggard's ancient civilization, though long vanished, serves as an allegory for the fragility of empire and the arrogance of modernity.
Stylistically, the novel maintains Haggard's characteristic blend of fast-paced adventure, lush descriptive passages, and philosophical digression. Yet its tone is darker and more introspective than his earlier works. The text does not merely celebrate the thrill of discovery but interrogates its consequences. The moral ambiguity of the ancient ruler and the ultimate fate of the island suggest a more complex worldview than the binary oppositions often found in adventure fiction.
In sum, When the World Shook is a richly layered work that combines speculative fiction with spiritual inquiry. It demonstrates Haggard's enduring ability to weave compelling narratives that entertain while simultaneously probing deep questions about human destiny, belief, and the burdens of power. Though less renowned than She or King Solomon's Mines, this novel deserves critical attention for its ambitious scope and its nuanced interrogation of the very ideologies that underpin the imperial adventure genre.
When the World Shook
When the World Shook (1919) is a late work of H. Rider Haggard that brings together the author's recurring preoccupations—imperial exploration, metaphysical speculation, and the limits of human knowledge—into a single fantastical narrative. Set against the background of imperial adventure, the novel follows a trio of Englishmen—Humphrey Arbuthnot, a successful writer; Bastin, a devout but dogmatic clergyman; and Bickley, a rationalist doctor—on a journey that takes them far beyond the familiar terrain of Edwardian society and deep into an ancient world untouched by time. The narrative, structured in the form of a first-person memoir, details both the external voyage and the internal transformations that occur when these men encounter a hidden civilization, one whose existence challenges their assumptions about science, theology, and the nature of power itself.
In When the World Shook, Haggard creates not merely a tale of lost worlds but a profound meditation on the cycles of civilization and decay. Central to the narrative is a tension between technological progress and spiritual regression, which is embodied in the ancient ruler who survives from a bygone era, a figure who once held dominion over empires and now represents a living relic of a forgotten epoch. Through this character, Haggard explores themes of immortality, dominion, and the seductive danger of unchecked power. The ancient being is both awe-inspiring and cautionary—a paradox of wisdom and megalomania.
Unlike earlier adventure novels that rest comfortably within the realm of colonial romance, When the World Shook bears a more philosophical bent. The interplay between Bastin's religious orthodoxy and Bickley's scientific atheism underscores the novel's broader examination of epistemology. Humphrey Arbuthnot serves as a mediating figure, embodying the thoughtful observer torn between competing worldviews. Their conversations, often laced with humor and irony, reflect Haggard's own ambivalence about religion and rationalism in the face of life's mysteries.
The novel's setting—a volcanic island hidden in the Pacific—echoes the motif of the "lost world" that Haggard helped to pioneer. But here the exotic is not merely geographical; it is metaphysical. The island is more than a backdrop for adventure; it is a liminal space where the past and present, the mortal and immortal, the seen and the unseen converge. Haggard's descriptions of the terrain, replete with ancient ruins and subterranean temples, are infused with a gothic grandeur that enhances the novel's sense of timelessness and dread.
When the World Shook also reflects Haggard's post-WWI disillusionment. Though the novel was conceived before the war, its final form bears the marks of a world shaken by unprecedented violence and existential crisis. The collapse of the old order, the questioning of imperial purpose, and the fear of unchecked technological advancement all resonate within the narrative. Haggard's ancient civilization, though long vanished, serves as an allegory for the fragility of empire and the arrogance of modernity.
Stylistically, the novel maintains Haggard's characteristic blend of fast-paced adventure, lush descriptive passages, and philosophical digression. Yet its tone is darker and more introspective than his earlier works. The text does not merely celebrate the thrill of discovery but interrogates its consequences. The moral ambiguity of the ancient ruler and the ultimate fate of the island suggest a more complex worldview than the binary oppositions often found in adventure fiction.
In sum, When the World Shook is a richly layered work that combines speculative fiction with spiritual inquiry. It demonstrates Haggard's enduring ability to weave compelling narratives that entertain while simultaneously probing deep questions about human destiny, belief, and the burdens of power. Though less renowned than She or King Solomon's Mines, this novel deserves critical attention for its ambitious scope and its nuanced interrogation of the very ideologies that underpin the imperial adventure genre.
In When the World Shook, Haggard creates not merely a tale of lost worlds but a profound meditation on the cycles of civilization and decay. Central to the narrative is a tension between technological progress and spiritual regression, which is embodied in the ancient ruler who survives from a bygone era, a figure who once held dominion over empires and now represents a living relic of a forgotten epoch. Through this character, Haggard explores themes of immortality, dominion, and the seductive danger of unchecked power. The ancient being is both awe-inspiring and cautionary—a paradox of wisdom and megalomania.
Unlike earlier adventure novels that rest comfortably within the realm of colonial romance, When the World Shook bears a more philosophical bent. The interplay between Bastin's religious orthodoxy and Bickley's scientific atheism underscores the novel's broader examination of epistemology. Humphrey Arbuthnot serves as a mediating figure, embodying the thoughtful observer torn between competing worldviews. Their conversations, often laced with humor and irony, reflect Haggard's own ambivalence about religion and rationalism in the face of life's mysteries.
The novel's setting—a volcanic island hidden in the Pacific—echoes the motif of the "lost world" that Haggard helped to pioneer. But here the exotic is not merely geographical; it is metaphysical. The island is more than a backdrop for adventure; it is a liminal space where the past and present, the mortal and immortal, the seen and the unseen converge. Haggard's descriptions of the terrain, replete with ancient ruins and subterranean temples, are infused with a gothic grandeur that enhances the novel's sense of timelessness and dread.
When the World Shook also reflects Haggard's post-WWI disillusionment. Though the novel was conceived before the war, its final form bears the marks of a world shaken by unprecedented violence and existential crisis. The collapse of the old order, the questioning of imperial purpose, and the fear of unchecked technological advancement all resonate within the narrative. Haggard's ancient civilization, though long vanished, serves as an allegory for the fragility of empire and the arrogance of modernity.
Stylistically, the novel maintains Haggard's characteristic blend of fast-paced adventure, lush descriptive passages, and philosophical digression. Yet its tone is darker and more introspective than his earlier works. The text does not merely celebrate the thrill of discovery but interrogates its consequences. The moral ambiguity of the ancient ruler and the ultimate fate of the island suggest a more complex worldview than the binary oppositions often found in adventure fiction.
In sum, When the World Shook is a richly layered work that combines speculative fiction with spiritual inquiry. It demonstrates Haggard's enduring ability to weave compelling narratives that entertain while simultaneously probing deep questions about human destiny, belief, and the burdens of power. Though less renowned than She or King Solomon's Mines, this novel deserves critical attention for its ambitious scope and its nuanced interrogation of the very ideologies that underpin the imperial adventure genre.
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940184505299 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | H. Rider Haggard |
| Publication date: | 07/02/2025 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 950 KB |
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