The Witch's Head
The Witch's Head is the second novel by H. Rider Haggard, which he wrote just prior to King Solomon's Mines.[1]
| Author | H. Rider Haggard |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Adventure novel |
| Publisher | Hurst and Blackett |
Publication date | 1885 |
| Text | The Witch's Head at Wikisource |
Background
Haggard wrote the novel following his debut effort Dawn. He was unable to find any magazine that would serialise the story, but it was accepted for publication by the firm that had put out Dawn. Haggard later wrote that "although, except for the African part, it is not in my opinion so good a story as Dawn, it was extremely well received and within certain limits very successful."[2] The 1893 edition was illustrated by Charles H. M. Kerr.
Reception
The book was a minor success, earning Haggard a profit of fifty pounds.[3]
Haggard later named his daughter Dorothy after the heroine in the novel.[2]
Mr. Haggard knows a good deal about Zululand, and rifle shooting, and of the wilder pleasures of the country, and he has contrived to make a lively story out of these and other materials.[4]
References
- R.D. Mullen, The Books of H. Rider Haggard: A Chronological Survey Science Fiction Studies, # 16 = Volume 5, Part 3 = November 1978 accessed 13 December 2013
- H. Rider Haggard, The Days of My Life Chapter 9 accessed 21 December 2013
- "Rider Haggard". Oakleigh Leader (North Brighton, Vic. : 1888 - 1902). North Brighton, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 24 November 1888. p. 9. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- Buckingham, James Silk; Sterling, John; Maurice, Frederick Denison; Stebbing, Henry; Dilke, Charles Wentworth; Hervey, Thomas Kibble; Dixon, William Hepworth; MacColl, Norman; Rendall, Vernon Horace; Murry, John Middleton (10 January 1885). "Review: The Witch's Head by H. Rider Haggard". The Athenaeum (2958): 49.
External links