Word: ayesha
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1920-1929
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...feet, praying, marrying. His "divinely conferred preeminence" (as in the later case of lusty Brigham Young) brought handsome women flocking to him, from every part of the rocky, sandy peninsula. His frequent nuptials (not counting concubinations) were usually preceded by revelations, which only one of the wives, irreverent young Ayesha, ever presumed to suspect. He consoled a dying wife with the assurance that his arrival in heaven was eagerly awaited by Moses' sister (Kulthum), Potiphar's wife and the Virgin Mary...
These jarring transitions when coupled with such an abrupt initial opening do much to destroy the artistic illusion of reality which is elsewhere carefully sustained. Mr. Haggard in "She" and "Ayesha" dealt with equally fastastic romantic themes, but he blended the elements of time and space in such a way as to heighten the reality of the supernatural...
...Wisdom's Daughter", the third of what may be termed the "she" cycle, is the same story as that told by "She and "Ayesha", but this time is told by the Child of Wisdom herself. It is the story of her life--interesting, but without the flavor of reality which was the outstanding feature of the first two books. Sir Rider Haggard is not so young as he once was. He has lost much of the power of fiery action and intriguing suspense which made his earlier books deservedly so popular. Here and there we see flashes of the sparks...
...Ayesha's life should never have been written. All the glamor and mystery with which She was surrounded have been explained away, and we learn to know the daughter of Yarab too well. She is just a self-willed woman crossed in love by one who, though far from perfect, was at least a faithful wife and mother...