Heu-Heu

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Heu-Heu; or, The Monster
Heuheu.png
First edition (UK)
Author H. Rider Haggard
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Hutchinson & Co (UK)
Doubleday Doran (US)
Publication date
1924
Preceded by The Holy Flower  
Followed by She and Allan  

Heu-Heu; or, The Monster is a novel by H. Rider Haggard. Allan Quatermain tells the story of a monster in Rhodesia. [1]

Contents

The novel features a legend about a giant gorilla monster, to which young women are sacrificed. Some writers have suggested Heu-Heu may have influenced the script of the movie King Kong (by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace), which has a similar plotline. [2]

Plot

Allan and his sidekick, the faithful and always amusing Hottentot Hans go on a mission for the Zulu wizard Zikali (himself featured in many of the previous Quatermain books) and endeavor to bring back some leaves from the rare Tree of Illusions. They also attempt to delve into the mystery of Heu-Heu, a monstrous, 12-foot-tall, clawed and red-bearded semi-gorilla god who may or may not exist. As is usual in Haggard's novels, Heu-Heu starts off with an action set piece, a storm in which the heroes are forced to seek shelter in a Bushmen's cave, and from there moves swiftly and excitingly.

Reception

E. F. Bleiler's review of Heu-Heu states "while the lost-race aspects of the Walloo are somewhat stale, the descriptions of Black native life are, as always, fascinating" [3]

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References

  1. ↑ "Books of the Week". The Brisbane Courier . National Library of Australia. 19 April 1924. p. 18. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  2. ↑ Everett, Elden K. "H. Rider Haggard: Creator of King Kong?" In Gottesman, Ronald, and Geduld, Harry M., The Girl in the Hairy Paw: King Kong as Myth, Movie, and Monster. New York, Avon Books, 1976 ISBN   9780380006106 (pgs. 43-6)
  3. ↑ Bleiler, Everett (1983). The Guide to Supernatural Fiction. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. p. 221. ISBN   0873382889.
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