Red Eve

Red Eve is a historical novel with fantasy elements, by British writer H. Rider Haggard, set in the reign of Edward III.^[1] Red Eve depicts the Battle of Crécy and the Black Death, and also features a supernatural personification of Death called Murgh.^[2]

Red Eve

First edition (UK)
Author	H. Rider Haggard
Cover artist	A. C. Michael
Language	English
Publisher	Hodder & Stoughton (UK) Grosset & Dunlap (US)
Publication date	1911
Publication place	United Kingdom

Reception

Discussing Red Eve, E. F. Bleiler stated "While the personalities are still stereotyped, the tendency to be sententious is not as obtrusive as usual, and the narrative is relatively brisk. The introduction of Murgh as a symbol is successful."^[3] Pamela Cleaver called Red Eve a "stirring tale" and said "the incidents...keep one reading until the end". However, Cleaver criticised the novel's characterisation, saying that the book's principal figures were "all stock characters."^[4] Darrell Schweitzer described Red Eve as "a later novel of particular interest", saying it began as a "costume romance", but became a weird fiction novel with the "introduction of the character Murgh, a personification of the Black Death."^[5] John Scarborough included Red Eve on a list of what he regarded as Haggard's best novels, along with King Solomon's Mines, She, Cleopatra, Eric Brighteyes, and Nada the Lily.^[6]

References

1. "Red Eve (H. Rider Haggard)". The World's News (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 1955). Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia. 14 October 1911. p. 31. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
2. Myron J. Smith, War story guide: an annotated bibliography of military fiction. Scarecrow Press, 1980. ISBN 978-0810812819 (p. 17).
3. E. F. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction. Kent, Ohio : Kent State University Press, 1983. ISBN 9780873382885 (pgs. 218-219).
4. Cleaver, Pamela. "Haggard, H(enry) Rider". In Henderson, Lesley, and Kirkpatrick, Daniel Lane, Twentieth-century Romance and Historical Writers. Chicago : St James Press, 1990. ISBN 9780912289977 (pg. 298)
5. Schweiter, Darrell. "Haggard, Rider", in Cardin, Matt, Horror Literature through History: An Encyclopedia of the Stories that Speak to Our Deepest Fears Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood, 2017. ISBN 978-1-4408-4756-1 (pgs. 407-408)
6. Scarborough, John. "H. Rider Haggard". In Bleiler, Richard, Science Fiction Writers : critical studies of the major authors from the early nineteenth century to the present day. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999. ISBN 9780684805931 (pg. 323-329)

External links

• Complete book at Project Gutenberg