Cleopatra lies asleep. One white, rounded arm makes a pillar for her head. The web of her dark hair falls over her like lace. Her limbs are draped in a robe so thin that the gleam of her flesh shines through it. Her rich lips are parted in a smile.
Harmachis looks down on her, and the sight of Cleopatra's beauty strikes the young Egyptian with all the power of a mortal blow. For a moment, Harmachis aches with grief—that he should have to kill a thing so lovely!
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"Its been fun reading most of Haggart's books especially if you can find one with the original illustrations in it. They're wildly imaginative and about an era that never really existed but fun to pretend that it did"
— Eleanor (4 out of 5 stars)
“This outstanding, unabridged audiobook edition of Cleopatra is ably narrated by William Sutherland and is technically flawless in its recording.”
— Reviewer’s Bookwatch“[Haggard] has imagined an ingenious answer to the questions suggested by the immense ruin of Antony and the Egyptian Queen…It is no small praise to Mr. Haggard that he has painted a Cleopatra that…has intellect, power, and feminine blandishments enough to account for her victories over sages and emperors.”
— Literary World“The most ambitious of the its author’s works…it endeavors to paint for us anew a figure which the imagination of the civilized world has pondered over for many centuries…thrilling.”
— Murray’s Magazine“[Haggard’s] most serious and his most brilliant work…not only immensely spectacular but artistically dramatic in every detail.”
— Literary News" Very interesting and unusual book. Not what I expected from Haggard. "
— C-shaw, 10/12/2013" Ok..so it was written in 1889. Maybe the time period just didn't lend itself to "happy" stories. Really, what was I expecting? Still a good story, but the ending.... one of those... "WHAT the h*ll just happened". "
— Gracee, 9/25/2013" i love a good book about a strong woman. great book. "
— Gina, 8/21/2013" One of the finest historical novels ever. "
— Krishna, 6/12/2013" Boreing...long and drawn out. Two of the characters were interesting but they showed up so seldom it was almost torture waiting for them to reappear! Quite a bit of hystorical info. if it can all be believed. "
— Audrey, 6/8/2013" Not what I expected but really interesting & a different view on Cleopatra "
— Joy, 5/29/2013" Pretty hard to get through with the cumbersome language. May have to read another on Cleopatra to determine how "factual" it was. "
— Dianne, 10/14/2012" I unfortunately found it so difficult to get into that I stopped reading 1/4 into the book. "
— Beth, 1/11/2012" This was a bit slow in the beginning and some other spots, but overall a very good book. Look forward to reading some of H. Rider Haggard's other novels. "
— John, 6/2/2011" A fantasy account of the life of Cleopatra; a magical facet of historical chronology. "
— Anupam, 4/14/2011" i love a good book about a strong woman. great book. "
— Gina, 1/24/2011" Boreing...long and drawn out. Two of the characters were interesting but they showed up so seldom it was almost torture waiting for them to reappear! Quite a bit of hystorical info. if it can all be believed. "
— Audrey, 1/20/2011" Ok..so it was written in 1889. Maybe the time period just didn't lend itself to "happy" stories. Really, what was I expecting? Still a good story, but the ending.... one of those... "WHAT the h*ll just happened". "
— Gracee, 12/25/2010H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was born in Norfolk, England. After failing the Army entrance exam, he went to Natal in 1875 as secretary to Sir Henry Bulwer and the next year went to the Transvaal. He returned to England in 1881, married, and settled down to a literary life. His first novel, King Solomon’s Mines, was published in 1885. He published thirty-four adventure novels during his lifetime. He was knighted in 1912.