H. Rider Haggard

Mr Meeson S Will H. Rider Haggard

Henry Rider Haggard was a British Victorian writer known for his adventure novels set in exotic places. Haggard's father sent him to Africa as assistant secretary to Lieutenant-Governor of Nata, Sir Henry Bulwer. His larger-than-life adventurers in Colonial Africa, the great mineral wealth discovered in Africa, and the ruins of ancient lost civilizations in Africa such as Great Zimbabwe would appear in many of his stories. Haggard also wrote about agricultural and social reform, in part inspired by his experiences in Africa, but also based on what he saw in Europe. His writings are sympathetic to the natives. He often portrayed Africans as heroic in his stories even though the main characters are usually European. Haggard created the Allan Quatermain adventures. Mr. Meeson's Will is the story of mean Mr. Meeson, the greedy and wealthy owner of a publishing house. Augusta Smithers is a young writer who enters into an unfair contract with Meeson. In order to make a fresh start she boards a steamer bound for New Zealand only to find her enemy is on the same ship. After a collision with a whaler Augusta, Meeson and several others are washed up on one of the lonely Kerguelen Islands, in the south Indian Ocean. Before his death Meeson tattoos his will on Augusta's back. This leads to a very interesting court battle in the second half of the book. The novel is at once a tale of adventure, a critique of the publishing industry in late 19th century England, and a satire on the English legal system.