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Book Review of Herland (Dover Thrift Editions)

Herland (Dover Thrift Editions)
reviewed on + 813 more book reviews


Some books attract my attention by an intriguing title, others because the author has been previously unknown to me, yet some by their unique subject matter. This one combines all of these attractions: unknown author, unknown book; a title to wonder about (similar to Edward Abbott's Flatland); subject a feminine utopia. Will her vision track the fate of More's Utopia (1516), or of Butler's Erewhon (1872), or will it presage Ayn Rand (Anthem, 1938), and Zamiatin (We, 1924)?
There are also some similarities to Conan Doyle's The Lost World (1912) in its setting, discovery, and escape. I am also reminded of others that followed: H. G. Well's The Valley of the Blind ( ), and Burrough's Caspek (1918) trilogy. This is certainly a unique tidbit that an aficionado should not bypass.