King Solomon's Mines

by Jack Kelly (Adapter)

The classic story of Allan Quatermain in the heart of Africa

Genres: Classics, Adventure, Fiction, Novels, Chapter Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Arsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief, adventures and inspiring classic.

[McKinley Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful little adventure tale through the perils of the desert and mountains. Makes me want to read the original. Also, Quatermain is very Indiana Jones, and that never fails to entertain.

Owen’s Review: 5/5 milk bottles. Has me ready for my own perilous journeys across the desert, but I’ll make sure to take plenty of water.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

King Solomon’s Mines by Sir Rider Haggard
Nine out of 10


Even if we can find this on The Guardian’s 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read - https://librivox.org/ - and other lists, the under signed has almost missed this altogether, after trying to read it and hoping to be thrilled by what is supposed to be one of the greatest adventure stories of all time – and surely it is for multitudes – then accessing again the site where you have a myriad of wonderful books, now in the public domain, after their copyright has expired, https://librivox.org/, finding some pleasure in it, but then disconnecting for much of the great battles, some of the crossing of the terrible desert, the awful perorations of the wicked Gagool and other episodes that have been missed…actually, not so much missed as wondered through, thinking perhaps about the Armageddon that is about to happen, if the virus brings in the desert of famine, after killing maybe a million…

The narrator and probably the main hero of this narrative, adapted no fewer than four (4!) times for the big screen, is Allan Quatermain, an intrepid, courageous, resilient, loyal, kind – although not in the least to animals – modest, since he says at least twice (maybe more in the passages where this reader was aloof, migrating on other subjects) that he is a coward and is very preoccupied with the upcoming battle that is supposed to decide in favor of the new, rightful king, Ignosi aka Umbopa, and also scared later, when he may have to face the vicious king Twala, as he is offered the chance to engage in combat with an enemy he chooses and the candid, rater humble hunter understands that given the massive stature, the formidable expertise of the warrior, he does not stand a chance and would be killed…
Early in the story, the hunter Quatermain meets with a man embarked on what seems to be a suicide mission, a quest for the diamonds of the Solomon’s Mines, or Suleiman as he is also known, a mysterious place, found on a map that a Portuguese elephant, Jose Silvestre hunter has had, the latter dying in his vain attempt to reach a very remote location – though we are to understand that the one who would reach this fabulous mine would become the richest in the world…the man that is embarked on this perilous journey, would be proved to be the brother of Sir Henry Curtis, one of the main personages of these adventures, the one who would admit to a grave mistake
Sir Henry had been arguing with his brother, and when their father dies, the younger sibling is left with nothing, and without means, one of the dangerous endeavors he envisages is to cross the death lands and find the treasure to restore some pride and his brother is now so repentant and sorry for his loathsome attitude that he would do anything to find his lost relative, Neville Curtis, trying to convince Alan Quatermain to join them, help them in this nearly impossible task, against the wishes of the hunter, who is clearly aware of the death danger and the odds that are small to insignificant for those who try to reach the mines to survive…

However, he is an elephant hunter and this is one of the vicious, awful aspects of this book and on account of this alone, my feeling is that it would be dropped in the future from respectable lists of to-read books, because even if we must think of the age, the idea that these characters have killed animals in such huge numbers as to send them close to extinction and now we read about them as possible role models would become anathema.

The life expectancy for elephant hunters was quite short – indeed, it used to considerably shorter for everybody else and in the case of those who massacred elephants and all other large and medium sized species, we could see this as a sort of Nature’s justice – and therefore, upon consideration, Quatermain reconsiders his position and has some conditions to help Sir Henry and his friend and companion, John Goode, find his lost brother – Sir Henry is not interested in the fortune, at least not in comparison with this ardor in finding the sibling, surely for love, but also to make amends, find closure and alleviate a feeling of guilt that would otherwise weigh on him for the rest of his life, if he does not try to compensate.
Thus, Quatermain asks first for two thousand five hundred pounds in advance, explain that he has a son to think of, which brings us to his second condition – though not in the order he presented them – that his would be inheritor, in case he dies, which seems so probable, would receive 200 pounds per year, for the next five – that is probably the equivalent of more than one hundred thousand in the currency of the present – and they would divide all the ivory they would obtain on this long, terrifying quest…all conditions agreed upon, the rich Sir Henry will place the hunter in charge of organizing this expedition, for which he buys 20 Zulu oxen, smaller and faster than the usual kind, a very good wagon, many weapons and supplies…

Umbopa aka Ignosi is one of the most important personages, hired as a sort of servant first, proving to be a crucial companion next and finally proving to be the rightful king of the Kukuanas, those who might prove to hold the ‘keys’ to the Solomon’s Mines, at the end of a tremendous journey, that reminded me of the much better, indeed Magnum opus The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Pulitzer Prize Winner - http://realini.blogspot.com/2018/06/t... and another Sublime Pulitzer Prize Winner, Honey in the Horn - http://realini.blogspot.com/2019/09/h... - both of these masterpieces are ten times better that The Solomon’s Mines, if you ask me and they are do not contain massacres…
Soon after they embark on their road to the mines, the party would engage in the killing of innocent, but tusks bearing creatures, and during this murderous operation, one of the natives is killed, trying to protect the master to the point where the poor victim commits self-sacrifice, then the beats are hacked, for they consider the heart of the elephant and giraffe stakes a delicacy, and the tusks buried under a massive, isolated tree for recuperation at the end of the bloody mission, if they ever survive and if they maintain the ineptest to get to this abject trophy…some say we should not be judgmental and think that moeurs of this day will be found more than contemptible in the future – if there is any after this pandemic and maybe the next one, originating ion one of those horrible markets that the Chines tyranny has decided to open again, as if nothing bad ever happened there – and I totally agree that upcoming generations would look at the treatment we still have now for animals – to mention just this issue – and see us as barbarians, murderers and primitive…as we surely are, especially those who vote for the Ultimate Monster in America

[Micah]

It was pretty good

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good adaption for kids, my nine year old son kept asking me if Allan Quatermain was in fact Indiana Jones. A good adventure story with lots of action and a fabulous treasure of diamonds.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

That’s some colonialist ass, problematic ass shite.

[AFMasten]

Heard an older person use the term "Gagool" and wanted to see what it was all about. Didn't realize this was a children's version of H. Rider Haggard's book. I'm not planning on reading the original. The death toll among the African characters (including the only two women in the book) was appalling. Colonialism certainly gave the white man's depiction of adventure a bigoted skew.

[Himanshi (Bookishlove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in one sitting!
It is very rare for me to find an adventurous classic book that is so difficult to put down.
The narrative is beautifully woven and traces the intricacies of human emotions, struggle and the quest to live a better life. Officially now declared as one of my all time favourite classics, this book was all worth it!

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my fourth grader. It was great.

[Debashish Chakraborty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it in my childhood so my opinion may be biased by nostalgia but I really liked the adventure. One of the first mythology based adventure that I read.

[Nathaniel Zacharias · Rating 5 out of 5]

"like the nectar of the gods"

[Rhoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adventurous book I read to my brother Jonathan.

[Henry Brackin · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

[Nicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know it's supposed to be good, but it didn't keep my attention. Stopped just over half way. Likely me.

[David Erkale · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Solomon's Mines is a great book

[Ryan Permison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good old fashioned adventure story. It’s Indiana Jones meets The Mummy. Not as good as other books in the genre but still a fun read.

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventure book just right for a teen-age boy.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rollicking adventure tale. In under 200 pages, Haggard spins a fast-paced yarn with centuries-old treasure maps, treks across forbidding landscapes, wild game hunts, A quest for lost family members, starvation, dehydration, freezing, animal attacks, a lost civilization, a war, witch hunts, illness, duels, a king restored to his rightful throne, love, ancient tombs, imprisonment, underground journeys, ancient diamond mines, and a whole lot more. (He doesn't offer much in the way of, say, character study, social critique, symbolism or anything like that-- but that's really not the point of this story.)

The book is also suffused with 19th century British attitudes about race and empire. While there are some admirable and even heroic black African characters (albeit as secondary characters), and even an interracial romance (something that might have been considered ‘bold’ the time of publication), it’s also filled with language about race that is truly cringe-worthy from a 21st-century perspective. Also, the setting, characters, and even the very plot stem from a fundamentally colonialist/imperialist ideology. Africa here serves as an exotic adventureland just waiting for enterprising, ambitious Englishmen with gumption and guns to come and enjoy some jolly good shooting and make a fortune by taking its resources (ivory, diamonds, etc.) as their own. And, of course, it's perfectly fine for them to deceive the native inhabitants), interrupt their religious practices, overthrow a ruler in order to put someone more to their liking in power along the way. In fact, it’s presented as both right− and justifiable− for them to do all of those things.

Most of all, though, I was struck by what an influential story this was and an appreciation for its place in modern literary history. It contains so many elements (including some pretty racist ones) which, though original at the time, have been re-used in subsequent adventure books and movies that they are now clichés. I also recognize elements from Haggard in quite a bit of early 20th century sci-fi and fantasy as well− with other planets or made-up worlds (or the inside of the earth) serving in place of Africa. And, while I don’t know for sure that Joseph Conrad specifically intended “Heart of Darkness” to be a response to “King Solomon’s Mines”, I do think I now have a better sense of the popular literary background in which that classic was written. I think it would be fascinating (say, in a university course) to read these two books in connection with each other.

[Ben Kesp · Rating 3 out of 5]

King Solomon’s Mines is one of Henry Rider Haggard's greatest works and was first published in 1885. Many of his works are fables which viewed native people as primitive and in need of salvation in contrast to the white Europeans who were superior to other human types. It was his experience in a wild and unchartered Africa that gave the backdrop to King Solomon’s Mines.

This adventure story is set in Africa and follows Allan Quartermain, an elephant hunter and his companions as they cross mountains and deserts in search for the hidden treasures of the biblical King Solomon. They eventually arrived in a place called Kukuanaland, which was ruled by a dictatorial King. Quartermain and his companions are caught up in tribal war, face fierce hardships and finally must confront the evil witch Gagool who knows the secrets to the hidden treasures.

The book moves at a fast pace right from the beginning. It is an easy read and plainly written. It draws you into the adventure in a wild Africa. It is set in a time when hunting of animals is a common occurrence so expect some scenes of elephant and giraffe killing. This however is just in a small part. The adventures are interesting and they really pull you in to see what happens next especially when the characters are caught in the tribal warfare at Kukuanaland.

The main characters in the book are Allan Quartermain, Sir Henry Curtis, Captain John Good and Umbopa (Ignosi). Each character is given a general rounding and not too much time is spent on the character development. The story sets out on the adventure of finding the treasure early on and pulls the characters along through the various events and hardships. Allan Quartermain who is narrating the adventure is the most detailed character as he often reflects back on his own life within the tale and gives us little insights.

I would recommend this book as it is an easy read and a great way to lose your self for a time in the wild and primitive continent of Africa. This is an adventure that will keep you reading to see what happens next.

[Craig Cote · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still not sure what made 'King Solomon's Mines' such a much more enjoyable listen than some of its contemporaries such as 'The Invisible Man' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'. Certainly the narrator was excellent, but considering the narrator of the other two was an actor par-excellence, I find it hard to attribute the difference to that. Perhaps it is simply the fact that the main characters are likable, a definite issue in the other two novels.

In any case, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this novel so much. And it has made my curious about the other Quartermain books that apparently exist. (Though not so curious as to immediately seek them out -- I've got plenty of reading material stacked up.)

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable adventure yarn if you can overlook the casual racism. It's actually quite an impressive book, considering that it created many of the Lost World tropes that pervade adventure literature to this day. Still, the book isn't particularly deep as it doesn't explore human nature in the way a good adventure novel should.

Interestingly, the most useful part of the book was probably unintentional: it gives us a peek into the mentality of Englishmen is South Africa in the late 19th Century.

[Sharon A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not my normal sort, but I downloaded it for an adventure reading through my local library, and I'm so glad I did. It was fast-paced, entertaining and amusing. Although it reflects the views of the time, I did find the adventurers likeable and with a progressive attitude toward the natives they encountered. Honestly I had the hardest time with the hunting -- I almost put it down during the elephant hunt. But I persevered and I'm glad I did.

[Nathaniel L · Rating 2 out of 5]

King Solomon's Mines shows adventure through 3 characters, a captain, a sir, and a quarter main who go on adventure searching treasure and diamonds in King Solomons mines. Sir Henry's main reason for adventuring is not the money but in search for his long lost brother. On there way there they find a African civilization. Jack Kelly has a brief form of writing the story but has a great idea to it.

[Ryanbaldinogarnetvalley.org · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a short and enjoyable piece of slightly obscure classic English literature, and it offered a nice view into what the English believed about the cultures of the native South Africans at the time. It was also a pioneer of the "lost world" genre that is still popular to this day. Kudos to H. Rider Haggard!

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, if you're going to abridge a classic, you get what you pay for. while the illustrations add to the enjoyment for kids, the text lacks the rhythm and beauty of the original, so reading it aloud is a bit challenging...still the action is non-stop, so it's an accessible way to have children hear some of these great stories...if you don't mind the lack of style.

[Janith Pathirage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the two H. Rider Haggard novels I really like (the other being 'Allan Quatermain'). But have to confess I haven't read many Haggard books. This one has lot of action, not cheap action. It was very realistic for an adventure novel. Since the novel is bit short , the story was on the spot form page one to the last. Really good stuff..

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much a product of it's age: God is an Englishman and all that. However, for all that it is a tale of adventure and derring-do that is well told and draws the reader into the sub - continent. Rider Haggard draws on his African experience to give the book a real substance when describing the native lifestyle.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down. Tremendous boy's adventure tale. Although predictable in parts (the text is a diary, so our hero has to survive each treacherous situation, doesn't he?), I still recommend Haggard's classic to all.

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know when you read a book & you feel like you have already read it & you're no longer excited? Maybe the books I read were adapted from this classic but I found those versions more entertaining. Nevertheless, an OK read.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good adaptation for kids of the original novel. The sense of adventure and wonder is kept intact while removing some of the bloodier aspects and attitudes. Older children and adults should still read the original by H Rider Haggard.