Some books age like fine wine, others… not so much. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard? Let's just say it's closer to sour milk, at least in my opinion. I always try to cut older books some slack, understanding the context of their time. But this one? It's a real struggle to find anything redeeming. Honestly, it's both incredibly dated AND the kind of adventure story I'd never enjoy anyway, so there's that working against it too. King Solomon's Mines is supposedly an adventure/survival t...

What a whirlwind of adventures Allan Quatermain and his crew get into! H. Rider Haggard cheerfully slaughters a few elephants and giraffes to keep our treasure hunters fed. Oh, and the heroes also help a rightful heir reclaim his throne – just a little side quest, you know. This book, *King Solomon's Mines*, is absolutely captivating. I wandered through its pages with delight, feeling like I was in a Jules Verne novel. These King Solomon's Mines are the prize at the end of an odyssey that might...

Victorian-era escapism at its thrilling best!Much like its contemporaries – Edgar Rice Burrough's Caspak, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World, Jules Verne's subterranean Lidenbrock Sea, and even HG Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau – King Solomon's Mines is a classic adventure story set in an exotic and dangerous locale. In broad strokes, you could describe it as Indiana Jones with Victorian manners and motivations.Allan Quatermain, a gentleman adventurer who's defied the odds and lived far longer tha...

A fantastic blend of history, imagination, and the era in which the author lived. The events are exciting, fast-paced, and mysterious, transitioning seamlessly from one scene to another.The adventurers obtain the treasures in *King Solomon's Mines* after their incredible adventure, but each of them gets their own treasure, and he who laughs last laughs best.H. Rider Haggard chose Africa as the setting for this novel, even though historically King Solomon's kingdom was in Asia. This is because Af...

Am I a gentleman? That's what Allan Quatermain wondered on his 55th birthday.I've worked with my hands since I was 11, and I've killed dozens of men, but I've never stained my hands with innocent blood. I've taken down 65 lions, and it was only a matter of time before the 66th mauled my leg.So, let's set off to Africa with a classic adventure novel {but we're already in Africa 💃}, where we meet the British, obsessed with excavating treasures and artifacts. A rescue mission mixed with a treasure...

***2017 Summer Lovin’ Reading List*** King Solomon's Mines is definitely a product of its Victorian, colonial era. Don't go into this book expecting anything different. Allan Quartermain is an unlikely protagonist—an elephant hunter, something that would get him publicly shamed on the internet these days. This is very much an old-fashioned adventure tale, set in the deepest, darkest Africa. The white men in this story have absolutely no doubt that they're at the very top of the social ladder...

This book was written for men like Haggard, those thick-headed Victorian blokes with narrow minds and absolutely no empathy. They're the real savages. They're the uncivilized brutes. And they gave *this* to children to read back then? *This* is what they considered an "adventure?" How can anyone criticize Conrad when utter garbage like *King Solomon's Mines* is considered a classic? This is a revolting artifact of history, one the world would be far better off forgetting. Sure, you might argue ...

I've always been captivated by treasure hunt stories, and *King Solomon's Mines* exceeded all my expectations. It was a true adventure! It's a tale of survival, revenge, the making of a king, an epic treasure hunt, and the bonds of friendship.I was hooked from page one, and the story just became more gripping with each turn of the page. *King Solomon's Mines* reminded me of countless adventure films, both from Hollywood and Bollywood (that's the nickname for the Hindi film industry based in Mumb...

This book came about because of a five-shilling bet from H. Rider Haggard's brother, who dared him to write a book half as good as Treasure Island. Haggard was incredibly popular back in the day; he and Robert Louis Stevenson were the two big adventure writers.It's wildly imaginative. Allan Quatermain is a fantastic character, a tough and cunning old Ulysses who calls himself a coward. There's a scene near the end with artificial stalagmites that's thrillingly evocative and creative (and creepy)...

H. Rider Haggard, the British originator of lost civilization adventure stories, delivers one of his most famous and finest works with *King Solomon's Mines*. It's a wonderful, if improbable, trek through the dense jungles, towering mountains, and scorching deserts of this fascinating land. For anyone interested in this fun genre—especially those discovering it—a captivating, ancient city, hidden from our knowledge for millennia, awaits. And, obviously, I shouldn't need to say this adventure is ...