King Solomon's Mines (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) [NOOK Book]

A reviewer

My only regret is that I waited thirty-seven years to read this amazing adventure. Unlike most contemporary fiction, the author made me feel as though I were experiencing the story instead of just reading it. Treat yourself to some true story telling.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

An African Adventure

The main character Allan Quatermain unexpectedly falls into the exploration of a unknown civilization in Africa on a quest to find a missing adventurer and possibly King Soloman's treasure.

The explorers soon find themselves amidst African kings, tribal warriors, and an elderly sinister seer. The book is filled with adventure and is regarded as one of the best books ever written.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A

Before i read this book, i avoided classics like the plague. This was my first classic that i read amd i loved it. I reread it about four times and loved better each time.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Ther Original Explorer Adventure Novel.

Sometimes a classic is a classic just because it provides so much entertainment to readers over the years. This is just a good fun read. Don't look for any deep social comment, Just take it as a fun entertaining story in which every guy can think 'I am Allan Quartermain.' This has obviously been the inspiration for so many of the adventure stories that have been written since KIng Solomons Mines publication in the the late 19th century. Just read it, and have fun.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Exciting and innovative adventure novel

King Solomon's Mines is a very thrilling book, and contains a number of scenes and ideas that have clearly inspired many other authors and creators. Indeed, the archetype of the cynical, hard-bitten adventurer was created by Haggard, and even modern day heroes such as Indiana Jones owe a great deal of inspiration to Haggard's Alan Quartermain. Unfortunately, like most books from the era that deal with Africa, there is a fair amount of racist/imperialist stereotypes and ideas. However, readers who can overlook these regrettable concepts will find an exciting, rousing and inventive read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Terrible Job of Formatting into Nook a great story

My problem is not with the book, it is with the formatting. I played for a long time, setting my Nook to publisher defaults, etc. and could not get the book to display without run-together words, etc. Not Bowdlerized but quite a mess anyway. Terrible job of creating an e-book.

Everyone should read this book. I believe that everyone should r

Everyone should read this book. I believe that everyone should read this book because is one one the original action novels, and arguably, the best. It is the best action novel because it uses vivid description, explaining to you the scenery and everything else, so that you develop a good idea of the setting, as well as the characters. At many points in the book, the author sometimes goes into pages of just describing the scenery, such as on page 182. “We hurried to where he was standing in a nook, something like a small bow window. Against the wall of this recess were placed three stone chests, each about two feet square. Two were fitted with stone lids, the lid of the third rested against the side of the chest, which was open.” (Haggard 182). This shows how he goes into deep description over the smallest things, to give you a picture of what he is describing in his mind. doing this makes the book very enjoyable and puts a good picture in your mind.  The author also describes people very well; throughout the book I felt like I was watching a movie as I read. This book is also excellent due to the reader engagement. Allan Quatermain (Narrator), frequently says “my reader” to make it feel as if you were there in a room with him, listening to his story. In addition, King Solomon’s Mines was an outstanding book because of the development of the plot and characterization. The book starts out slowly, and much of it is developing the background, the goal, and protagonists. The antagonists are not just one group of people; as they travel through the mountains there are multiple antagonists, from the weather to ancient native tribes that live there. The main characters are also introduced slowly and elaborately, so you get to feel almost as if you know them personally. For example, in the beginning of this book, Quartermain talks about the interest in going on this trip to find the Mines. He even talks about his son in medical school at home, and how he has to provide for him. You get to know his story, and what he is like personally from a first-hand account.  
My favorite character is Allan Quatermain. He is my favorite character because of his bravery and concern for those around him. Even when they were in the Treasure Room of Solomon’s Mines, he didn’t treat his companions any differently than he did when they were outside.Haggard also makes his character very normal and human,facing problems that he must overcome in the story like other humans. He shows bravery and loyalty. When their servant Umbopa tells them that he is actually the rightful king, He says that he will loyally fight with him for Umbopa’s position as king. Quartermain shows his bravery when they are in the dark cavern with the dead kings, and keeps going to the treasure room. 
My favorite quote is from page 188 when they all realize that all the billions of dollars in treasure couldn’t do anything for them, and Allan Quatermain realizes that no matter how rich you are, you can’t bring anything with you when you die. “Truly wealth, which men spend all their lives in acquiring, is a valueless thing at last.” (Haggard 188). This is perhaps one of the best things I have ever read. it says that when you die, you can’t keep any of it. You own nothing, it is all temporary. Allan realizes this as he sits in the Treasure Room, waiting to die in the dark, the richest man in the world. Perhaps Haggard was trying to informhis readers about this when he included that quote. 

Very good.

I liked the part about the hunting.

Wow!

I never ever would have thought about reading this. Excellent story, great twist, action, adventure, death, mayhem, who knew?

I LIKED IT

A classic thriller, reputation deserved!

early pulp

The start of the Lost World style of fiction, a precursor to the pulp novels to come later - it's a good adventure. A significant portion is taken up with a rather detailed account of military maneuvers in a civil war the heroes find themselves in the middle of, not quite the two-fisted daring that Allan Quartermain holds in the public mind's eye.

Historically, from a literary point of view, it's very interesting to see the early elements of adventure pulp novels planting their seeds. From a strict story point of view, the narrative occasionally bogs itself down recounting bland details, but still the adventure keeps itself apace and concludes grandly.

A Fun Book

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Hag­gard is a novel first pub­lished 1885. This novel is the first to fea­ture adven­turer Alan Quater­main.

The adven­turer and white Hunter Alan Quater­main is approached by Sir Henry Cur­tis and his friend Cap­tain Good to lead an expe­di­tion into the heart of Africa to find Cur­tis' brother. The brother was in search of the fabled King Solomon's Mines.

Quater­main, who is in a pos­ses­sion of a map to the mines which he never taken seri­ously, agrees to go but don't think they'll return alive. The adven­tur­ers brave heat, cold, dessert and jun­gle on their arduous journey.

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Hag­gard is an easy to read, fast paced and light read. The impor­tant thing to remem­ber when read­ing books such as this is not to take them too seriously.

This is a sim­ple tale, filled with swash­buck­ling adven­tures and explo­rations galore. Some of the book sim­ply drags, other parts are offen­sive in today’s terms (which I don’t hold it against the book) and some parts are sim­ply funny. I espe­cially found the pompous atti­tude of some of the char­ac­ters (mostly Quater­main) hilarious.

""How is it, O strangers," asked the old man solemnly, "that this fat man (point­ing to Good, who was clad in noth­ing but boots and a flan­nel shirt, and has only half fin­ished his shav­ing), whose body is clothed, and whose legs are bare, who grows hair on one side of his sickly face and not on the other, and who wears one shin­ing and trans­par­ent eye– how is it, I ask, that he has teeth which move of them­selves, com­ing away from the jaws and return­ing of their own will?"

Haggard’s tale is cer­tainly writ­ten to tar­get the Britain of the times, colo­nial is big, Africans are belit­tled and the white hunter is all but god among men. Many other adven­ture sto­ries, sans the racism, have used this for­mula where the hero can over­come any odds and still keep a good atti­tude and calm disposition.

Hag­gard goes into great details about which sup­plies Quater­main and his crew took on their adven­tures, includ­ing the type of wag­ons and even immu­niz­ing cat­tle. I couldn’t decided if these were sim­ply tedious details to ensure some sem­blance of authen­tic or just sheer brag­ging of the author.

This is not a book for polit­i­cally cor­rect minded peo­ple, the protagonist’s descrip­tion of Africans and ani­mals usu­ally has a neg­a­tive con­no­ta­tion to them. Quater­main con­tin­u­ally dis­misses the native pop­u­la­tion as beneath him and/or other Euro­peans. As this is not unex­pected, it is still some­what amus­ing to read how peo­ple thought a few decades ago.

The book’s premise is that Quater­main is telling this story to his son – some sort of a fire­side story. While it’s a nice intro­duc­tion, it does of course ruins the mys­tery of whether or not he will survive.

The char­ac­ter­i­za­tion in the novel is not much t

Great

One of my favs

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

This book is incredible. You feel that you are actulally in the story. Its full of adventure and it keeps you hooked. H. Rider Haggard is an amazing writer and you really should check out his other books, or you could just buy mobilerefernce complete collection.

The best book ever

Wish i could give it one million stars

Wonderful adventure story.

No one can beat the old books written so long ago. A great adventure and a great book.

A Great Read

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It's a classic adventure story that a lot of more modern books/movies are based on. If you like adventure stories, you won't be disappointed.

Good book

Some words mispelled, but hey, it's free. A great story. Very exciting

How about a sample of the actual book not just the intro?

Bn rip off

0 out of 8 people found this review helpful.