# King Solomon's Mines



## orrinonken (Apr 24, 2010)

_King Solomon's Mines_
H. Rider Haggard

The kindle makes it enticingly economical to explore the nooks and crannies of the classic fiction that one would never go to if it meant shelling out twelve bucks a copy to Penguin or some other reprinter of public domain works of literature. Induced by David Gann's tale about the life and death of British explorer, Percy Fawcett, _The Lost City of Z_, I dropped in at Amazon and picked up the complete works of H. Rider Haggard. The first in an enormous number of novels you get for a ridiculously low price is Kings Solomon's Mines.

_King Solomon's Mines_ was published in 1885 and advertised as "the most amazing book ever written." When I read it in 2010, it was hardly that. In fact, as I read I felt that I had seen the movie several hundred times. The pleasure came from reading the original-if there is such a thing as an original-that spawned a thousand imitators. I have seen the elements of _King Solomon's Mines_ replicated in print, splayed across the big screen and elaborated to incredible proportions in video games. It would seem hard for this modest little adventure to be able to hold the weight of all it spawned, but reading it over a hundred years after it's publication, it manages to do fairly well.

The story is told by the iconic, Alan Quatermain, a fifty-something year-old elephant hunter who is on the down side of his career. He hooks up with two other Englishmen, Sir Henry and Mr. Goode, as well as a Zulu servant, to go in search of Sir Henry's brother and the lost treasure of King Solomon's mines.

The adventures are standard stuff for any modern reader who has ever watched an Indiana Jones movie or played Prince of Persia on a video system. Our heroes nearly die of heat and thirst in the desert. They nearly die of cold and hunger in the mountains. They awe the natives with their magic noise tubes that can kill at a distance. They consolidate power in a tribal civil war by using an almanac to predict an eclipse. And after ridding the natives of an evil king and putting in his place a king who will impose English justice on the tribe, they head to the mountains in search of diamonds. Our three sturdy adventurers, quite naturally, become imprisoned in the treasure-laden caverns of the mines, where secret doors open and close by means of hidden panels and ancient engineering.

I won't give away the end, but if you can't figure it out in a general sense you have never seen an adventure movie.

The book still holds up after a hundred years. It is fun. The three stiff-upper-lip Englishmen, although stereotypes now, have enough individuality and humor about them to make following their adventures a joy. Allan Quatermain, who is a bit of a coward and a quite a mercenary, is a good narrator for the tale. He is interesting, flawed and likable.

To my modern sensibilities, the glee with which the three hunters killed elephants for the tusks was a little hard to stomach, and the portrayal of native culture in Africa was anything but enlightened. But I could accept the fact that it was written in a different era. Those whose concerns about such things are carried closer to the heart might want to skip the book.

I doubt I will read the long list of novels written by Haggard. I suspect that they will be iterations of the same literary motifs so that once I have read a few, I will have read them all. The English adventurer, whether in real life or in fiction, is a character that the world will never see again. Allan Quatermain is one of the originals in fiction, and still worth reading today.


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## maryannaevans (Apr 10, 2010)

I read another book of his, _She_, a number of years ago. As you said, I read scene after scene, suffering _deja vu_, because Haggard has been so thoroughly imitated for so long. Those books struck a real chord with readers.

Sometimes I'll be talking about a book or movie with my kids--_Catcher in the Rye_, for example, or _Star Wars_--and I have to explain to them that this was the first of its kind. They may not be able to see the originality in it, because they've seen all the imitators, but _this_ is special because there had never been anything like it before.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

orrinonken said:


> [ But I could accept the fact that it was written in a different era. Those whose concerns about such things are carried closer to the heart might want to skip the book.


I fully expect that in another hundred or so years, people will be affected much the same way about our unenlightened era.  

Mike


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## askenase13 (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm a huge fan of pulp fiction.  haggard was one of the first.  you could argue (I would) that Conan Doyle was as well (more than just the Sherlock Holmes books).  Follow it up with Rafael Sabatini (especially "Scaramouch" one of my all time favorite books) in the 1930's, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Dashiell Hammett, Doc savage.  just great reading and great fun.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Doyle's Professor Challenger is way cool!  The Quatermain books are on that list of boooks I've aways wanted to read, but never seem to  get to.


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

I'm a Haggard fan. _King Solomon's Mines_ was the first of his books that I read. This was in pre-kindle days, and after I read it I wanted to read more of his books. Unfortunately, many were out of print. I was so excited when I got my kindle and found that I could get his books for free!


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## orrinonken (Apr 24, 2010)

> Follow it up with Rafael Sabatini (especially "Scaramouch" one of my all time favorite books)


Okay. I'll bite. I just ordered a collection of Sabatini. But I am working on the Robin Buss translation of the Count of Monte Cristo. I need to finish that first. (Which, by the way, is a great modern unabridged translation from Penguin that looks fantastic on the Kindle).


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Another Haggard fan here.  Remember that not all of his books have Quartermain as the protagonist.  Haggard did write some series so make sure you try and read them in the correct order. FWIW


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

Quartermain presaged Indiana Jones by almost a hundred years...unfortunately the series was ruined for a lot of people by those awful movies that came in in the 80's, the ones with Sharon Stone in 'em...anyone remember seeing them on late night TV?


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

I didn't see those Sharon Stone movies, but what initially got me interested was the movie with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr(sp?).


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

jonconnington said:


> Quartermain presaged Indiana Jones by almost a hundred years...unfortunately the series was ruined for a lot of people by those awful movies that came in in the 80's, the ones with Sharon Stone in 'em...anyone remember seeing them on late night TV?


Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile, I think. Theywere very popular, though I merely thought they were tolerable. Don't hold a candle to Indy!


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile, I think. Theywere very popular, though I merely thought they were tolerable. Don't hold a candle to Indy!


Except maybe the last one with the aliens and the Crystal Skull...LOL

But seriously, I dunno if anything by Haggard could be made into a movie today, not without a major rewrite or the willingness to face large amounts of self-righteous outrage from various interest groups. He write during Victorian times, at the height of the British Empire, and many of the values and ideals of that era might be in conflict with our own...


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

Turns otu, I was wrong...looks like there's a scifu-themed adaption of King Solomons Mines in the worls, with Sam Worthington as Quartermain...here's the link.


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

jonconnington said:


> Except maybe the last one with the aliens and the Crystal Skull...LOL
> 
> But seriously, I dunno if anything by Haggard could be made into a movie today, not without a major rewrite or the willingness to face large amounts of self-righteous outrage from various interest groups. He write during Victorian times, at the height of the British Empire, and many of the values and ideals of that era might be in conflict with our own...


It's too bad that fear and political correctness now rule over freedom of expression .


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Shastastan said:


> It's too bad that fear and political correctness now rule over freedom of expression .


Haven't been on many internet forums lately, have you?  

Mike


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

jonconnington said:


> Turns otu, I was wrong...looks like there's a scifu-themed adaption of King Solomons Mines in the worls, with Sam Worthington as Quartermain...here's the link.


Why can't they just do "Allan Quatermain" - the sequel to King Solomon's Mines that's never been filmed -- Lost Civilisations, unrequited love, huge battle scenes and heroic deaths. I'd pay to see it


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

williemeikle said:


> Why can't they just do "Allan Quatermain" - the sequel to King Solomon's Mines that's never been filmed -- Lost Civilisations, unrequited love, huge battle scenes and heroic deaths. I'd pay to see it


"People of The Mist" would make a great movie.IMHO


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Shastastan said:


> "People of The Mist" would make a great movie.IMHO


Or The Saga of Eric Brighteyes...


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

Allan Quartermain in space...well, at least they're thinking out of the box....


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## William Woodall (Jun 8, 2009)

I've read almost all of Haggard's books.  I liked "King Solomon's Mines", but it wasn't my favorite.  That would have to be "She", which I personally think is his best one.  As far as I know it's never been made into a movie, so it was still fresh and interesting when I read it.  It has a lot of the same themes. . . adventure in Africa and so forth, but it's quite different too.  It has to do with an a woman who lives forever because she discovered the secret of eternal life.  Of course she also lost everything she cared about in the process, but oh well. . . .  I would highly recommend it.

I first discovered Haggard while I was reading C.S. Lewis, actually.  He mentioned "She" in his autobiography.  (Which was entitled "Surprised by Joy" and which I would also advise everybody to read.  It's incomparable.)


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

William Woodall said:


> I've read almost all of Haggard's books. I liked "King Solomon's Mines", but it wasn't my favorite. That would have to be "She", which I personally think is his best one. As far as I know it's never been made into a movie,


It has, a few times

In 2001
Pretty poor adaptation. Glossy but lacking style and substance
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267923

In 1965, by Hammer Studios, with Ursula Andress as SWMBO. I saw this back when it was released before I read the books... they also did "Vengeance of She" a few years later. Typically over the top Hammer stuff but it's fun.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059710/

In 1935. Only seen this once, many years ago, but I remember it being fun
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026983/

In 1925. Never seen this one, but I'll have to track it down
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016338/

Full list of Haggard adaptations at IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016338/


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

williemeikle said:


> It has, a few times
> 
> In 2001
> Pretty poor adaptation. Glossy but lacking style and substance
> ...


Assuming they did make a movie version...who would you have as Ayesha?


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

jonconnington said:


> Assuming they did make a movie version...who would you have as Ayesha?


Salma Hayek


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

I read "She" on my K2.  There were sections early on that were in Greek and Latin.  The formatting was so poor that it could not be read.  Of course, I know very little of either of those languages.  I have "Return of She" (Also called "Ayesha"?) waiting to be read.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

jonconnington said:


> Quartermain presaged Indiana Jones by almost a hundred years...unfortunately the series was ruined for a lot of people by those awful movies that came in in the 80's, the ones with Sharon Stone in 'em...anyone remember seeing them on late night TV?


There was a King's Solomon's Mines movie in the 80s with Sharon Stone. It was gloriously bad. So bad it comes right back round to good again. One of my favourite movies. Just the other day, I was extolling its virtues to my gf, and forcing her to watch the trailer (she was not impressed).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089421/


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

DArenson said:


> There was a King's Solomon's Mines movie in the 80s with Sharon Stone. It was gloriously bad. So bad it comes right back round to good again. One of my favourite movies. Just the other day, I was extolling its virtues to my gf, and forcing her to watch the trailer (she was not impressed).
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089421/


Did you see the earlier one with Stewart Granger? To me, that's the "classic." Not as good as the book though.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Shastastan said:


> Did you see the earlier one with Stewart Granger? To me, that's the "classic." Not as good as the book though.


Yep, that's the best one IMHO. Just stay away from the recent Asylum one = it's truly dire.
http://www.theasylum.cc/product.php?id=143


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