Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, with a surprising (to us) 19th C philosophy
Review: "...What is a gentleman? I don't quite know, and yet... I've known natives who are... and I have known mean whites... who are not." -- Allan Quartermain, "King Solomon's Mines"As the most popular best-seller of the Victorian age, this story, which presents us with an African who is superior to Europeans, is a bit of a surprise! But this isn't just a ripping yarn, it's also a poignant consideration of cultures in conflict in late 19th century Africa. Allan Quartermain is the author's alter-ego, a somewhat self-deprecating man from a British upper-class background who has made his life in Africa. He is skeptical about European pretensions to superiority and the novel mocks the "Lord Jim" conception of the European worshipped by natives as a god. It is interesting that Robert Louis Stevenson shared this idea, since this novel was written as a direct challenge to Stevenson! Quartermain and his companions are seeking the lost brother of Sir Henry Custis, who disappeared seeking the mythic diamond mines of King Solomon. They soon encounter Sir Henry's spiritual brother; Umbopa, "a tall, handsome-looking man." It is the second time Quartermain has encountered Umbopa, whom he met during the Zulu War; Umbopa's intelligence then was greater than that of the British officers, as Quartermain recalls uncomfortably! Umbopa has a secret that leads directly to the novel's surprising climax, and to the decision that the surviving companions make at the novel's end. Haggard sets out to explode racial stereotypes and does, and while there is a good deal of violence in the book, it is never glorified. Although it inspired such fantasy writers as Edgar Rice Burroughs and Abraham Merritt, this adventure is rooted in a real understanding of, and respect for, other cultures. Even today it is a worthwhile read that is far more than just an adventure story.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Continient
Review: "King Solomon's Mines" is an excellent adventure, a classic ranking with Edgar Rice Burroughs "Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle". Allen Quartermain is hired by Mr. Curtis and Cpt. Good to find Curtis's long lost brother who disapeared in an uncharted part of Africa, looking for the mythic Solomon's dimond mines. Along the way they become involved in some lost tribes' civil war, and then become victoms of their own greed. This novel is a likley sourse of the Indiana Jones adventures of today. Although the characters are a bit older than we imagine heros to be (they are all in they 50s and 60s), they are much more able bodied than you would think. This is just a great classic pulp adventure that (as stated above) inspired Indiana Jones, Conan the Cimmerian, and Tarzan. Enjoy. It is, however, not like the movie that Richard Chamberlin stared in the 80s, so be warned.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Continient
Review: "King Solomon's Mines" is an excellent adventure, a classic ranking with Edgar Rice Burroughs "Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle". Allen Quartermain is hired by Mr. Curtis and Cpt. Good to find Curtis's long lost brother who disapeared in an uncharted part of Africa, looking for the mythic Solomon's dimond mines. Along the way they become involved in some lost tribes' civil war, and then become victoms of their own greed. This novel is a likley sourse of the Indiana Jones adventures of today. Although the characters are a bit older than we imagine heros to be (they are all in they 50s and 60s), they are much more able bodied than you would think. This is just a great classic pulp adventure that (as stated above) inspired Indiana Jones, Conan the Cimmerian, and Tarzan. Enjoy. It is, however, not like the movie that Richard Chamberlin stared in the 80s, so be warned.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Continient
Review: "King Solomon's Mines" is an excellent adventure, a classic ranking with Edgar Rice Burroughs "Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle". Allen Quartermain is hired by Mr. Curtis and Cpt. Good to find Curtis's long lost brother who disapeared in an uncharted part of Africa, looking for the mythic Solomon's dimond mines. Along the way they become involved in some lost tribes' civil war, and then become victoms of their own greed. This novel is a likley sourse of the Indiana Jones adventures of today. Although the characters are a bit older than we imagine heros to be (they are all in they 50s and 60s), they are much more able bodied than you would think. This is just a great classic pulp adventure that (as stated above) inspired Indiana Jones, Conan the Cimmerian, and Tarzan. Enjoy. It is, however, not like the movie that Richard Chamberlin stared in the 80s, so be warned.
Rating: 
Summary: More than a mere adventure novel for youngsters
Review: "King Solomon's Mines" was published in 1885, when the interior of Africa was still an unexplored, "dark" continent; thus, it was the first book to present the possibility of adventure in Africa to the European reading public. Riding on the tails of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island," "King Solomon's Mines" made H. Rider Haggard famous. Much of what Haggard writes is based on his personal experience and observations in South Africa, where, unusual among the British colonizers, he learned Zulu, which gave him an insight lacking in his colleagues and contemporaries. Although on the surface an adventure story for young boys, "King Solomon's Mines" raises interesting questions about the role of the colonists and their relationship with the African people on the eve of the great European scramble for Africa. Like the elephants that Quatermain and his group hunt and shoot down simply because they are there for the picking, so Africa and its riches presented itself to the Europeans as rich for exploitation. The question of "What is a gentleman?" runs throughout the narrative, leaving the European reader to discern whether Africans possessed a nobility and dignity comparable to the ancient Greeks and Biblical Hebrews. Haggard depicts the Zulu language as comparable to the richly metaphoric Old and Middle English languages. "King Solomon's Mines" gives us a glimpse into a way of life that was shortly to disappear with the arrival of the Europeans.
Rating: 
Summary: "Just a bunch of cliches strung together"
Review:
There's a story that, after coming out of a performance of
_Hamlet_, an audience member was heard complaining: "All he did was just string together a bunch of cliches!"
To some extent, _King Solomon's Mines_ has suffered a
similar fate. Modern audiences, jaded with inferior reproductions, may groan when the English explorers awe the
natives by--with the help of an almanac and a solar
eclipse--darkening the sun. The convenient death of inconvenient characters may seem contrived at time, and the
mystical gadgets of ancient civilizations have been so thoroughly explored by Indiana Jones and his like that you might wonder why you should bother to read the original at all?
In the end, _King Solomon's Mines_ is more than the sum of
its narrow scrapes, noble savages and Biblical booty. Haggard's masterful and often-underrated characterization
lets him weave a telling commentary about race and class
into the words of his unwitting narrator--while still
entertaining as only he can. Unlike some of his contemporaries' mindless colonial jingoism, Haggard treats
his black characters as more than obstacles to be overcome, and entertains the idea that English society might be less than perfect after all. While not as ambitious in its social commentary as my favorite Haggard book, _She_, _King Solomon's Mines_ still leaves the reader
with something to think about, as well as being a good adventure story in its own right.
Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Adventure
Review: As an avid fan of Jules Verne's adventures (AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, FIVE WEEKS IN A BALOON, etc), I was seeking another author who could take me places in my imagination that I had never experienced before. Here is another one of those authors. H. Rider Haggard's classic KING SOLOMON'S MINES is a fun adventure for just about any reader of any age. Though the adventure will be entertaining for an older child or early teen, it also addresses and portrays events of historical and social interest that will appeal to an adult. The British imperialist attitude is portrayed wonderfully in this tale. Also, the racism that goes hand-in-hand with British imperialism is found throughout the book as the native Africans are often treated like children who need to be cared for by the British. Loaded with realism, history, fun and adventure, KING SOLOMON'S MINES is a winner!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best adventures I've read
Review: Haggard is a master of visual scenery in the novel.
The book starts off rather slow, but picks up nicely and is an excellent story with nice twists and fantastic characters. The battle scenes are written extraordinarily well, which is difficult to do on paper. There is much excitement throughout.
The evil in the book is a little strong for my taste, so I wouldn't recommend this book for young readers only for that reason. But it makes for a great ending when the evil is conquered.
Rating:
Summary: A grand adventure in the classic tradition
Review: How happy to see a new edition of H. Rider Haggard's classic adventure of treasure seekers in South Africa! King Solomon's Mines is undeniably one of the most exciting and thrilling adventures I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and I reccommend it to all those who yearn for the days of exploration and discovery. Great fun!
Rating:
Summary: Ripping Yarn
Review: I first read this book at Kintail Lodge in Scotland (near the Isle of Skye). We were all rained in that day, so I just picked up this book from the library in the hotel. I was 12 years old then. It was absolutely the best book I'd ever read up till then in my whole life. Nice quick read too, not too long, and plenty of action going on. A great adventure. Nice warfare, and an evil witch (Gagool). No movie version has ever done it justice, but it would be nice if Spielburg could try again (very similar in atmosphere to the Indiana Jones stories but written nearly a century earlier).
30 years later, I read it again. And it is still just as gripping a tale as you could want. Hasn't dated at all, and there is only some stilted attitudes in the characters that strikes one now as pretty old-fashioned (honor, glory, etc.). A great boy's book that will get even a reluctant reader hooked. There is even a slight prurient interest in the fact that the landmark mountains are called Sheba's Breasts. Excellent book to read at any age, if you want something quick, exciting, and exotic.
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