Les Mines du roi Salomon: Les aventures d'Allan Quatermain

Par Brian Stableford et Henry Rider Haggard

Suivez les aventures d’Allan Quatermain, l’Indiana Jones du XIXe siècle

Dans les années 1880, trois Anglais s’aventurent dans des contrées inconnues de l’Afrique du Sud, à la recherche de Neville Curtis, parti en quête des fameuses mines de diamants du roi Salomon. Conduit par Allan Quatermain, le groupe d’aventuriers doit affronter de multiples dangers avant de trouver une contrée perdue, celle des Kukuanas, dirigée par le tyran Twala et la sorcière Gagool. Mais qui est le mystérieux Umbopa qui suit l’expédition depuis le départ ? Et comment les aventuriers sauront-ils se sortir des situations les plus périlleuses et gagner la confiance de la population opprimée par Twala ? Il est le premier d’un genre qui s’est constitué à une époque où le continent noir recélait encore de nombreux mystères. Adapté plusieurs fois au cinéma, ce roman ouvre la voie à plusieurs récits mettant en scène Allan Quatermain, véritable archétype de l’aventurier anglais de la période coloniale, dont la célèbre "Ligue des Gentlemen extraordinaires" n’a pas manqué de faire son leader.

Avec L’Île au trésor de Stevenson, Les Mines du roi Salomon est sans conteste le roman d’aventures le plus célèbre de la littérature anglaise

EXTRAIT

Lorsqu’on y réfléchit, c’est quand même une chose bizarre que l’idée me soit venue, à mon âge, c’est-à-dire à cinquante-cinq ans bien sonnés, de prendre la plume pour essayer d’écrire un livre. Je serais curieux de savoir quelle tournure il aura quand il sera terminé, si toutefois j’ai la patience d’aller jusqu’au bout de l’aventure ! J’ai accompli bon nombre de choses au cours de mon existence, qui me paraît fort longue, sans doute parce que j’ai commencé à me débrouiller très jeune. À l’âge où les autres enfants vont encore à l’école, je gagnais déjà mon pain dans le commerce dans la vieille colonie du Natal. Depuis lors, je n’ai pas cessé de m’occuper de négoce, ou de chasse, ou de pêche, ou d’exploitations minières. Et, malgré cela, il y a seulement huit mois que j’ai réussi à faire fortune. Cette fois, c’est un fort joli magot que je possède—je ne sais même pas encore à quel chiffre il faut l’évaluer —, mais je ne crois pas que je consentirais, pour le reconquérir, à revivre les quinze ou seize mois que je viens de passer ; non, pas même si j’étais sûr d’en sortir indemne et doté de mes richesses. Il est vrai que je suis un timide, que j’ai horreur de la violence. Surtout, je suis dégoûté des aventures. À vrai dire, je me demande pourquoi j’entreprends d’écrire ce livre: une tâche qui n’est guère de ma compétence. Je ne suis pas un homme de lettres, quoique je lise avec assiduité l’Ancien Testament et les Légendes d’Ingoldsby.

A PROPOS DE L’AUTEUR

Henry Rider Haggard est un écrivain britannique, qui se distingue notamment par ses romans d’aventures qui ont influencé de nombreuses œuvres et personnages de cinéma, comme par exemple Indiana Jones. Il a entrepris de nombreux voyages en Afrique, décor de choix pour nombre de ces romans. Bien que ceux-ci témoignent de la domination coloniale britannique, l’écrivain présente les autochtones sous un angle positif. Il a également entretenu pendant de longues années une correspondance avec Rudyard Kipling.

• Langue: Français
• Éditeur: Primento Digital
• Date de sortie: 26 févr. 2015
• ISBN: 9782843625589

Avis sur Les Mines du roi Salomon

[john5918 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A classic adventure yarn, set in 19th-century southern Africa, and written in 1885. Although it takes liberties, and reflects the limited knowledge of the interior of Africa at that time, it is at least written by someone who lived in Africa and had some idea what he was talking about. His view of the "natives" reflects contemporary views, but he comes over as relatively progressive for his times. Very British, very manly and patriarchal, but well worth reading

[bjh3038 · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

For such a short story, this tiny book took an awfully long time to read.

[hemlokgang · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Basically, this was a wonderful adventure story and morality tale all in one. It has all the pitfalls of gender bias, stereotyping, blah, blah, blah.....they are a given in literature of a certain era. Taking all that into account, it was just plain a wonderful adventure. Questions it raised: What is wealth? What is wisdom? What is courage?

[clurb · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A classic adventure story that still has the power to grab you. Chocked full of humour, Alan and his friends battle across the desert hunting elephants, dying of hunger, duping the natives and getting themselves in scrapes. Complete with happy ending. Marvellous.

[hamburgerclan · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

This is the first of the Alan Quartermain novels, that adventure series from the late 1800s. As a ground breaking adventure novel, I suppose I should have liked it better. The problem is, I've read so many "lost world" tales in my day that King Solomon's Mines seemed a bit cliched. I do have to admit, though, that despite the racism and other 19th Century attitudes, the story has weathered pretty well. The novel is nowhere near as thick as some of its contemporaries that I've read.--J.

[shadowofthewind · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Great adventure story, one of the first of its genre. Lost diamonds, biblical legendary, forgotten peoples, war, and the restoration of a king. A search for lost diamonds turns into an amazing adventure. My modern day sensibilities had trouble with what was acceptable over 100 years ago (elephant hunters and they even eat Giraffe steaks!) Even from this adventure novel there are great life lessons:"What is life? Tell me, O white men, who awise, who know the secrets of the world, and the world of the stars, and the world that lies above and around the stars; who flash your words from afar without a voice: tell me, white men, the secret of our life--whither it goes and whence it comes!You cannot answer me: you know not, Listen, I will answer. Out of the dark we came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night we fly out of Nowhere; for a moment our wings are sen in the light of the fire, and lo we are gone again into the Nowhere. Life is nothing. Life is all. It is the Hand with which we hold off Death. It is the glow-worm that shines in the night-time and is black in the morning. It is the white breath of the oxen in winter; it is the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself at sunset." p 65

[johnthefireman · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A classic adventure yarn, set in 19th-century southern Africa, and written in 1885. Although it takes liberties, and reflects the limited knowledge of the interior of Africa at that time, it is at least written by someone who lived in Africa and had some idea what he was talking about. His view of the "natives" reflects contemporary views, but he comes over as relatively progressive for his times. Very British, very manly and patriarchal, but well worth reading

[aliceanna-1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I like a good adventure, but Good Lord they killed off a helluva lot of people in this one and the disposable nature of the African warriors just got on my last nerve. I know this was from a different time, but YIKES!! I'm not sure that I would have finished it had it not been for the character of Good.

[pilgrimjess · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

"Truly wealth, which men spend all their lives in acquiring, is a valueless thing at the last."Allan Quatermain is an ageing hunter based in South Africa. One day he meets Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, who want his help in searching for Curtis’s brother, who disappeared whilst searching for the legendary King Solomon’s Mines. By coincidence Quatermain has a sketchy map of the mines location and despite reservations about their likely survival agrees to lead an expedition to discover the fabled biblical King's source of wealth taking along with them a Zulu servant, Umbopa. After nearly dying crossing a desert they reach the border of Kukuanaland and the ancient road that leads to the mines only to find the country is ruled by a brutal despotic king and a witch who guard the treasure. Quatermain must use all his cunning if they are to survive.This novel was written in the late nineteenth century and as such conforms with the norms and tastes of Victorian Britain and features imperialist, racist and sexist views that readers today would find offensive. Equally much of the writing style feels clichéd to modern readers but we must remember that this book was written at a time, before aeroplanes, television and the internet, when there were still large parts of the world which were unknown to the wider world. As such these clichés were not clichés when they were written. Rather this novel became part of the very popular, at the time, 'lost world' genre which later evolved into the 'sci-fi' genre. As such this becomes a forerunner of much that we read to day and therefore modern readers have to make a few allowances for it which is sometimes easier said than done. Today this book is seen as a 'children's classic' but would have been mainstream in it's heyday.

[dreamlikecheese · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This a classic rip-roaring adventure yarn about a group of men heading into deepest darkest Africa on the hunt for a lost brother and treasure. This book is most definitely a product of its times, with all the racism and chauvinism which that entails, but despite that it actually manages in some ways to be a more sympathetic treatment of "the natives" than many other books of a similar era. Just don't go in expecting enlightened attitudes!The story is engaging, and the voice of the "narrator" of the piece shows a writer at the full peak of his talent. He manages to maintain the line between Quatermain's natural voice and the voice of someone attempting to write a proper narrative for others to read, which maintains the fiction of Quatermain writing about his experiences very well. The humour is often unexpected, the story is well-paced, and the action is well-written. It's not a deep read, but it's a thoroughly engaging one.

[deltaqueen50 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Through tri-weekly e-mail instalments from DailyLit, I have read the classic adventure story, King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard. Slightly dated, but still a ripping good yarn, as Allan Quartermain leads a small party consisting of Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good along with their African servants and guides, into the African wilderness in search for Sir Henry’s missing brother. The brother had set out some two years previously on a search for the fabled diamond mines of King Solomon but hadn’t been heard of since.Quartermain agrees to lead the party for a share in the treasure, if found. They set off across a desert and barely surviving, eventually end up in a country called Kukuanaland. Here they are disappointed not to find Sir Henry’s brother but they do meet the vicious upstart King Twala and agree to help the rightful king overthrow him. As a reward for their aid, they will be allowed entry to the legendary mine and to carry away as many diamonds as they wish. Although the superior attitude of the white people could become very grating it is obvious why this book captured the Victorian imagination when originally published in 1885 and Africa was still truly the Dark Continent. Even today it remains one of the foremost adventure stories. I was going to mention how the characters were stereotypes, but then I got to wondering if the stereotypes of this kind of novel are not based on these original characters. I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and reading this novel in this very different format.

[gypsysmom_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

If nothing else reading classics such as this reminds us how far we have come since the Victorian society in which this book is set. For one thing, there can't be a square mile of land on earth that hasn't been thoroughly mapped and almost as thoroughly explored. Nowadays in order to make a treasure hunt realistic it would have to be set on a distant planet or deep under the sea. Also, the way in which people of colour are portrayed is now far different from the noble savages and humble servants of this book. I think it is good to look back now and then to what is not that long ago. It doesn't hurt that this is a cracking good adventure story.Alan Quatermain is an elephant hunter in southern Africa who manages to get by financially but never gets wealthy. He meets Sir Henry Curtis who is searching for his brother who came to Africa to look for the fabled mines of King Solomon and has not been heard from in two years. Sir Henry asks Quatermain to accompany him on his search promising him a share of any treasure they find. Quatermain agrees although he thinks the likelihood of surviving, let alone finding treasure, is slight because Sir Henry promises to set up a fund to support Quatermain's son regardless of the outcome.This book is on the 1001 Books to Read before you Die list and I can understand why since it was one of the first adventure stories. It's an easy read and diverting if you can ignore the elephant slaughter and the bloody deaths that are depicted.

[mromano_95 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

An exciting fast paced book; but the reader should beware that the book was published in 1885 and does reflect the racist attitudes of the time. Lovers of animals might also be offended by the wholesale slaughter of elephants etc within. That said however, the work is well written,with a good plot and plenty of interesting dialogue.

[cmbohn · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Themes: Exploration and conquest, hunting, long lost heirs, missing brothers, starcrossed lovers, witchcraft, raceSetting: South Africa about 1890 maybe?Yes, this has some graphic descriptions of an elephant hunt. In fact, the main character, Allan Quartermain is a hunter. That's how he makes his living, killing animals, especially elephants, for their hides and their ivory. Yes, there is a lot of racism in the book. Some racial epithets, but even more a feeling of white man's superiority that permeates the whole book. By the end of the book, I think that the white folks are more tolerant of the black, but there is still a gap. So if that is going to keep you from enjoying the book, I'm warning you now not to pick it up.But I loved it. I'm not sure what it says about me that I could overlook that, if that means there are some deep hidden character flaws or if it means that I am more shallow than the rest or what, but I stinking loved this book. It was a kick butt adventure yarn. Elephant stampedes, Sheba's Breasts (that made me giggle), treasure maps, missing brothers, diamond mines, evil witch doctor ladies, it totally has it all. And I got it for free for my Kindle. You absolutely can't beat that. Now I'm going to find more by this author and save them for when I'm having a really rotten day and need something absorbing and fun to make me feel better. 5 stars.

[bookworm12_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Before reading A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen I’d never heard of Allan Quatermain. So I went into this with low expectations and was more than pleasantly surprised at what I found. This adventure story is more about friendship than treasure. Sir Henry Curtis (Incubu) is searching for his last brother who was last scene on his way to find the illusive King Solomon’s Mines, which are allegedly filled with diamonds. Curtis hires Quatermain (Macumazahn) to travel with him with the stipulation that if Quatermain dies, which he fully expects to, Curtis will provide for his son. Curtis’ friend Captain John Good (Bougwan) will also embark on the quest. As the three men begin their journey they have no idea what’s in store for them; harsh desserts, elephant hunting, a war between tribes and so much more. Though parts of the story were predictable, they were still entertaining and the plot never lags. The adventure story had real heart, which made it stand apart from more generic versions. I loved Quatermain’s honesty. There are moments when he says he doesn’t want to fight because it’s senseless, courage be damned. He’s honorable and sincere, a true friend to the end. I absolutely thing he deserves a spot in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

[bcquinnsmom · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

King Solomon's Mines is a very fun book, and one I very highly recommend. If you like adventure stories, stories set in British Africa, stories about lost treasures or brave explorers, then I recommend it to you. Considering it was written well over a hundred years ago, it still is worthwhile to read, and I'm glad I did.The basic story:Allen Quatermain has made his home in Africa, and while on a ship back to his home, he enters into conversation with two men, one of whom has decided to go and look for his brother whom he has not seen in some time and whom he fears to be lost. It turns out that his brother may have gone to seek the lost diamond mines of King Solomon, and on hearing this, Quartermain tells of an old map which has come into his possession, telling the location of this alleged treasure. The three set out with a Zulu native, who has his own reasons (untold to the group) as to why he wants to accompany them. Along the way they have some strange encounters, none the least of which is an evil witch. Very very fun, and you can almost hear the theme song to the Indiana Jones movies as you read!

[soylentgreen23 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I came across this for the first time when I was only in the second year of secondary school, and is one of the few books I've actually read twice - I think.There are still echoes of Britain's imperial past on every page of this adventure story; it is a document of the time in which it was written, and as such is very enlightening, if a little disturbing.The adventure itself is quite the exotic one - Africa, in the time of real exploration and the English gentleman abroad; treasure; tribes; guns and so forth.

[reading_fox · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Classic adventure story, a secret map and hidden treasure, only involving a trek across the desert to become fabulously rich. Told with a, at the time reasonable, white man's view of black africans. It comes across very perculiar to modern tastes. However later chapters when the tribesmen are found do rectify the balance somewhat.

[debs4jc · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Three Englishman, a hunter, a soldier, and a gentleman, go off through the wilds of Africa in search of a lost brother, who was in search of the lost diamond mines of King Solomon. The adventurers encounter many obstacles, from the formidible terrain, to malicious animals, to native warriors. The version I listened too had Patrick Tull as the narrator, he had the perfect voice, he sounded just like you'd expect a crusty English hunter from the late 1800's to sound. Haggard's storytelling is superb, and I loved the way he had his narrator put in his little observation and asides. I highly recommend this adventure tale to anyone who loves suspense.

[narellej_3 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This was a great read and I would reconment it to any teen that enjoys quest and adventure stories. Just because it is old (classic) does not mean its not great!

[tronella_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

I listened to an audiobook version of this from Librivox. Being a story about a bunch of white guys wandering around Africa in the 19th century, it's unsurprisingly quite amazingly racist in parts, but the whole epic-quest aspect was fun. I liked the bit when they were trapped in a cave full of diamonds, and sat around going "lol irony! you can't eat diamonds! woe."

[morryb_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

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 Solomon's Mines publications in the late 19th century. Just read it and have fun.

[john257hopper · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

A rattling adventure story that, if anything, I found rather too fast to read. It lacked some of the depth of the author's other classic, She. Quite a dramatic final section.

[nwdavies-1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Great adventure story. Am already collecting all the other Allan Quatermain books to read - and other books by H Rider Haggard too. Love finding a 'new' author to collect... :)

[elviomedeiros_1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Childish at times, but a fun reading.

[brakketh-1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

An enjoyable 'lost world' adventure story that was a touch more progressive about the 'natives' than I expected.

[kristelh_15 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

From my TBR, King Solomon’s Mines, written in 1886, is a masterpiece of adventure as described by the New York Times in 1972 (the year of printing for my edition). H. Rider Haggard is described as the ne’er-do-well son of a properous English Family in the inner page of my Laurel-Leaf-Library book. He wa sent off to South Africa at the age of 19. This book is an adventure story most likely appealing to young men back in the day but mostly unheard of now. It is dated by it’s language, racism but it is free of bad language and bad sex and that is something to be said. I also felt that like most English literature set in colonialism but the author also had many respectful things to say about various people of Africa. This adventures story has 3 Englishmen and some locals traveling over desert and mountains to find a missing brother of one of the Englishmen. On the was, they become embroiled in a war to unseat the false king of the peoples, they walk on a Roman road, they find the treasures of Solomon. There are themes of good and evil. It earned its place on the 1001 books as the first of the adventure stories set in the lost worlds of Africa. I did not like the shooting of the elephants for their tusks. That was the part of book I liked the least.

[jenniferrobb · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

I found it interesting at first, but the storyline started to drag a bit and became more predictable for me when they got near the place they sought.

[olivermagnus · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

King Solomon’s Mines is a one of the first books considered a young man’s novel, one of the late Victorian classics of that genre and introduces us to Allan Quartermain. The novel starts with a party of three in search of adventure as well as locating one of the adventurer’s brothers, who had been estranged across long distances due to some brotherly rivalry. Part of the novel is a travelogue of their trek into ever more remote African territory. Then the novel takes an interesting political turn and shows a civil war among an ancient people related to the Zulu before going into the mines themselves.

This is a satisfying novel on many levels. It has intriguing historical speculations, great plots and characters, and a worldview that manages to defend the importance of family, loyalty, honesty and decency while also showing respect and providing dignity to men and women of a wide variety of ethnic origins. It's a novel, that for its time, was quite enlightened. The action scenes are intense and the reader feels like a spectator desperate for our three heroes to be come out victorious.

This is an action packed novel with excellent characters, a good prose style that avoids too many extraneous details. The views expressed in King Solomon's Mines may seem politically incorrect to our modern eyes but were typical of the era. If you are looking for a reasonably brisk and worthwhile work of classic adventure novel, this is a very satisfying read for readers of all ages.

[theokester · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

The 19th century had a boom of English adventure novels. By the end of the century it had really hit a great stride which also brought high expectations. As with any genre there were plenty of books that have faded from common reading while others still invoke imagery and seem familiar even to people who have never read them. To me, King Solomon's Mines is one of those novels that always felt like a stalwart example of English Adventure fiction so I was a little surprised when people saw me reading it and had little or no knowledge of this novel or the adventures of Allan Quartermain. Those who recognized Quartermain largely only did so thanks to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie that came out a few years ago. Now that I've finished reading King Solomon's Mines I must say that I'm a little sad that it's slipped under the radar. Maybe I'm just in the wrong reading circles. *grin*The basic story (minor spoilers of the first chapters' setup) introduces us to adventurer and big game hunter Allan Quartermain. Allan isn't old by our modern sense but in terms of his career he is beyond his standard life expectancy and is expected to either die on safari or to retire somewhere. While thinking about this, he is approached by an English aristocrat (Sir Henry Curtis) and his friend (Captain Good) who want to hire him as a guide and protector to lead them north across the wilds of Africa in search of the lost brother of Sir Henry. Quartermain is wary especially when they tell him that Sir Henry's brother was lost searching for King Solomon's Mines...the mythical mines used by the Biblical king to fund his nation and build his famous Temple. It takes some discussion and a promise of significant wealth (not only for Allan but also for his son) to finally convince Quartermain to help. They gather supplies and natives to help them and they're on their way. As they get ready to depart, another native approaches them having overheard their general destination and he asks to accompany them as a servant. They agree and the small party sets off.The novel is written in first person as a sort of journal or letter from Allan to anyone who may be interested in the story. The narrator Quartermain often apologizes for his lack of style and sophistication as well as for possible errors either in terms of form or in terms of scientific/geographic accuracy. The edition I read included annotations by the editor but I also found it interesting that there were included annotations that were supposed to have been written by Quartermain to further explain or clarify some point of interest. This added narrative element was a fun addition not just to add details to the story but also to provide more insight into the character of Quartermain. I especially enjoyed the side commentary that Quartermain-as-narrator added to the story with his thoughts about the situations he encounters.The story arc of the novel starts out fairly straightforward and almost feels like a travelogue at points. We get numerous details about the nature of the country, the preparations and supplies used and a lot of information about the wildlife and the indigenous people of southern/central Africa. As with other novels of the time, the pacing begins slow and gradually builds to a moderate pace but never really gets to a breakneck speed. As such it may receive lackluster response from the short-attention-span readers of the 21st century. And yet, the details and the imagery are so immersive that the sensation of being on an African adventure might help draw a reader into the story until the greater intrigue starts.In addition to the great details about the country and the trek during the first portion of the book, Haggard does a great job fleshing out his main characters. To some degree they are certainly archetypes and can sometimes blend together as generic adventurers. Still, they have their own unique quirks that make them memorable and also help dictate some interesting plot points throughout the book. As part of the character development, there's also a little bit of intrigue and mystery that helps foreshadow future events.After traveling through the desert for many days and many chapters, our adventurers struggle across the mountains and discover an unknown tribe of natives. At this point, the nature of the novel changes a bit as it moves from man-vs-nature to man-vs-man and to some extent it feels like a different novel. The pacing also seems to pick up a little bit partly due to the intrigue that comes of the addition of new characters to interact with. At first I wondered if this feeling was due to the novel being written as a serial but I was surprised to find that not only was it not serialized but it was written very quickly (in less than 6 months) and then struggled to find a publisher.Without giving away the plot and the intrigue I can say that there are 2-3 main story paths in the book that intertwine and work their way to a conclusion. Even though I fully expected a happy, successful ending I must admit that there were moments of suspense when I anticipated some potential twists and turns that might spoil the happy ending. Some aspects felt a little predictable (probably due more to copycat ideas in the past century+ rather than due to lack of innovation by Haggard) but many of the twists and revelations did feel fresh and unique.The large amount of geographical descriptions of Africa can feel a little dense at times but when coupled with Quartermain's natural and conversational narrative style the story seemed to flow along lightly. This makes it very accessible to most readers. The Imperialistic ideas and the racial attitudes of the era factor into the events but the book still maintains a bit of progressive mentality. Quartermain feels disillusioned by some of the Imperial ideals of England and while he still has his own prejudices he does view the native Africans as more human and worthy of respect than many of his contemporaries may have done.Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It took a few chapters to get started and then maintained a slow burn as the plot pace increased before reaching its apex of adventure and suspense. The adventure and intrigue was a lot of fun and really drew me in. I enjoyed the characters a lot and had fun with the quirks and nuances they brought to the adventure. I really enjoyed the writing style and the level of detail included. I'm interested to read Haggard's other Quartermain novels to learn more about his character and the adventures that lead up to this novel. While novels like Tarzan, The Jungle Books and Treasure Island are more well-known adventures of the time, I definitely feel like more people should seek out Haggard and get familiar with the adventure of King Solomon's Mines.****4.5 out of 5 stars