King Solomon's Mines

By: Haggard, H. Rider

King Solomon's Mines was published in September 1885, becoming an immediate best seller by tapping into people's excitement for the unknown: in this case, the unexplored regions of Africa.Haggard wrote the novel in a very short period, between six and sixteen months, on a bet with his brother to try to match Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. In the process he created a new literary genre known as the "Lost World" genre, which would later influence other writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and H. P. Lovecraft.The book tells the tale of Allan Quatermain, an adventurer and hunter, who is approached by Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good to help them find Curtis' lost brother, who went missing while trying to find the fabled King Solomon's Mines.This book has spawned multiple adaptations in the form of movies, comics, and TV shows.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GQX674WX
• ISBN13: 9791043135071
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Les Prairies Numeriques
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

If you are thinking of Debra Kerr, you will be shocked.

I grew up with the Stewart Granger movie, so it was quite a shocker to read the book. As stated in the beginning, there are no petticoated women in this book. It is a man's adventure written by a man for men. You cannot miss the hand of H. Rider Haggard, as he has a unique sense of humor that pops up at the strangest times. And as with written stories, this one is much more intricate than the movie adaptations. You will find many assumptions of the time, such as that white people must have built any complex construction, and natives on their own may turn savage. The story is told in the first person by Allan Quartermain. Nevil is off to make his fortune by finding King Solomon's lost diamond mines. Allan sends him a map to help. This is the last anyone heard from Nevil. Turns out that Nevil is the estranged brother of Henry Curtis. Sir Henry Curtis now wants to make amends, and he, with his friend Captain John Good, bribes Allan Quartermain to take them across an endless desert and through impassible mountains to an adventure that will hold you to the very end. Along with them is their self-imposed helper, Umbopa, who carries a secret of his own.