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A review by jayfr
King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
4.0
A thrilling journey story set in Africa, I last read this for my course on Imperialism at university.
I still found this to be as enjoyable as when I first read it as a child, but it's important to remember that this is a novel of the colonial era. It depicts white men exploiting native populations for treasure, and it has a reputation as racist. It's also sexist... as Quatermain himself says "I can safely say that there is not a petticoat in the whole history." the only women are the natives, witches or the temptress who according to Quatermain is thankfully killed because his friend doesn't need the complication of being in love with a native woman.
The many movie versions have not done this justice, concentrating on the events at the mines rather than the long journey that got them there. The bromance (for want of a better word) between Good, Curtis and Quatermain is the crux of the story.
A thrilling adventure, worthy of it's reputation and a brilliant precursor to the Indiana Jones and other seek and you shall find adventure stories.
I still found this to be as enjoyable as when I first read it as a child, but it's important to remember that this is a novel of the colonial era. It depicts white men exploiting native populations for treasure, and it has a reputation as racist. It's also sexist... as Quatermain himself says "I can safely say that there is not a petticoat in the whole history." the only women are the natives, witches or the temptress who according to Quatermain is thankfully killed because his friend doesn't need the complication of being in love with a native woman.
The many movie versions have not done this justice, concentrating on the events at the mines rather than the long journey that got them there. The bromance (for want of a better word) between Good, Curtis and Quatermain is the crux of the story.
A thrilling adventure, worthy of it's reputation and a brilliant precursor to the Indiana Jones and other seek and you shall find adventure stories.