Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain [Unabridged] [Paperback]

H. Rider Haggard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1951

"She" is the great mythic creation of the 19th century, while "King Solomon’s Mines" and "Allan Quatermain" are surging tales of adventure, full of sensational fights, blood-curdling perils, and extraordinary escapes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 636 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Unabridged edition (June 1, 1951)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486206432
• ISBN-13: 978-0486205847
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stories, great value, February 24, 2004

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Yossarian (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain (Paperback)

Well, after years and years of Hollywood-tinged incidental exposure to the world of Allan Quatermain (everything from the reprehensible King Solomon's Mines film starring, among other deadwood, a young Sharon Stone, to the much more recent and oddly entertaining League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), I finally got around to reading the underlying works. Surprise surprise, they're vastly superior to the Hollywood fare. The most pleasant surprises, at least to me, have been in how engaging the characters are. Sure, the stories are old and have some racial aspects that read a bit awkwardly for a modern audience, but they retain all the drama and flare I'd hoped for. One great aspect is Quatermain himself..neither an Indiana Jones-esque bon vivant or a massive-chinned Captain Britannia, he's an over-the-hill elephant hunter who's a passable shot and an self-proclaimed coward. Whether that self-assessment is true or not is part of the fun of reading, and of course an elephant hunter doesn't live to be old unless he's got a few tricks up his sleeve. Strangely enough, Quatermain reminds me of Bilbo Baggins from Lord of the Rings in a number of ways (or vice-versa), particularly his 'along for the ride' persona and how he tends to put up a bit of a fight and then get clonked on the head whenever a tussle starts up.

There are other parallels as well; for example both Haggard and Tolkien share the ability to condense vast amounts of narrative into a few choice phrases. Quatermain and company traverse hundreds of miles of desert in a few evocative paragraphs that nonetheless leave you fumbling for a glass of water. It takes one of Robert Jordan's characters that long just to turn a doorknob.

Lastly, the book itself is a real bargain. You get three unabridged classic novels for less than a typical hardcover new release. Moreover, they're all excellent reads..'She' is particularly interesting in its unexpected quality. Indeed, I think it's one of the earliest femme fatale novels I've encountered to date, which makes it noteworthy in its own right. In any event, you won't go wrong with this collection.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dangerous women and mysterious lands, July 29, 2001

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frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain (Paperback)

It might be a little bit too much of a good thing to read three H. Rider Haggard novels together in one go-- but it is such a good thing, that I didn't find it overpowering. Haggard writes with a richness of detail and sense of humor that are able to overcome any sense of datedness. Fine writing that captures the imagination.

_She_ is probably the strongest novel in the collection, with the introduction of Ayesha, the ultimate amoral femme fatale. Ayesha is immortal and rules her band of followers with an iron hand. When Ludwig Horace Holly and his ward appear in her forgotten nation, an ancient love triangle is revived. A meditation on the power of beauty and the violent nature of passion.

_King Solomon's Mines_ introduces the characters of Allan Quatermain, Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good as they go searching for King Solomon's legendary mines. The evil Gagool, wise woman and witch smeller, opposes them in their mission as they brave everything to find what they seek.

_Allan Quatermain_ continues the adventures introduced in the book before, with the friends restless for new adventure. Their searching takes among the Zu-Vendi, an isolated people of Persian descent. They are caught up in the warring between the beautiful twin queens Sorais and Nyleptha and love threatens even the bond between the adventurers themselves.

Be aware that these books are a product of their time, and are written by a white man and set in Africa. They contain artifacts of prejudice that can offend.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Haggard's Three Best in One Compact Volume., June 20, 2001

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Doghouse King "eddie_denman" (Omaha, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain (Paperback)

Haggard has received a lot of latter-day disdain for his imperialism and paternalistic descriptions of native cultures. But he was just writing what he knew in the flavor of the time. And boy, could he spin a yarn.

Maybe a tad slow for people who cut their teeth on Crichton, but a treat for those who appreciate a little poetry interspersed with exciting battles in a foreign land. And I can't say whether the geographical and historical information supplied is all (or even partly) true, but it certainly is entertaining.

These are old-school adventure stories with a dash of fantasy, well-written and possessed of a level of feeling beyond mere derring-do.