Customer Reviews

Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

H. Rider Haggard really knew how to write exciting adventure novels. These are "ripping good yarns". The characters are fully developed and the situations they find themselves in are very imaginative. All three stories here are about Englishmen discovering lost civilizations, but they are not at all repetitive. I found the character of Ayesha("She") to be one of the most fascinating female characters I ever read about. I could go on and on about the merits of these books, but i will just say that if you like adventure novels (and you don't have a predjudice against books written in a somewhat dated style), you should enjoy these stories.

All three novels follow exploits of explorer Allan Quartermain. All three novels, although most centrally She, include the powerful idea of the Woman a primal force seen through the eyes of a man not a feminist. Also all three are currently analyzed for racism, since they are written by a British person and set in Africa. But regardless of analysis all are action packed well written stories that are easy to read.

Plot summaries:
She - The title refers to She Who Must be Obeyed. In this novel Allan Quartermain is charged with looking after a deceased friend's nephew, Leo. They travel to Africa in search of a discovery that was also left to Leo - an advanced and hidden civilization in the heart of Africa.

King Solomon's Mines - The sequel to She also stars Leo and Allan on another quest for a hidden and advanced civilization. This time the civilization is not ruled over by a powerful queen, but features warrior women.

Allan Quartermain - Three explorers journey into the heart of Africa in search of the usual. This time they find a civilization ruled over by twin queens. Things get complicated when one of the explorers falls for a queen.

Basically these are good fun adventure stories. I recommend reading She first, since it has been analyzed by Sigmund Freud, and generally is treated as serious. Like all of the stories She was written as entertainment. If you like that one it is worth it to read the other two novels so buying them together is cost effective. Even though the plots all deal with tough women rulers/warriors in the heart of Afica, they are different in the details and not at all repetitive.

I read these three novels when I was much younger (I'm now 58) and I remembered them with some fondness - this book is part of my library for that reason. When we, as a family, watched one of the Indiana Jones movies and my two boys (aged 12 and 9) were enthralled, I thought back to Rider Haggard. Perhaps one of these novels would be a good bed time reading!

I chose to reread 'King Solomon's Mines' and I did enjoy it, despite the war that fills most of the middle of the novel - it adds colour, valour and courage but doesn't really contribute to the narrative of the story. For that reason I won't read the stories to my boys, but I suspect that when they are a little older they may well explore these yarns themselves. 'King Solomon's Mines' reads very well despite the passage of years and the changes that have occurred - different views of native peoples, different views of nationalism, different views of women, different views of class......

The 'devices' used to add excitement to the story line are at least as inventive as any of the ones you find in the Indiana Jones movies. And, in fact, I think I like Alan Quartermain better than Indiana Jones - but that might just be a hangover from my British background.

Other recommendations:
'Heart of Darkness' Joseph Conrad

I thoroughly enjoyed reading both KING SOLOMON'S MINES and ALLAN QUARTERMAIN. They offered more in the way of excitement and adventure than many current novels. Too, Haggard's chief character, Allan Quartermain, proves consistently to be a man of honor and courage. Quite the 19th century English gentleman. He is totally loyal to his friends Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, RN with many interesting asides into the personalities of each. All three are men of action, but AQ is the fabled "White Hunter" who is more at home in Africa than England. These are rousing good stories and not at all as stuffy as one would think, considering they were written during the Late-Victorian/Edwardian period. (I do have to admit that I was disappointed in SHE and couldn't get more than halfway through it.)

The original novels are far superior to later films, in my opinion. 'She' is a thrilling mystery romance and the other two books in this volume have nothing lacking in excitement and exotic location. Other books by Haggard that I love areQueen Sheba's Ring, The Virgin of the Sun and Nada the Lily.

I remember reading about "her" when I was in my teens and I never forgot the impression that Mr. Haggard left in my mind. She was just as beautiful and yet vulnerable in the end to risk everything to go for her ideal. I love the footnotes which add believability to the story and there was so much that I had forgotten from the first read that it was even more enjoyable the second time. The mystery remains, in our time, would someone try to get back to that fountain of youth, or is it better left to keep our normal mortal coil. Enjoy!

A great, set of adventure novels that can be enjoyed by kids from 9 to 90. Clear and easy to read, and the stories are great fun and hair raising adventures - the original Indiana Jones!