King Solomon’s Mines

H. Rider Haggard, 1885

Adventure

Allan Quatermain recounts an expedition prompted by a missing man and the rumour of a remote source of treasure.

Read the book Contents

Length: 20 chapters
Reading time: About 5 hr 38 min
Words: 80,492

About the book

Quatermain introduces himself as an experienced trader and hunter who is unexpectedly trying his hand at writing. His protests that he dislikes violence and is tired of adventure sit beside a history of considerable exposure to both.

Haggard gives the journey the voice of a practical participant, attentive to routes, supplies and the dangers of unfamiliar ground. The search gathers momentum through competing motives and uncertain knowledge, while Quatermain's manner encourages readers to compare his modest claims with the actions he describes.

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Adventure

This edition

Text from Standard Ebooks, who proofread and typeset it and dedicate their edition to the public domain. H. Rider Haggard died more than 70 years ago, so the work is out of copyright in the UK. Includes the original dedication, author’s note, introduction.