Thursday, August 9, 2012

King Solomon's Mines (H. Rider Haggard)


A rollicking adventure yarn that has inspired many (most notably, George Lucas and his Indiana Jones), King Solomon's Mines is the story of a team who seeks the legendary wealth of the Biblical king.  They begin in South Africa, and trek over a thousand miles north, through desert, over mountain, and into lands long isolated.  As you'd expect, many adventures befall them on the way.  Do they find the mines?  Do they acquire the wealth which they seek?  You can guess the answer- but read and find out.

This story was written in response to a challenge- specifically, to write something as good as Stevenson's Treasure Island.  Is succeeds.  While I wouldn't say I found much new here, I suspect this is a book that inspired many over the years- so it seems unoriginal only because so many have copied it.  Indeed, it captured the minds of many at its publication (1885), and many more since.  It's well-written, amusing, and full of adventure.  There are several quote-worthy phrases throughout; perhaps my favorite follows.  "Truly wealth, which men spend their lives in acquiring, is a valueless thing at the last."

Rating: A

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