King Solomon's Mines

By: Henry Rider Haggard

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the best-selling novels of the 19th century, King Solomon's Mines has inspired dozens of adventure stories, including Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan books and the Indiana Jones movies. Vivid and enormously action-packed, Henry Rider Haggard's tale of danger and discovery continues to shock and thrill, as it has since it was first presented to the public and heralded as "the most amazing book ever written."

The story begins when renowned safari hunter Allan Quatermain agrees to help Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good search for King Solomon's legendary cache of diamonds. Eager to find out what is true, what is myth, and what is really buried in the darkness of the mines, the tireless adventurers delve into the Sahara's treacherous Veil of Sand, where they stumble upon a mysterious lost tribe of African warriors. Finding themselves in deadly peril from that country's cruel king and the evil sorceress who conspires behind his throne, the explorers escape, but what they seek could be the most savage trap of all---the forbidden, impenetrable, and spectacular King Solomon's Mines.

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor

Good Action

Any additional comments?

This is was a pretty good story. The action is better than any book I've read written in the 1800's. When you read it you have to keep in mind the writer was very liberal for his time even though it comes off as a bit racist today.

Good for its time... Excellent Narrator!

READ THIS. NO SPOILER. You cannot compare novels like this one to novels in the same genre today. That's like saying the athletes of several generations past could compete on par with athletes today. It's not a fair comparison. For the time period this story was engaging and probably suspenseful. Compared to today's standard however, it is not. The characters are likable, but shallow. The focus of the story is the adventure, whereas today there is a lot of focus on the inner struggles and personal conflicts of the main characters. There are actually some twists that were unexpected to me which helped boost the repetitive struggle to survive in the wild. Overall, I would add this to your collection of listens. The narration was excellent and helped keep me in the story. I listened comfortably at 1.5X speed. If any of this was helpful, please click YES below. Later.

Classic Heroic Adventure

A great story from a time long past. The brutality of the desert and the treachery of men combine to generate a story that draws you in and does not let go. The clash of heroes and massive armies set under the African sun are echoed by Troy and Sparta.

A must listen!

For anyone who enjoys good adventure stories, they'll want to listen to this novel. The narration is excellent as well.

Outstanding!

Outstanding story and performance! The characters were engaging and the story was well paced and interesting. Published in 1885, the book has no nauseating political correctness of course. Refreshing! King Solomon's Mines has stood the test of time.

A surprise

King Solomon's Mines was a surprise to me -- I really enjoyed it, much more than I expected.

It helps to remember that this novel was the first of its kind; Henry Rider Haggard actually invented the “Lost World” genre. So while King Solomon's Mines is dated in its glorification of big game hunting (ewww) and general attitudes towards native cultures (although not, I would point out, towards individual natives), it’s still a rollicking good story. What I did not expect from a novel written in 1885 was how funny it is in places. As such, the protagonist/narrator, Alan Quartermaine, is the direct literary forebear of Indiana Jones. For the most part, it's great fun.

Simon Prebble was not a surprise, however; his narration was excellent, as always.

Classic Treasure Hunt

"King Solomon's Mines" is a classic story on trying to find riches in deep parts of Africa. I'm still that 8 year old boy that still want to find the secret hidden treasure on the map. I don't find Henry Rider Haggard to be dated. The story of King Solomon has been told over and over, such as in Indiana Jones. This book is a great starter for any child that wants to get into reading because they can imagine the treasure box and the elephants. The violence in the book is very tamed. I would rather have my kid reading about fights, killing of animals and trying to survive, instead of letting them have screen time and trying to monitor what they are viewing..

There are times where I want to read a simple story. Nothing to think about, just a great adventure to listen to. A book where I can go back to my childhood, where I can daydream about going on a treasure hunt with wild animals in the jungle.

Superb Classic

Although the story has been told many times, this is a true classic for the ages.

a fair story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The narration was very good. The imagery is also very good. This is pretty much a period piece and one has to judge it from that perspective. A modern reader/listener is likely to be put off by the racism, male dominated characteristics and thrill in rampant killing of animals. The plot devices are a little bit absurd.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The story is OK as a cheap thriller.

Could you see King Solomon's Mines being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It already was.

Challenging Adventure

Interesting interlude destiny presents being driven by man's desires and greed for fortune and fame. When self gratification of significance is the true goal to fill the void of uncertainty.