King Solomon's Mines

King Solomon's Mines By H. Rider haggard Published: 1885

Biography He was born 22 June 1856 in Norfolk, Henry Rider Haggard was the son of William Meybohm Rider Haggard and Ella Doveton Haggard. His schooling included education at home by private tutors and some time at Ipswich Grammar School. At age nineteen Haggard left England to join the staff of Sir Henry Bulwer, lieutenant governor of Natal, South Africa. When English policy on South Africa changed, Haggard returned to England.

Biography H. Rider Haggard is best remembered by general readers of fantasy for his fourth and fifth books, King Solomon's Mines (1885) and She: A History of Adventure (1886)

Biography Haggard these works were just the start of his profitable thirty-nine-year writing career, which includes his development of further adventures for the main characters of King Solomon's Mines and She Influenced by the writings of Robert Louis Stevenson and Olive Schreiner , Haggard

Biography In 1912 he was knighted. He died on 14 May 1925. His autobiography, The Days of My Life, was published in 1926.

Setting • The story starts outs and ends in the hills of Durban, South Africa. • They travel across Africa and in to a desert where they almost die • Then into frigid mountains called Sheba's breasts • Finally into what is known as kukuanaland • A lush oasis in between two mountain ranges.

Main characters Allan Quatermain: he is the "map" in the quest for the long lost brother of Sir Henry Curtis. He is an English explorer and sportsman. He discovers the treasure. Sir Henry Curtis: friend and companion of Quatermain. His brother is lost. Captain John Good: retired navy officer. friend on the expedition George Neville: Sir Curtis's brother. He is lost and hurt in search of King Solomon's mines Umbopa: a native who they take along on the expedition. He is well spoken and formal. He turns out to be a Ignosi, the long lost king of Kukuanas.

Main characters • Twala: is the king of kukuwanaland when quatermain and the others arive • He is a very bad man and his son twice as bad • Gagool: Twala’s witch doctorvery evil and ends up being crushed by her own “magic” stone.

Plot summary Sir Henry Curtis requests for Allan Quatermain and Captain John Good to accompany him on an expedition in search of his brother, George Neville, who had been missing. He was last seen heading north in search of the fabled King Solomon's Mines which were full of treasures and jewels. The three of them along with Umbopa and several servants head out on a journey accross the desert that was long and hard. Dying of thirst, they reach a mountain range called Suliman Berg (or sheba’s breast).

Plot summary They enter a cave in the peak of the mountaiin and they find the frozen corpse Jose Silvestra, the 16th century Portugese explorer who drew the map of King Solomon's mines in his own blood. They lose one of their servants and they buried him next to the body of Silvestra to give him a companion..

Plot summary THE QUEST CONTINUES

Plot summary What's left of the crew enter a valley known as Kukuanaland. Not long after they enter this beautiful green valley, they come accross the Kukuana warriors. They are prepared to kill the crew when Captain Good fidgets with his false teeth making the warriors cringe with fear. They are required to prove that they are "white men from the stars" and that they have divine power.

Plot summary They are then brought before King Twala who is a violent ruthless ruler and leader. He earned his power by murdering his brother and chasing his brother's wife and child, Ignosi into the desert to die. The king's advisor is a woman named Gagool who is required to murder anyone who shows defiance to the king. She senses a secret in Umbopa which was a secret soon revealed that he is the long lost king of Kukuanaland.

Plot summary A great rebellion broke out after several chiefs swear their allegiance to ignosi the born king of kukuwanaland. Ignosi takes power and forces Gagool to show Quatermain and the others the giant stash of diamonds. They are able to escape with only a few diamonds and are able to return to England. On the way back they find Sir Henry Curtis’ lost brother.

Literary Elements The story predominantly occurs in 1st person, told by Allan Quartermain The 1st person narrative is told in a fairly straight forward way, creating a sense of honest recollection of the story The book consists of mostly descriptive language, however dialog is very simple and commonplace language, giving a feeling of realism, The entire story rests in a adventure for finding “sir Henry Curtis’s brother.” And a sense of wealth through hardships is forged in the end when they find a number of diamonds, ivory and other valuable treasures and escape to live comfortable lives.

Quotes The almighty gave us our lives, and I suppose he meant us to defend them, at least I’ve always done that, and I hope it will not be brought up against me when my clock strikes.- Allen Quartermain This quote is stated right in the beginning of the book. Allen Quartermain is explaining his reasoning for his defense of his life, while establishing that he is not cruel enough to take one unless his own is threatened.

Quotes “…in the end you begin to accept it all … you watch thing hunting and being hunted, reproducing, killing, and dying, its all endless and pointless, except in the end one small pattern emerges from it all, the only certainty the: one is born, one lives for a time then dies, that is all…” The author is beginning to realize about what he sees at the time as a cycle of life, and that all men die and the only things that are certain is birth and death.

Quotes “surely” thought I, ”he is not going to try and shave” This I one of the jokes in the book. Captian Good is O.C.D. for being clean. so in this quote Quartermain is making fun of Good.

Critical analysis • Luke • Overall the book was great: • The book had decent passage structure • Haggard's way of explaining the thrill events surpasses any other books I have read. • The event kept you on the edge of you seat • Constant foreshadowing and allusions kept you guessing. • I would in a heart beat suggest this book to any one I pass.

Critical analysis Taylor thinks this book was great. Really great! Mario thinks Taylor Ross thinks this book was great too. Really great!

Critical analysis Taylor also thought that the book was very descriptive and had a lot of detail. It was very interesting. The adventure kept you locked to the pages of the book. When I got to the third or fourth chapter, I couldn’t book the book down.. (not really) but it was still really good. :D Good job author…

Critical analysis Joe The book in my opinion, stands as an interesting, however different piece of literature, however it was very descriptive, however much of the words were used in descript, not dialogue, however the books was still exceptional. 

Works cited Mla for king solomons mines

King Solomon's Mines