Reader discussion: King Solomon's Mines

Public reader discussion about King Solomon's Mines in the WeRead Catalog by H. Rider Haggard.

Books that give off grand adventure novel vibes set during the time of the British Empire akin to the Flashman series, Tarzan, King Solomon's Mines, The Lost World, or even the 1997 Mummy movie.

By hiddenhammer746

I keep picturing some old colonel type in that beige safari getup, out roaming around and getting into dangerous hunting stories, or else a younger adventurer stumbling on ancient ruins, getting pulled into wars, and just generally running around in that Flashman-ish British Empire adventure vibe. Edit: Thanks a ton for all the suggestions! I’m going to add a bunch of them to my reading list and start going through them. Really appreciate it.

Why King Solomon's Mines?

By amber-velvet

I’ve never really understood why Civ 5 treats King Solomon’s Mines as a Natural Wonder. Most of the others actually are natural stuff, like Mt. Fuji or Lake Victoria. If I’m remembering right, Solomon’s Mines isn’t really a real place you can point to either—it’s more of a legend, not something that naturally exists. And then I realized I forgot El Dorado and the Fountain of Youth are wonders too. The Fountain feels like it’s basically natural but still fictional, and El Dorado is in the same boat as the Mines. So yeah, calling all of them “Natural Wonders” feels kind of misleading, since at least those two aren’t natural at all. If the game is going to let in fictional/unnatural ones, then Atlantis feels like it should’ve been added too.

Why aren't H. Rider Haggard's books as influential as they once were?

By white-horse

He wrote one of the best-selling books ever, “She,” but it feels like he’s mostly been forgotten now, like his impact just faded. I mean, wasn’t he basically the go-to for those pulp adventure stories? And you can still find people talking about Dickens and Lewis Carroll from that same time. Jules Verne and Conan Doyle still get read too, at least. But for some reason I never see anyone mention Haggard anymore.

[Review] King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard - Old School Adventure

By StillRose7

King Solomon’s Mines always sounds like one of those “written as a challenge” stories, and I kind of love that it ended up being a hit anyway. It starts off like the kind of quest hook you’d expect—some big-name guy hires Allan Quatermain to go find the missing brother, there’s the whole “lost into the unexplored interior” thing, and they pick up this native helper who’s way too polished to feel like just a porter. I went in thinking it would stay pretty straight-ahead, but it quickly turns into this huge, myth-y adventure with lost royalty, nasty rulers, big fights, and all the ancient evil vibes. What surprised me was how much it felt like it probably influenced Tolkien. Not that Tolkien could’ve even read it while it was written (it came out way before he was born), but still—you can see the connections in how the characters feel and how some plot beats land. Quatermain especially doesn’t come off like some unstoppable hero; he’s more grounded, sometimes even skittish, and he doesn’t make a big deal about being a rifle guy. And then you’ve got the whole knock-unconscious-at-a-crunch moment, which just made me think of certain hobbit-style timing. Gagool also gives me total Gollum energy—pathetic, vicious, easily cowed, and the whole “help when cornered, betray later” thing. Ignosi felt similar to Aragorn too, like he’s growing into the role instead of just being dragged along to look cool. That said… I didn’t love everything. There are multiple “the sun shall not mix with the moon” references, and it gets pretty direct about interracial stuff involving Captain Good and Foulata. I get that it’s reflecting the era, and maybe Quatermain is just acknowledging reality, but it still made me wince every time those lines showed up. I will say the book isn’t just steamrolling over the natives either. They’re portrayed like proud and noble, not “backwards,” and Quatermain even refuses to use the N-word. There’s also that part where the big problem king gets handled without it turning into some full-on “the white guys must fix everything” takeover. The only big imposition is basically pushing for a no-executions-without-trial rule, and even then it doesn’t feel like “your way is wrong.” One more thing that bugged me: the final showdown isn’t really Ignosi’s moment. He’s sidelined a bit while someone else in Quatermain’s group does the duel, and there’s an explanation, but it still feels like an RPG situation where the plot needed to cash in the right character for the “you get the XP” moment. Overall, it’s a really fun adventure, but it’s also one of those books you have to hold at arm’s length sometimes. Still, when it’s working, it’s genuinely a ripping yarn—and it’s hard not to appreciate it more once you factor in the whole historical context.

Books like "King Solomon's Mines"

By LateBeaver

Just wrapped up King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard, and yeah… I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, but I really enjoyed it. I’ve always had a soft spot for those wild, no-nonsense “adventures for grown-up boys” vibes, and even if I can tell it’s not super deep or anything, it was still a blast in exactly the way it’s supposed to be. Now I’m wondering if anyone can point me to something similar—more like Victorian-ish adventure stuff with British gentlemen poking around in the far-off, basically unexplored parts of the world. I also remember liking Prester John by John Buchan a lot, which felt pretty close in spirit. I guess this is the kind of light reading I’m always in the mood for.

Small village library just got the largest budget in years.

By PathDraft

Hey fellow readers! I volunteer at a small library, and we just got a donation totaling about $7,000 from a few different places. In past years our budget usually never went over $250, so this is honestly a huge jump for us. We’ll have some of the money go to basics like furniture and equipment, but a good chunk is going to books for all age groups. We probably won’t spend as much on little kids since that’s the category we already put a lot into before. Our biggest need is books for ages 8–16, but we still could really use some great stuff for adults too. We’ll only be buying new books or used copies that are from editions less than 10 years old. If anyone has suggestions, feel free to drop them here—I’ll be checking back. Thanks so much! Edit: Wow, you all came through with a ton of great titles. I’ve got a lot to think about now. Thank you again!

Til King Solomon’s gold mines, which the Bible says helped him store wealth amounting to more than £2.3 trillion, are a complete myth, historians believe

By BlackMarble3

No matter if it’s a myth or not, a +6 production boost still feels pretty good.

How about a book that feels like Indiana Jones?

By Coast_Lynx353

I’d really love some book recommendations that are like Indiana Jones—fun adventure stuff with a little supernatural mixed in, maybe jungle trekking or that kind of gritty period adventure where Nazis show up too. I’m usually a pretty big horror reader, and I’ve really liked Red Rabbit (Alex Grecian) and Between Two Fires (Christopher Buehlman), so I’m hoping for something with that same energy but more of the Indy vibe.

King Solomon’s Mines

By lanternreads

I picked up *King Solomon’s Mines* expecting basically an old-school adventure yarn—Allan Quartermain goes wandering around “uncharted Africa” to find a missing guy and some supposed legendary treasure. That’s the headline, sure, but it doesn’t take long before you realize there’s more going on under the surface. It’s a weird book for me. I’d heard of it forever, but I never felt like it was some “gotta read” classic. After finally reading it, I’m not convinced I was wrong to put off it—though I also can’t pretend I didn’t enjoy it. Quartermain also has this whole extra afterlife in my head. I barely knew anything about his “legacy” until I started looking around, and I think some of that was just because he pops up in *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* and, honestly, the Sir Sean Connery version stuck more than the actual books did. He’s apparently in a bunch of other stories too—13 novels plus two collections over like 40 years—so he’s pretty well-known historically, even if he doesn’t feel as big in modern pop culture as someone like Bond, Tintin, or Holmes. Movies exist, sure, but Connery’s is the one that really lingers. That said, I can’t ignore the stuff in the novel about Africans and women. Some of the attitudes Quartermain shows are just gross. It’s one thing for a character to have flaws, but when the story basically has you follow him as the “hero,” it’s hard not to feel uneasy reading it now. I saw Giles Foden basically arguing the same kind of point—that you have to defend it from accusations of racism and misogyny, and that there’s genuinely awful material in there. And I get the “it’s a product of its time” argument, like it would be less authentic if it tried to pretend otherwise. Still, even though the book is definitely dated, it doesn’t feel like it’s out to be cruel in a mean, spiteful way—more like a snapshot of the era. The pacing is another thing. Haggard’s writing just keeps kicking along, like the story is constantly moving even when people are standing around waiting for trouble. Then when the fighting starts, it goes full on, and you’re just swept along to see what happens and who survives. One more surprise: because it’s so famous for so long, I expected it to feel heavier or more important than it does. In practice, it felt kind of “lighter” and more entertaining than it has any right to be. Sure, it touches on Africa, war, bravery, and death, but it doesn’t really feel like there’s some deep, rich vein to mine so much as a bunch of modest little treasures wrapped up in an adventure. And if it’s survived all this time, I guess it’ll stick around for another hundred years too. Diamonds are forever, after all.

Incredibly disappointed with Dungeon Crawler Carl

By FishDesert1988

I finally gave Dungeon Crawler Carl a shot and honestly I came away pretty let down. I kept seeing people on BookTok/Bookstagram and a bunch of Booktubers talking about it like it was the funniest, most original thing ever, and the plot sounded like it would be a blast. So I went in expecting humor, something fresh, and a really exciting ride. Instead I felt like I was reading something kind of derivative with a pretty straightforward story and an average main character I’ve seen a million times. The whole setup felt like it was basically borrowing the idea space from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, just with a dungeon twist instead of the other kinds of scenarios. And even the RPG stuff didn’t really feel like it was doing anything new to me—it mostly felt like it was working off what already came before. The humor also didn’t land for me. I know jokes are subjective, but I really can’t stand that “XD lmao so random” style, and Dinniman leans into that a lot. I probably should’ve bailed the second I heard about a cat named Princess Donut, but I tried anyway. It just felt like “lol isn’t this weird” with no real punchline or cleverness behind it. I’m not against a simple plot or basic world building if the rest is good, but I didn’t find much that was genuinely interesting or compelling here. Carl is fine, but his vibe is something I’ve seen before, and honestly other stories have done that type way better. Overall it just didn’t click for me, especially since it seems like everyone loves it. I’m kind of wondering what I’m missing. For me it was a 3/10.

"As long as somebody reads that's good and they are allowed to like what they like" reactions to literature reviews/criticism

By ChapterMountain

I’ve been seeing this kind of reaction a lot lately when someone posts a real, in-depth review of a book. It feels like the actual points they’re making never really get addressed. Instead it turns into this broad “you’re basically stopping people from liking/reading this book” thing, like the reviewer is personally preventing anyone from picking it up again—especially if they weren’t “allowed” to like it. And yeah, a lot of this happens even when the reviewer’s criticism is only a little negative. I get that arguments happen, but the “it’s prohibitive” angle is new to me. Usually it comes with people trying to reassure the reader that it’s totally fine to like the book, and that they shouldn’t feel bad—like they should feel proud because at least they read something. But… why does it always seem like the reviewer is being framed as the enemy? Because it’s not like they were saying the person shouldn’t read it. They just didn’t like parts of the book. So what’s your take—do you think it’s always a net good as long as someone reads anything? And why does that idea get paired with this whole accusation that reviewers are “not allowing” a book, like they’re some kind of gatekeeper who can just yank it away? My own thought is that maybe some projection is happening: the reader’s worried other people will react the same way to criticism of their favorite book, so they end up reassuring them… and reassuring themselves. Also, I don’t really get the “any reading is good reading” thing—why wouldn’t it be okay to want better quality literature? And it’s not like reviews are always written by people who hate everything; a lot of them are from folks who genuinely love the stuff and just want to talk about it.

King Solomon’s Mines (Narrator)

By strangeteacuphoney

I’m seeing a bunch of different narrator options for King Solomon’s Mines. Does anyone have a go-to favorite they listened to and actually liked? Also curious if you’ve heard any of the ones listed below before—Stefan Rudnicki, Bill Homewood, Toby Stephens, Jack Sondericker, Patrick Tull, Simon Prebble, Toby Scott McLellan—what did you think?

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

By sharpRough1645

This week’s episode is about King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard, which seems like it really shaped a lot of pulp and popular stuff. It first came out in September 1885, and I guess Haggard wrote it after a bet with his brother—basically, could he top a novel that was already super well liked, like Treasure Island. Wikipedia says he finished it somewhere between six and sixteen weeks, from January to April 21, 1885, which is a pretty wide range. Also, it struggled to find a publisher at first and got kind of overlooked as a novelty. But once it was actually out, it ended up being the bestseller of the year, and they couldn’t even keep it in print because everyone wanted copies. It follows Allan Quatermain, and he’s kind of been getting more attention again in the last ten years. If anyone wants it, there’s an eBook on Project Gutenberg and an audiobook on Librivox too.

What would you consider the most overlooked title written by a famous author ?

By midnightcarrot1972

I honestly don’t think The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien / Christopher Tolkien gets nearly the credit it deserves. Christopher did an amazing job sorting through his dad’s notes, and the whole lore and the huge scale of it is just incredible—makes the Lord of the Rings stuff feel a lot more tame to me in comparison. Also, some of those lesser-known titles here were totally new to me, so that was really cool. And it sounds like a bunch of authors were pretty bummed that the books they mentioned weren’t getting read nearly as much as the more commercial ones. Hopefully we can help change that and get the word out a bit more.

I hope this isn’t much too specific but I really enjoyed the full audible versions of around the world in 80 days and treasure island. Can anyone recommend anything similar?

By sleepyEagle

Not totally sure what to make of this, but it feels the same as the part above.

Sharon Stone & Richard Chamberlain as Jesse Huston & Allan Quatermain in: King Solomon's Mines (1985) by J. Lee Thompson

By strange_scarf849

I stumbled on this movie and actually had a pretty good time with it, even if it felt like a cheaper version of Indy and Marion. I’m kind of wondering if they should make a fresh Alan Quartermain movie/tv series though, because the last couple Indiana Jones films didn’t really hit the mark.

So I just finished “King Solomon’s Mines” and I loved it. Can y’all recommend to me some more books, fiction or non, that are of a similar subject? The whole uncontacted natives, lost civilizations, ancient ruins and the like?

By desert-volume

You should check out James Rollins—he has some stand-alone books too, plus the Sigma Force series.

Are the lost mines of King Solomon a real legend, or did H. Rider Haggard make them up?

By atombeacon789

I read that ancient miners in Michigan pulled up something like half a billion pounds of copper over thousands of years. Not sure if it’s actually Solomon’s mines or whatever, but mining in general definitely isn’t some brand-new thing. Edit: this was Isle Royale and the Keweenaw peninsula.