Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Oxford University Press, USA (1995), Paperback, 336 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: The character Allan Quatermain is the hero of H. Rider Haggard's 1885 novel King Solomon's Mines. In this adventure novel named after him, Quatermain longs for a return to the wilderness after losing his son. He talks a number of companions into joining him and they journey inland from Africa's east coast, where they are attacked by Masai warriors..
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
The sequel to the much more famous King Solomon's Mines. Very much in the same vein.
Alan Quatermain - the 'hero' from KSM, is bored. He's been back in civilised and genteel england for a few years. Unfortunetly his son much loved son dies in the intervening period - from smallpox - And he concieves
Hence various adventures occur and a chance meeting with an old friend the Zulu Umslopogaas provides the necessary background to help ensure that the White men and the natives are suitably contrasted - very much a product of the era it was written in. There are the usual diversions with pretty women, scheming priests and just about everything you would expect from an adventure story, including of course graphically bloody massacres, and heoric deeds. Many of the trials they undergo seem to be quite realistic - porters deserting a group was a common hazard for example. The river through the mountain wasn't actually too unbelivable, although the gas jet was just bizarre.
In today's world it is of course horrendously stereotypical and often racist, but at the time it was written, it must have been close to how Africa was percieved, a mysterious continent far away, full of savages and strange possabilities. Only Alan Quatermain himself gets drawn into the story, even his closest aquaintances remain very much 2D shadows to accompany him, but we do get quit a bit of insight into Alan's view of events and the people around him, which is often dryly amusing. The pacing is excellant, and the story rushes along from one place to the next with suitable pauses for the characters and the reader to refresh themselves. There is some trully obvious foreshadowing, but the account is supposed to have been diary entries from AQ written after his travels, so in some respects this is excuseable.
Overal, enjoyable, not as thrilling as KSMs, but another quick fun read highlighting the social differences between the 1880s and today.
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Alan Quatermain - the 'hero' from KSM, is bored. He's been back in civilised and genteel england for a few years. Unfortunetly his son much loved son dies in the intervening period - from smallpox - And he concieves
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a yearning to return to the wilderness of Africa and the udulation of the natives. Fortunetly his old friends the irrepresible Cook and Curtis also feel similarly inclined. Quartermain remembers an old tale told to him of a tribe of "white" natives who live far out in central africa, and this seems like a suitable target for them to aim for. Hence various adventures occur and a chance meeting with an old friend the Zulu Umslopogaas provides the necessary background to help ensure that the White men and the natives are suitably contrasted - very much a product of the era it was written in. There are the usual diversions with pretty women, scheming priests and just about everything you would expect from an adventure story, including of course graphically bloody massacres, and heoric deeds. Many of the trials they undergo seem to be quite realistic - porters deserting a group was a common hazard for example. The river through the mountain wasn't actually too unbelivable, although the gas jet was just bizarre.
In today's world it is of course horrendously stereotypical and often racist, but at the time it was written, it must have been close to how Africa was percieved, a mysterious continent far away, full of savages and strange possabilities. Only Alan Quatermain himself gets drawn into the story, even his closest aquaintances remain very much 2D shadows to accompany him, but we do get quit a bit of insight into Alan's view of events and the people around him, which is often dryly amusing. The pacing is excellant, and the story rushes along from one place to the next with suitable pauses for the characters and the reader to refresh themselves. There is some trully obvious foreshadowing, but the account is supposed to have been diary entries from AQ written after his travels, so in some respects this is excuseable.
Overal, enjoyable, not as thrilling as KSMs, but another quick fun read highlighting the social differences between the 1880s and today.
..............................................
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LibraryThing member barpurple
I've read and re-read this book and I love it everytime. There is something about that stiff upper lip, reserved, oh so British attitude that shouldn't work in an adventure story, but works magnificently here.
LibraryThing member antiquary
The second Allen Quartermain book, and in some ways even greater than King Solomon's Mines, providing closure for most of the main characters, including Allen himself, who dies at the end of it. All the other stories thereafter are retrospective.
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
Like Turtledove, Haggard is not a stylist, but this is a good sequel to "King Solomon's Mines". If you like books set just off the edge of the map, then this is a ripping yarn.
LibraryThing member cwflatt
Another recommend required reading for men. I agree
LibraryThing member AliceAnna
A pleasant diversion. I could have done without some of the "Great White Hunter" crap, but otherwise a nice little adventure - sometimes predictable, but still entertaining. The characters were colorful and often had more depth than I expected.
LibraryThing member edwinbcn
I always imagine that the novels of Sir Rider Haggard are a kind of literary precursor of the Indiana Jones films. In fact, with Robert Louis Stevenson, Haggard was part of the literary reaction against domestic realism that has been called a romance revival. While Stevenson listened to the
King Solomon’s Mines (1885), She (1887) and Allan Quatermain (1887) are African adventure stories. It is a bit strange that while King Solomon’s Mines is clearly situated in South Africa, with frequent references to Zulus, the Transvaal and Boers, Allan Quatermain is supposedly set in Kenya, but the description is still mostly like South Africa, and the introduction of the Masai is clearly through literary sources. In fact, at the end of the novel Haggard includes a page of "Authorities" to fend of criticism for plagiarism.
Unlike King Solomon’s Mines and She, which presented a fairly unified story, Allan Quatermain consists of two story elements which are only loosely connected as they happen along their journey. As in later Victorian stories, such as Conan Doyle's The lost world the lost civilization is discovered after travelling through a screening setting.
The reason we still read the novels of Sir Rider Haggard is that they were not as offensive about white supremacy and denigrating about the native Africans as some of his contemporaries. One may wonder how long we can bear them in the literary canon before they are scrubbed as products of the colonial mind and white supremacy. However, in the meantime they are highly entertaining, romantics adventure stories.
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throbbing drums in the South Seas, Haggard painted a romantic picture of valiant Victorian heroes and innocent, blonde maidens threatened by hordes of un-Christian and blood-thirsty Africans.King Solomon’s Mines (1885), She (1887) and Allan Quatermain (1887) are African adventure stories. It is a bit strange that while King Solomon’s Mines is clearly situated in South Africa, with frequent references to Zulus, the Transvaal and Boers, Allan Quatermain is supposedly set in Kenya, but the description is still mostly like South Africa, and the introduction of the Masai is clearly through literary sources. In fact, at the end of the novel Haggard includes a page of "Authorities" to fend of criticism for plagiarism.
Unlike King Solomon’s Mines and She, which presented a fairly unified story, Allan Quatermain consists of two story elements which are only loosely connected as they happen along their journey. As in later Victorian stories, such as Conan Doyle's The lost world the lost civilization is discovered after travelling through a screening setting.
The reason we still read the novels of Sir Rider Haggard is that they were not as offensive about white supremacy and denigrating about the native Africans as some of his contemporaries. One may wonder how long we can bear them in the literary canon before they are scrubbed as products of the colonial mind and white supremacy. However, in the meantime they are highly entertaining, romantics adventure stories.
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LibraryThing member davisfamily
Well that was unexpected.....
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1887
Physical description
336 p.; 7.3 inches
ISBN
0192822977 / 9780192822970