King Solomon's Mines (1885) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Allan Quatermain: a travelling trader and hunter. He agreed to help Henry Curtis to find Curtis's brother and they travelled together to the King Solomon's Mines. Called Macumazahn.
• Henry Curtis: an English gentleman who tries to find his brother and in order to do this he begins a long and difficult journey to the King Solomon's Mines
• Captain Good: Friend and companion to British aristocrat Sir Henry Curtis, who approach Allan Quartermain to assist them in a search for Sir Henry's lost brother.
• Captain John Good: a naval officer travelling with Sir Curtis. "Dark man was a naval officer, a lieutenant of thirty-one, who, after seventeen years' service, had been turned out of her Majesty's employ with the barren honour of a commander's rank." Called "Bougwan," or Glass Eye.
• Twala: the usurper king of Kakuanaland, cruel and blood thirsty.
• Gagool: an old witch woman, an adviser to the King Twala
• Solomon: The third king of the Kingdom of Israel, ca. 1000 B.C., renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem
• Macumazahn: Umbopa's name (in Zulu) for Allan Quartermain.
• Incubu: Zulu name for Sir Henry Curtis, meaning "elephant"
• Mr. Quatermain: Allan Quartermain, a British hunter and adventurer living, largely, in Africa.
• Bougwan: Add a description of this character.
• Ignosi: prior known as Umbopa
• Jim: a servant of George Curtis
• Harry: Allan Quartermain's son, studying medicine in England.
• Scragga: son of Twala, the King, cruel and vicious young man
• Suliman: An "African" form of the name Solomon.
• Dom
• George Curtis: called himself Neville. Brother of Henry Curtis. He is the reason of the journey undertaken by Henry, his brother.
• Ventvögel: a Hottentot servant who accompanies Quatermain, Curtis and Good
• Kafir
• Foulata: a young, beautiful girl, chosen to died as a sacrifice
• Ventvogel: a Hottentot, a servant travelling with Quatermain, Curtis and Good
• Harry Quatermain: Allan Quatermain's son, student of medicine in London
• José Silvestre: a Portugese traveller who journeyed to the King Solomon's Mines and whose journals are the great help to Quatermain, Curtis and Good
• Umbopa: the name used by Ignosi when he wanted to journey with Curtis, Quatermain and Good as their servant
• Khiva: a servant during the journey
• Infadoos: King's brother and uncle of Umbopa/Ignosi

Quotes edit see section history

• “Listen! What is life? It is a feather, it is the seed of the grass, blown hither and thither, sometimes multiplying itself and dying in the act, sometimes carried away into the heavens. But if the seed be good and heavy it may perchance travel a little way on the road it wills. It is well to try and journey one's road and to fight with the air.”

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Umbopa
• Kukuanas
• Durban
• London
• King Solomon's Mines: described as a place in the Suliman Mountains up to the north-west of the Mushakulumbwe country
• Sheba
• Heaven
• Baas
• Khiva
• England
• Zululand
• Great Road
• South Africa
• Winchester
• Sheba's Breasts: two mountains, a characteristic place where the King Solomon's Mines are believed to be situated
• Kukuanaland: the kingdom of Twala, with the capital of Loo
• Loo: the capital of Kukuanaland

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Allan Quatermain.

Preceded by Into Thin Air, and followed by The Idiot.

Preceded by Beowulf, and followed by Kim.

Preceded by Kidnapped, and followed by Germinal.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. H. Rider Haggard (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PR4731.K5 H34
• Dewey: 823.8

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Add a note to help parents select a book for a child.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics

Movie Connections edit see section history

• King Solomon's Mines (1937) (IMDb): English black and white movie directed by Robert Stevenson, with: Paul Robeson, Cedric Hardwicke and Roland Young.
• King Solomon's Mines (1950) (IMDb): American movie directed by Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton, starring: Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger and Richard Carlson.
• King Solomon's Mines (1985) (IMDb): Directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring: Richard Chamberlain, Sharon Stone, Herbert Lom, and John Rhys-Davies.
• King Solomon's Mines Poster (1986) (IMDb): An animated version, created in Australia.
• King Solomon's Mines (2004) (IMDb): TV movie, directed by Steve Boyum, starring: Patrick Swayze, Alison Doody and Roy Marsden.