Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mine [and] Allan QuatermainThese three great novels of African adventure continue to be favorite reading of those who love a thrilling tale. Perhaps the reason that they continue to be part of the public imagination, delighting each new generation afresh, is that they are filled with qualities close to the human heart: adventure, discovery, desire for immortality, terror, the search for the primitive . . . for what is unadorned by civilization. As Kipling said of Haggard's work, "It goes, and it grips, and it moves with all the freshness of youth." Haggard had lived for many years among primitive peoples in Africa, and his knowledge of the Dark Continent was matched by few men. Yet beyond his personal knowledge of Africa, his experience of savage life and wild lands, and his faculty for making us believe impossible tales lies a feeling for the supernatural. Adventure alone was not enough for Haggard. As he said, "The thing must have a heart; mere adventures are not enough I can turn them out by the peck." About "She," one of the great mythical creations of the late 19th century, he said, "The only clear notion that I had was that of an immortal woman inspired by immortal love . . . and it came it came faster than my poor aching hand could set it down." Kipling simply said, "You did not write 'She, ' you know. Something wrote it through you." His novels have been called parables, asking "What are science, learning, and consciousness of knowledge and power, in the face of Omnipotence?" They have been called romance. And they have been called excitingly alive and imaginative by almost everyone who has ever picked up a volume, from R. L. Stevenson to George Orwell. "Do any of the moderns equal H. Rider Haggard as spinners of suspense yarns?" "Los Angeles Times""Haggard could spin a yarn so full of suspense and color that you couldn't put the story down." "Washington Post"Complete unabridged texts of "She," "King Solomon's Mines," "Allan Quatermain."" |
Other editions - View all
Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mine [and] Allan Quatermain Henry Rider Haggard No preview available - 1951 |
Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mine [and] Allan Quatermain Henry Rider Haggard No preview available - 1951 |
Three Adventure Novels: She, King Solomon's Mine [and] Allan Quatermain Henry Rider Haggard No preview available - 1951 |
Common terms and phrases
Allan Quatermain Alphonse Amahagger answered asked awful Ayesha Baboon beautiful began beneath Billali biltong blood Bougwan canoe cave Curtis dark dead death dhow evil eyes face father fear feet fell fire followed Gagool girl hand hast head heard heart hippopotami Holly hour hundred Ignosi Incubu Infadoos Kallikrates kill king knew Kôr kraal Kukuana laughed light live looked lord Macumazahn Masai miles minutes mountains Nasta never night Nyleptha once ourselves passed poor Quatermain Queen regiment rock rose round seemed seen shalt sherd side sight Sir Henry Sir Henry Curtis sleep Sorais spear stone stood strange suddenly tell thee thing thou art thought thousand told took turned Twala Umbopa Umslopogaas uncial Ustane Vincey voice wall woman wonderful word yards Zu-Vendi Zulu Zululand