King Solomon's Mines

The story

Elephant hunter Allan Quatermain agrees to guide Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good into unknown country to look for Sir Henry's lost brother — and, according to an old map, the diamond mines of King Solomon.

They cross a desert, climb frozen mountains and enter Kukuanaland, where the tyrant Twala and the ancient witch Gagool stand between them and the treasure.

Themes: treasure, friendship, courage, colonial-era Africa.

Why it's a good book for language learners

Haggard tells the story in the first person through Quatermain's dry, practical voice, which is easy to follow. The plot moves quickly from one danger to the next. It is also a book to read critically: its view of Africa belongs to the 1880s, and noticing that is part of reading it today.

What you'll practise

• Travel, landscape and survival vocabulary
• First-person narration and opinion
• Formal Victorian phrasing
• Describing battles and ceremonies

Did you know?

The novel is often called the first “lost world” adventure, a genre that later inspired Indiana Jones.

The PageWalker adventure

In the adventure you lead the expedition and decide whom to trust in Kukuanaland. The first page is free to play in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.

King Solomon's Mines in other languages

• EnglishKing Solomon's Mines
• العربيةكنوز الملك سليمان
• DeutschKönig Salomos Diamanten
• EspañolLas Minas del Rey Salomón
• FrançaisLes Mines du roi Salomon
• हिन्दीकिंग सोलोमन की खदानें
• ItalianoLe miniere di re Salomone
• 日本語ソロモン王の洞窟
• 한국어솔로몬 왕의 보물
• PortuguêsAs Minas do Rei Salomão
• РусскийКопи царя Соломона
• TürkçeKral Süleyman'ın Hazineleri
• 简体中文所罗门王的宝藏