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'don't You See That We Are Buried Alive?' When Allan Quatermain Is Approached By Sir Henry Curtis And His Friend Captain Good To Search For Sir Henry's Missing Brother, Deep In The African Interior, He Agrees To Lead Their Expedition. Quatermain Has A Map To The Fabled King Solomon's Mines, Whose Treasure The Missing Man Sought To Attain. Their Journey Takes Them To Kukuanaland, Where They Find A Warrior Tribe In Thrall To King Twala. Soon The White Men Are Embroiled In A Desperate Tribal Battle, And Quatermain's Expedition Can Only Reach Its Goal With The Aid Of Gagool, The Ancient 'mother' No One Trusts. Haggard's Exciting Adventure Story Captivated Readers When It Was First Published In 1885. It Helped Inaugurate A Wave Of 'lost World' Romances Inspired By The Exploits Of British Explorers In Colonial Africa. This New Edition Looks At Haggard's Own African Experiences And Unlikely Literary Success, And His Ambivalent Attitude To The Native Tribes And The Ravages Of The British Empire. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
Allan Quatermain leads a perilous expedition into the African interior to locate a missing man and uncover the legendary wealth of King Solomon's Mines. Tasked by Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, Quatermain navigates the harsh terrain of the unknown continent while relying on a cryptic map. The trio faces extreme physical exhaustion, hostile environments, and the complex political landscape of the Kukuana people. The narrative is presented through a first-person perspective, detailing the logical and logistical challenges of colonial-era exploration in a world where survival is never guaranteed.
Readers and critics frequently analyze this work as a foundational text for the adventure genre, noting its influence on subsequent exploration narratives. Discussion often centers on the author's portrayal of colonial dynamics and the complex, often problematic, depictions of indigenous cultures during the Victorian era. The pacing is recognized for its consistent momentum, balancing character-driven dialogue with intense sequences of tribal conflict. Many observers highlight the effectiveness of the atmosphere, which successfully evokes the mystery of an uncharted landscape for the contemporary reader. The text remains a subject of academic interest due to its reflection of the imperialist attitudes prevalent at the time of its publication.
Page Count:
272
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191034479
ISBN-13:
9780191034473