A classic adventure yarn, set in 19th-century southern Africa, and written in 1885. Although it takes liberties, and reflects the limited knowledge of the interior of Africa at that time, it is at least written by someone who lived in Africa and had some idea what he was talking about. His view of the "natives" reflects contemporary views, but he comes over as relatively progressive for his times. Very British, very manly and patriarchal, but well worth reading ( )

Recommended by Graham Greene in an interview ( )

Great adventure story, one of the first of its genre. Lost diamonds, biblical legendary, forgotten peoples, war, and the restoration of a king. A search for lost diamonds turns into an amazing adventure. My modern day sensibilities had trouble with what was acceptable over 100 years ago (elephant hunters and they even eat Giraffe steaks!) Even from this adventure novel there are great life lessons:"What is life? Tell me, O white men, who awise, who know the secrets of the world, and the world of the stars, and the world that lies above and around the stars; who flash your words from afar without a voice: tell me, white men, the secret of our life--whither it goes and whence it comes!You cannot answer me: you know not, Listen, I will answer. Out of the dark we came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night we fly out of Nowhere; for a moment our wings are sen in the light of the fire, and lo we are gone again into the Nowhere. Life is nothing. Life is all. It is the Hand with which we hold off Death. It is the glow-worm that shines in the night-time and is black in the morning. It is the white breath of the oxen in winter; it is the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself at sunset." p 65 ( )

Given its shortness, it's amazing that this book still wears out its welcome. What starts out as a rollicking adventure story, promising a fantastic journey, becomes bogged down about halfway through in the politics of a problematically-depicted group of Africans. But even if they weren't problematic, they'd still be boring. Thankfully, things still come to a roaring and satisfying conclusion, despite the highly convenient death of the black love interest of one of the white heroes. Quite fun otherwise, though, especially thanks to the matter-of-fact but slightly dim narrative voice Haggard given Allan Quatermain.

The notes in my Penguin Classics edition are a little basic, but that's probably because there's not much to note, and Robert Hampson feels compelled to say something.

A rip-roaring boys own adventure! ( )