Purchase the Kindle book for free

Would you consider the audio edition of King Solomon's Mines to be better than the print version?

Heads up! This book is $.99 with the purchase of the Kindle book which is free.

120 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Heads Up #6!

Why pay $3.95 for this Audiobook when the Kindle edition is $0.00 and after you "purchase" that book the Audible Audiobook is $0.99. Obviously this is not a review but I didn't know where else to post.

37 persone l'hanno trovata utile

From a different culture

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Written decades before more familiar stories it carries the intrigue of originality. Particularly it's not "Indiana Jones with a twist" or "Treasure Island... with a twist". It was wild and odd but not trying to outdo itself in the third act.

As a warning (or caveat emptor) Native Africans are depicted with some obvious cultural insensitivity. Some of the bias comes from the characters (the story is told by first person by a hard-bitten white man who can speak several African dialects) and some come from the author's era in history. There are some awkward moments for my ears, but nothing I felt was sensationally exploitative... monsters are monsters regardless of culture.

What other book might you compare King Solomon's Mines to and why?

Classic adventure stories from Jules Verne or Robert Louis Stevenson

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator is clear, interesting, and a pro.

I suspect the director was asleep... some sections of dialog were heavily characterized (using different voices/styles) and others were not. I could tell during some chapters who was speaking by the tone of voice, but it was not consistent.

35 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Dated, so horribly dated

Any additional comments?

I often enjoy these old, dated stories. But I found that I could not in this case. In general its not a bad story for its genre. In fact the story seemed to me in some ways better than many that came along to copy it decades later, but the characters are so much the stereotypical arrogant British colonials and the superstitious, humbled, grovelling, childish African "natives" that I could not get through the entire book. If you can tolerate these stereotypes, by all means give the book a chance.

15 persone l'hanno trovata utile

A classic adventure

King Solomon's Mines should not be taken overly seriously in the modern day; many of its plot points have become cliche or out of touch with a 21st or 20th century reader. Nevertheless, its sense of adventure remains, and it is still fascinating to imagine oneself in the shoes of Quartermain as he undergoes his quest. There are few works I would take over this one for light listening. Prebble puts in a great performance, convincingly portraying the entire cast and adding significantly to the feel of the story.

15 persone l'hanno trovata utile

A fair adventure story well narrated

I enjoyed this listen, but it contained more descriptions of blood and gore than I would have liked. The story was adequate for an adventurous tale, but it didn't absolutely enthrall me.

On the other hand, the narration was wonderful! Simon Prebble has a talent for using his vocal talents to pull you into the story to a greater extent than what you would have experienced reading it. His voice was soothing, and he read the more animated parts beautifully without harshness.

Overall, this listen provides a new way to enjoy an old classic. If you like adventure stories, this is probably a good choice - just be prepared for some gory parts to the story.

14 persone l'hanno trovata utile

A surprise

King Solomon's Mines was a surprise to me -- I really enjoyed it, much more than I expected.

It helps to remember that this novel was the first of its kind; Henry Rider Haggard actually invented the “Lost World” genre. So while King Solomon's Mines is dated in its glorification of big game hunting (ewww) and general attitudes towards native cultures (although not, I would point out, towards individual natives), it’s still a rollicking good story. What I did not expect from a novel written in 1885 was how funny it is in places. As such, the protagonist/narrator, Alan Quartermaine, is the direct literary forebear of Indiana Jones. For the most part, it's great fun.

Simon Prebble was not a surprise, however; his narration was excellent, as always.

13 persone l'hanno trovata utile

simplistic

This was another book I had to stop listening to. A waste of time and money.
If this was truly the forerunner to other adventure stories, then that's why it seems so full of cliche's.
The great white god Englishman. Thinks nothing of killing 9 elephants in a day for the ivory. It bothers him slightly that 100+ men are executed but the next day they have to save the young girl who was to be sacrificed. That 100+ men (armed warriors) would allow themselves to be executed without protest makes no sense.

13 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Good Action

Any additional comments?

This is was a pretty good story. The action is better than any book I've read written in the 1800's. When you read it you have to keep in mind the writer was very liberal for his time even though it comes off as a bit racist today.

7 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Good adventure

What made the experience of listening to King Solomon's Mines the most enjoyable?

The story keeps moving.

What other book might you compare King Solomon's Mines to and why?

Treasure island. Kidnapped. These two because of foreign lands and travel

Which scene was your favorite?

Battle scenes

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Witch hunt

4 persone l'hanno trovata utile