The Year's First Book

The first book of the year has been read and it took a long time. When I picked it up I expected a quick afternoon's whizz through an adventure romp but it turned out to be a week-long slog.

I don't know why, but King Solomon's Mines by H Rider Haggard did not grip me. It had all the things that should be good, lots of action and very little soppiness but something was not there. It is a book very much of its time and perhaps the ethos of the empire did not sit right with me, but I don't think that was it. It is curious how sometimes you will just not click with a book, and this is how I felt about this one. Pleasant enough but not a book I feel has enriched my life particularly.

The story is of a small party setting out to discover the mythical diamond mines of King Solomon in Africa, on the trail of Sir Henry Curtis' brother. The adventures include nearly dying of thirst, a run-in with an angry bull elephant, and then being plunged into a local war. There are some great characters, especially the evil Gagool, a crone who appeared to have lived for centuries and who takes a great dislike to the hero. And there are some funny parts such as the first encounter with the people from the hidden land where the diamonds are. One of the party was half-way through shaving his face and had no trousers on and had to stay like that from then on, as they claimed to be travellers from the stars and his unusual appearance becomes part of the story.

H Rider Haggard's reason for writing it was to prove that he could write a story as exciting as Treasure Island but I don't think he managed it; if someone wanted a gripping adventure story I would point them to Treasure Island every time. However, it was quite an enjoyable yarn.

After last year's first book (Captain Blood) being such a treat, 2009 has got off to a slightly disappointing start; the next book will hopefully grip me more.