
Allan Quatermain
'Allan Quatermain' Summary
At the beginning of the book, Allan Quatermain's only son has died and he longs to get back into the wilderness. He persuades Sir Henry Curtis, Captain John Good, and the Zulu chief Umslopogaas to accompany him, and they set out from the coast of east Africa into the territory of the Maasai. While staying with a Scottish missionary, Mr. Mackenzie, they run into a group of Maasai who kidnap Mr. Mackenzie's daughter. The Maasai demand the life of one of the party as ransom, but instead they lead an attack on the Maasai, catching them by surprise and slaughtering them. The group then travel by canoe along an underground river to a lake (which turns out to be the sacred lake of Zu-Vendis) in the kingdom of Zu-Vendis beyond a range of mountains. The Zu-Vendi are a warlike race of white-skinned people isolated from other African races; their capital is called Milosis. At the time of the British party's arrival, they are ruled jointly by two sisters, Nyleptha and Sorais. The priests of the Zu-Vendi religion are hostile to the explorers as they had killed hippopotamuses – animals sacred to the Zu-Vendis – on their arrival, but the queens protect them.
Both sisters fall passionately in love with Curtis, but Curtis loves only Nyleptha. Together with Nyleptha's rejection of the nobleman Nasta, the lord of a highland domain, a civil war breaks out. Sorais' and Nasta's forces fight against those of Nyleptha, Curtis and Quatermain. After a battle in which Queen Nyleptha's forces emerge victorious despite being outnumbered, it turns out that Queen Nyleptha is threatened by the treachery of the priests, who plan to murder her in her palace before her army's return. Umslopogaas and one loyal warrior manage to save her by defending the main doorway of the palace, while killing the attackers including Nasta and the chief priest Agon, although both are mortally wounded. Defeated and jealous, Sorais takes her own life. Nyleptha and Curtis become queen and king, while Quatermain dies from a wound suffered in the battle.
Book Details
Authors

H. Rider Haggard
England
Sir Henry Rider Haggard (22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. He...
Books by H. Rider HaggardDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

The Guermantes Way (Le Côté de Guermantes) by Marcel Proust
Marcel is a young man who is fascinated by the Guermantes family, one of the most prestigious families in Parisian high society. He dreams of being ac...

Ancia Eterna by Júlia Lopes de Almeida
"Ancia Eterna" é uma obra marcante da autora brasileira Júlia Lopes de Almeida. Esta história envolvente leva os leitores a uma jornada através das co...

Pony Rider Boys in Montana by Frank Gee Patchin
The Pony Rider Boys, a group of adventurous young men, are back in this third installment of the series. This time, they've set their sights on the ru...

Aladdin und die Wunderlampe by Ludwig Fulda
In 'Aladdin und die Wunderlampe', ein junger Mann namens Aladdin wird von einem Zauberer beauftragt, eine magische Lampe in einer Höhle zu finden. Der...

Lo, Michael! by Grace Livingston Hill
It tells the story of a young man named Michael Strange who, despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, refuses to give up on his dreams and in...

Maîtres sonneurs by George Sand
Le roman est paru dans Le Constitutionnel en juin et juillet 1853. Il raconte la vie des « cornemuseux » à la fin du XVIIIe siècle, dans le Berry et l...

Grandpa's Darlings by Pansy (Isabella Macdonald Alden)
Grandpa's Darlings is a charming book by Pansy that tells the story of two little girls, Minnie and Gracie, and their grandfather. The book is a colle...

Summer's Afternoon by Benjamin King
As the summer days wind down, LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 different recordings of A Summer’s Afternoon by Benjamin King. This was the weekly poet...

Polaris of the Snows by Charles B. Stilson
In the unforgiving expanse of Antarctica, Polaris Janess, a man raised in isolation by his father, ventures north after his father's death, seeking th...

Orange-Yellow Diamond by J. S. Fletcher
In 'Orange-Yellow Diamond,' J.S. Fletcher weaves a classic mystery tale set in the opulent world of London society. A young novelist, struggling to ma...
Reviews for Allan Quatermain
No reviews posted or approved, yet...