King Solomon's Mines book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Postscript to Chapter 6

1. Does plain language make a narrator easier to trust, or can it hide as much as elaborate language?
2. How much danger is reasonable when searching for a missing family member?
3. What might explain Quatermain's decision to join a search he initially hesitates to undertake?
4. Would you welcome a stranger offering to travel without wages, or would that offer make you more cautious?
5. How does Khiva's death change the way you judge the hunting stop?

Meeting 2: Chapters 7 to 13

6. How might hearing Infadoos explain Twala's rise shape the travelers' expectations before meeting the king?
7. Does displaying guns under threat of death seem more like protection or an attempt to gain power?
8. What different motives could explain Gagool's questions about the travelers' purpose and Umbopa's identity?
9. How might a deadly accusation change the risks of supporting Umbopa after he reveals his identity?
10. How do you judge the travelers' promise of supernatural proof alongside their defense of a condemned dancer?

Meeting 3: Chapters 14 to 20

11. Does a deadly duel seem a fair way to settle kingship after a costly battle?
12. How does Foulata's care for Good change the place of human vulnerability in this adventure?
13. Is Ignosi justified in forcing Gagool to guide the search for diamonds?
14. How does the discovery becoming a deadly prison change the value you place on the treasure?
15. What does the companions' escape suggest about the balance between chance and effort in survival?

Themes to talk about

Tips for the host

1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.