14 h 11 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 14 h 11 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if an old legend points the way to a vast treasure hidden in Mexico?
In The Aztec Treasure-House, Thomas A. Janvier builds an adventure around a rumor: the Aztec people concealed gold and jewels as the Spanish closed in on their empire. A search reaches back into that past, following a thread of an old secret. The promise of hidden wealth gives the quest its pull.
Mexico gives the mystery a vivid setting of mountains, roads and old towns. Janvier draws on his travels and knowledge of the country, letting place carry as much interest as the treasure itself. Clues lead to new questions, and suspense grows around the sense that something large lies ahead.
What you’ll discover
- A legend worth following Discover how a rumor of hidden Aztec wealth becomes the starting point for adventure.
- Mexico beyond the treasure Travel through mountains and old towns that give the search its distinctive atmosphere.
- Clues that deepen mystery Follow a trail where each clue opens another question about the waiting secret.
- The pull of hidden gold Feel the promise of gold and jewels draw the quest toward an uncertain discovery.
- An old adventure's rhythm Settle into a tale that lets suspense build and its central mystery gather weight.
Who will love it
This book is for readers who love lost-world quests, hidden treasure, clever escapes and comic heroes, and for anyone who enjoys old adventure told with a wink and a faithful donkey.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A scholar meets a saint and a boy
- A dying chief and an old letter point one way
- Gold wins two Americans, and blood is spilled
- A cave of the dead leads into hidden valleys
- A cloud temple, a barred gate and a living valley
- A divided city, a dark throne and a rescue
- A rebellion fails and a donkey takes revenge
- Gold, science and faith pull the party apart
- A hidden society mirrors the world outside
- A comic voice carries a grim and thrilling tale
Who’s who
- Professor Thomas PalgraveA proud American scholar of languages who tells the tale and hopes the hidden city will make his name.
- Fray AntonioA gentle young Franciscan priest who longs to bring his faith to the hidden people, whatever it costs him.
- PabloA cheerful, fearless Indian boy who plays the mouth organ and loves his donkey like a brother.
- El SabioPablo's small gray donkey, called the Wise One, who seems to understand every word and has a famous bray.
- RayburnA tall, steady civil engineer who solves practical problems and joins the quest for his share of the gold.
- YoungA short, bald, joking lost-freight agent from Boston who finds hidden things and wants a fortune.
- TizocThe Warden of the Barred Pass, a loyal officer who fears for his lame son and helps the travelers.
- ItzacoatlThe aged Priest Captain of Culhuacan, who rules through fear and secret knowledge and will not let go of his power.
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- Hardcover
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The Aztec Treasure-House
by Thomas A. Janvier · 1890
A scholar, railroader, engineer and friar follow carved arrows toward a hidden Aztec city and its gold.
Challenging10–20 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
What happens when a man who has never held a weapon goes looking for a lost Aztec city? Professor Thomas Palgrave, a scholar of languages, arrives in Mexico sure that fame awaits him.
The Aztec Treasure-House at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h 30 min6 h fast, 8 h 55 min slow
- Length
- 107,400 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1890by Thomas A. Janvier
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A scholar meets a saint and a boy
Professor Thomas Palgrave has spent forty years preparing one great work on the ancient peoples of North America. He steps off a steamer at Vera Cruz and settles in Morelia, certain that fame is waiting for him.
At the museum he meets Don Rafael Moreno, who sends him to Fray Antonio, a young Franciscan priest. The common people call the monk a saint because he nursed them through a smallpox epidemic. Fray Antonio promises old manuscripts and a servant to teach Palgrave the Aztec language. The professor boasts that he can read old Spanish script. When the pages arrive he cannot read a single line.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1890
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 9 h 15 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Janvier, Thomas A. The Aztec Treasure-House. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-aztec-treasure-house.
Janvier, T. A. (2026). The Aztec treasure-house. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-aztec-treasure-house (Original work published 1890)
Janvier, Thomas A. The Aztec Treasure-House. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-aztec-treasure-house.
@book{janvier2026aztec,
author = {Janvier, Thomas A.},
title = {The Aztec Treasure-House},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-aztec-treasure-house},
note = {First published 1890}
}
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What is The Aztec Treasure-House about?
It tells of Professor Palgrave, a monk, two American railroad men and a boy who follow a secret map and carved signs to a hidden valley, where an Aztec city still survives under a priest-ruler and holds a vast treasure.
Who is Fray Antonio in The Aztec Treasure-House?
He is a young Franciscan priest in Morelia, beloved for his service in a smallpox epidemic. He finds the old letter that sets the quest going, and he longs to bring the Christian faith to the hidden people.
Is The Aztec Treasure-House a true story?
No. It is a work of fiction written by Thomas A. Janvier in the late nineteenth century. It uses real Mexican places, Aztec history and the scholars of its day to give the adventure a convincing setting.
The author
Thomas A. Janvier
1849–1913 · American writer and historian
Thomas Allibone Janvier (1849–1913) was an American writer and historian. He was born in Philadelphia and died in New York City. He wrote novels, short stories, and works of history. His novel The Aztec Treasure-House appeared in 1890. His historical book In Old New York was published in 1894.
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