hopeful 
This is another book that I decided to read because I was intrigued by it, and I was glad I did.
The story centres around the search for a missing person, although that soon becomes secondary to the main story, which deals with a journey through the African wilderness, including encounters with tribespeople and adventures underground.
The characters are well developed, and some of the most memorable parts of the book are in the section when they meet a tribe of natives; at times, it is faintly amusing, as the characters convince the natives they have magic powers in order to avoid being killed, and also shocking because of the savage and barbaric portrayal of the native customs, and there are some brutal death scenes. There is a particularly shocking moment where a character is killed by an elephant.
Overall, I found the book to be very satisfying, and it did seem like Henry Rider Haggard had done a lot of research into typical native customs. If you’re into Adventure stories, or even just the Indiana Jones movies, this is definitely a book worth reading.
Next book: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis