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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
3.5. This a favorite from high school that I haven’t read in almost 20 years. Wonderful sci-fi pulp that would go on to influence so many other great works.
Last Of The Mohicans meets Flash Gordon, this book (published 1912) straddles two bygone eras--and holds up quite well! Undoubtedly inspired by Jules Verne, this trailblazing work was undoubtedly an inspiration itself to the kids of that era who would later invent modern science fiction. However, like much SF in the intervening years, it is pulp through and through, without any of the intellectuality of Close Encounters, Star Trek, or even Avatar. This is the type of schlock fantasy where the hero escapes by the author "remembering" something that he failed to mention chapters earlier. Compared to most pulp, the characters are generally both believable and likeable, with quite a bit more depth than I expected from such an early work, and a culmination of events does manage to emerge. Though rare for both 1912 and most of the following century, I was also pleased to find the heroine portrayed as relatively intelligent, unapologetically strong of will, and fierce in personality--if still physically small, frequently in need of rescue, and primarily a love interest.
Though not a perfect story, it easily deserves my 4 stars if taken in context of its genre, as is my preference. If you care not for reading classics in context, or if you are not a fan of pulp in any form, then I fully recommend skipping this prime example. However, Princess of Mars is a classic and rightfully so. Though I am content with this initial episode, I understand why Burroughs' tales of John Carter are still beloved by so many well over a century after they were published.
Though not a perfect story, it easily deserves my 4 stars if taken in context of its genre, as is my preference. If you care not for reading classics in context, or if you are not a fan of pulp in any form, then I fully recommend skipping this prime example. However, Princess of Mars is a classic and rightfully so. Though I am content with this initial episode, I understand why Burroughs' tales of John Carter are still beloved by so many well over a century after they were published.
Okay, so as much as I adore the scifi genre, I am BORED TO DEATH with the "white savior" trope (for those unfamiliar, see basically any movie ever where a dude from Earth shows up and teaches alien primitives the correct way to behave and ends up marrying their princess and blah dee blah). But something about the fact that this story was done way before all of the others, makes it slightly endearing.
It's really interesting the types of ground work that Burroughs lays out for this Martian land. It's not... entirely coherent towards the end (there's the denouement and then BLAMMO WAIT DESPAIR CLIFFHANGER). It's kind of weird really. But there's something underneath that's charming. More so than my desire to read the history of a science fiction narrative, more so than the ideas that a man with much less knowledge of space travel than us came up with.
I really like John Carter. I really like Dejah Thoris. I like Sola, I like Tars Tarkas. I like 'em all. They're likeable characters in a weird, interesting type of world. It's got a divergant narrative structure and I can't say I'd recommend it. But this book has a charm all on its own and add in the layer of history in terms of a science fiction first... well it's kind of cool.
It's really interesting the types of ground work that Burroughs lays out for this Martian land. It's not... entirely coherent towards the end (there's the denouement and then BLAMMO WAIT DESPAIR CLIFFHANGER). It's kind of weird really. But there's something underneath that's charming. More so than my desire to read the history of a science fiction narrative, more so than the ideas that a man with much less knowledge of space travel than us came up with.
I really like John Carter. I really like Dejah Thoris. I like Sola, I like Tars Tarkas. I like 'em all. They're likeable characters in a weird, interesting type of world. It's got a divergant narrative structure and I can't say I'd recommend it. But this book has a charm all on its own and add in the layer of history in terms of a science fiction first... well it's kind of cool.
This classic piece of pulp fiction is the first of the John Carter stories. This is classic science fiction, but I would not call it the best of anything. It was a very imaginative story of life on Mars and a very easy book to read. I was not particularly engrossed by any of the characters and every challenge was just a bit too easy for the hero. A product of its time.
I read "A Princess of Mars" many years ago and liked it, and after reading "John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood" by Michael Sellers, I was in the mood to read it again. It really is a classic science fiction/fantasy adventure, full of daring battles and alien societies. While it might be derided as sexist or flat by some readers today, it does showcase impressive alien world-building and cultures. I personally have no problem with the book, considering the time it was written, the skill and talent evident in the presentation, and my own enjoyment of heroic escape-fantasies, regardless of the gender of the protagonist. "A Princess of Mars" was the forerunner of Flash Gordon, Star Wars, and James Cameron's Avatar, and rather like Lord of the Rings in high fantasy, it spawned dozens of similar series (like "Tarnsman of Gor" by John Norman.) You can see the echoes of its influence through all of those works and beyond. Anyone interested in writing and classic literature would do well to read it, with the full realization that the story and characters within are supposed to be larger than life, melodramatic and even cheesy legends, rather than realistic depictions of people.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is straight up an adventure novel for boys. It was imaginative and simple. I liked it.
Had I read this book when I was 12, maybe, I would have really liked it. Now, it was mildly entertaining and predictable, but I'm glad I read it, for I have got an idea of what heroic fantasy/sci-fi is like. I think this is the beginning of the genere, because the book is very clichee and uses a lot of stereotypes. John Carter, for example, is the perfect manly specimen, strong, gentle and courageous whose actions always go for the better. In fact, most of the events in this book are amazingly fit to help John Carter and his missions in times of need. Even his misfortunes do good in the end.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm sure I read this one ages ago bit I have a few others in the series and wanted to go back to the start before jumping into any of those. Wow, what an imagination ERB had! Some of the stuff he comes up with is just bonkers! I also forgot how violent and bloody this book is. John Carter is pretty relentless in his killing. The failed Disney movie did capture a lot of this but had way less killing. The love story between Dejah and John is corny but I still like parts of it. Most of all I just like the whole pulpy fantasy of everything.