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2.95 AVERAGE
2.95 AVERAGE
I had a challenge where I had to read a book from the 60s so it was this, which was a thought for a while as a just wondering how it would be or rereading Pern. I might reread Pern too but I thought it would be good to read a new book too.
http://lashart.podbean.com/e/john-norman-tarnsman-of-gor/
adventurous
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
For apparently being a controversial book and one labeled as Erotica, this was surprisingly tame. Though I'm sure it was controversial when it was written in the 60s.
There's some light bondage but nothing overly descriptive. All the characters felt rather one dimensional and the story itself wasn't that great. Glad to have this one off the TBR, and I won't be continuing the series.
There's some light bondage but nothing overly descriptive. All the characters felt rather one dimensional and the story itself wasn't that great. Glad to have this one off the TBR, and I won't be continuing the series.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed the story of Tarl Cabolt. An earth man transported to the otherworld of Gor. Fits in well among the warrior cast, he challenges many beliefs that the Gorean's hold.
A good story, with an interesting world and lore.
A good story, with an interesting world and lore.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am giving this a 4 because it makes me somewhat nostalgic. It is in a very similar vein to The Martian chronicles and the adventures in Pellucidar. Take a dweeb, transport him to another world and he becomes an action hero. These books were written long ago and their man/woman mentality shows.
Lordy. Everything you've heard about this novel is true. It's a story where men are men and women are slaves, where every relationship is about power and control, and where even the strongest women come to believe their role is to submit to men. It's ridiculous, it's toxic, and it's indefensible.
Beyond that, though, the story isn't anything to speak of. Norman's style is to tell everything, to eschew any introspection, and to rely on coincidence to get his hero out of trouble. His hero, the narrator, considers himself to be the smartest person alive (though not so smart that he can't stop calling spiders "insects"), and the tone comes across as arrogant and ingratiating.
Norman's bias toward burly, masculine men (i.e., toxic masculinity) is apparent when he writes sentences like "... it was not the case that a cavern-chested toothpick could close a switch and devastate an army" when comparing modern warfare with the Medieval tactics employed in the book. He doesn't even give a good reason why modern technology isn't used on Gor when it's clear it could exist; he just chalks it up to the Priest-Kings of the planet not allowing it. In fact, whenever any modern technology could be used to any advantage, the Priest-Kings disallow it. Handy, that.
I can see why this series had its fans during its original run (the sexism was still in vogue at the time, I suppose), and I can see why it still retains some fans (kinky sex), but man, there's better fantasy and kinky sex books than this. Find them and read them instead.
Beyond that, though, the story isn't anything to speak of. Norman's style is to tell everything, to eschew any introspection, and to rely on coincidence to get his hero out of trouble. His hero, the narrator, considers himself to be the smartest person alive (though not so smart that he can't stop calling spiders "insects"), and the tone comes across as arrogant and ingratiating.
Norman's bias toward burly, masculine men (i.e., toxic masculinity) is apparent when he writes sentences like "... it was not the case that a cavern-chested toothpick could close a switch and devastate an army" when comparing modern warfare with the Medieval tactics employed in the book. He doesn't even give a good reason why modern technology isn't used on Gor when it's clear it could exist; he just chalks it up to the Priest-Kings of the planet not allowing it. In fact, whenever any modern technology could be used to any advantage, the Priest-Kings disallow it. Handy, that.
I can see why this series had its fans during its original run (the sexism was still in vogue at the time, I suppose), and I can see why it still retains some fans (kinky sex), but man, there's better fantasy and kinky sex books than this. Find them and read them instead.
It's difficult to rate this book independently of my expectations going in. I'd always heard this was a dirty book (it wasn't), a sexist book (it was), a kinky book all about bondage and female submission (it wasn't).
No, mostly this was episodic wish-fulfillment adventure prose, not dissimilar from John Carter of Mars or even Treasure Island.
The main character is a English History professor who, through an unlikely series of events, winds up on a different planet, where the caste system is very rigid. He happens to be an awesome swordsman and easily lives through several certain-death scenarios and causes women to fall madly in love with him. Um, yeah.
So, yes, the author sets up a world where slavery exists, but the main character doesn't like it and makes efforts to free slaves. There are no strong female characters who aren't (at least momentarily) slaves. So, sexism. Check.
But, I don't really see what the hubbub is about. Perhaps the creepiness becomes more apparent in future volumes, but at least in this first book, it's just kinda bad writing, telling a pretty unbelievable story. Not dissimilar to a variety of those other 60s pulp novels.
No, mostly this was episodic wish-fulfillment adventure prose, not dissimilar from John Carter of Mars or even Treasure Island.
The main character is a English History professor who, through an unlikely series of events, winds up on a different planet, where the caste system is very rigid. He happens to be an awesome swordsman and easily lives through several certain-death scenarios and causes women to fall madly in love with him. Um, yeah.
So, yes, the author sets up a world where slavery exists, but the main character doesn't like it and makes efforts to free slaves. There are no strong female characters who aren't (at least momentarily) slaves. So, sexism. Check.
But, I don't really see what the hubbub is about. Perhaps the creepiness becomes more apparent in future volumes, but at least in this first book, it's just kinda bad writing, telling a pretty unbelievable story. Not dissimilar to a variety of those other 60s pulp novels.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read the first 7 Gor books in the late 70s, early 80s. I enjoyed them for the adventure. I did get most of the series but never did get around to reading most of them.
I was reading Edgar Rice Burroughs, Barsoom and Tarzan books in my early teens. The Gor books that I was reading in my late teens / early 20s seemed similar but more detailed and complex. Probably simplistic compared to what I read these days.
I was reading Edgar Rice Burroughs, Barsoom and Tarzan books in my early teens. The Gor books that I was reading in my late teens / early 20s seemed similar but more detailed and complex. Probably simplistic compared to what I read these days.