Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
In the annotated edition I'm listening to, Finn JD John says that The Gods of Mars is widely considered the best in the series and an excellent piece of pulp fiction in general. He also acknowledges the issues that bugged me to distraction, but for him, the locations, action, and themes outweigh the insane coincidences that drive the plot and the inconsistent, often irrational decisions and actions of the characters.
For me, that balance is reversed. Burroughs is always great at writing action and I love the new areas that we get to explore in the world of Barsoom, but I was constantly pulled out of the story by Burroughs' forcing characters to unnaturally bend to the plot. For example, John Carter's taking super long to realize that a character is his son when it's apparent to the reader pretty much from the boy's introduction. Or Carter's forgetting the difference between a Martian year and an Earth year, just to create false tension about a deadline.
Those aren't new problems for the series. Burroughs did the same thing in the previous novel with Carter's forgetting until the last second that he knew the combination to get into the facility that would allow him to save everyone on Barsoom. But it seemed to happen a lot more in Gods. Or maybe I'm just getting more tired of it by reading the novels back to back.
Frankly, I was ready to give up about two-thirds through, but I read a plot synopsis that gave away the book's cliffhanger ending and, oddly, that gave me the motivation to not only finish Gods, but go ahead and read it's sequel, Warlord of Mars, next. It's a great cliffhanger and my hope is that Warlord doesn't have the problems that Gods does. I love Burroughs' Tarzan books and want to love the Barsoom series as well.
For me, that balance is reversed. Burroughs is always great at writing action and I love the new areas that we get to explore in the world of Barsoom, but I was constantly pulled out of the story by Burroughs' forcing characters to unnaturally bend to the plot. For example, John Carter's taking super long to realize that a character is his son when it's apparent to the reader pretty much from the boy's introduction. Or Carter's forgetting the difference between a Martian year and an Earth year, just to create false tension about a deadline.
Those aren't new problems for the series. Burroughs did the same thing in the previous novel with Carter's forgetting until the last second that he knew the combination to get into the facility that would allow him to save everyone on Barsoom. But it seemed to happen a lot more in Gods. Or maybe I'm just getting more tired of it by reading the novels back to back.
Frankly, I was ready to give up about two-thirds through, but I read a plot synopsis that gave away the book's cliffhanger ending and, oddly, that gave me the motivation to not only finish Gods, but go ahead and read it's sequel, Warlord of Mars, next. It's a great cliffhanger and my hope is that Warlord doesn't have the problems that Gods does. I love Burroughs' Tarzan books and want to love the Barsoom series as well.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Kinda thought the first chunk of this book was kinda bogus, but man does he ever pull it together for the climax. A woefully outdated take on racism and religion that is nonetheless a fascinating look at the state of pulp in the 1910's. Eager to read the next volume
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Cannibalism
So campy and predictable, but surprisingly so fun at the same time.
adventurous
fast-paced
Pulpy, definitely not high literature and the First Born are racially insensitive but it is also quite fun and the worldbuilding has some genuinely cool elements.
As a novel to listen to while on the go during transits, while being tired, or while trying to fall asleep (aka moments I don’t have the attention or concentration for something more demanding) it is a delight.
As a novel to listen to while on the go during transits, while being tired, or while trying to fall asleep (aka moments I don’t have the attention or concentration for something more demanding) it is a delight.
It was ok. I found myself speeding up the tracks to get through the ending. It was ok but this one turned me off enough that I will not likely continue the series.
This was an enjoyable and exciting read, I was thoroughly entertained in this second of the series featuring the character John Carter. Move over Jedi knights you have nothing on Mr. Carter, the man has talent. The author writes a descriptive story taking place for the most part in different areas of the dying planet Mars or Barsoom. The peoples, animals, plants even the terrain are so well described you can visualize them. I never thought Science Fiction could be so entertaining. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the further adventures of this character.
Fighting, jumping, weird pacing, really convenient happenstance, maybe a little racism, etc. I didn't intend to carry on with Barsoom, but I have to admit that this ending was pretty epic and such a cliffhanger that I already began the next one.
I found this sequel, obviously based on the Odyssey,a much more enjoyable read than the first book.Partially, I suspect that this is because the first book did much of the work of introducing the characters, settings, terms, and ideas that are continued here, allowing this book to spend more time on an actual plot.
Dude these books aren't bad if you know what to expect. They're fun.
This sequel to A Princess Of Mars continues the story of John Carter, Civil War soldier, who finds his way back to the red planet ten years after the original story. Without the need of a setup, Burroughs digs right into the action. It is dumb fun with an emphasis on the type of square-jawed heroics that seem almost more comical than cliche, but I can excuse the shallowness of the action for the sheer creativity that Burroughs brings to the story, such as it is. This is similar to watching the 1930s Flash Gordon serial, cliffhanger included, and if you like that sort of thing you would probably like this as well. Warning: you do have to wade through stiff dialogue lines, like this exchange between John Carter and the Black Pirate Xodar:
"Can you swim?" I asked him.
"No slimy silian that haunts the depths of Korus is more at home in water than is Xodar," he replied.
"Can you swim?" I asked him.
"No slimy silian that haunts the depths of Korus is more at home in water than is Xodar," he replied.