A Princess of Mars

It is a good, easy read, and certainly an essential for any sci-fi/fantasy fan. A classic for sure, and its fun to see the roots of the genre portrayed in this book, and Burrough's writing in general. That being said, it doesn't really hold a candle to most of today's writing. Some of the story aspects just didn't make sense, and there was never any real danger for John Carter. It simply became "how will he hack and slash his way out of this corner?"

I haven't read this book for at least 40 years. I was wondering how it would hold up, since my teenage years. I had thought the "John Carter" movie was pretty good, so I decided to reread Princess of Mars. And it holds up well. Yes some of the ideas were pretty dated, but the book was written almost 100 years ago! Try not to get hung up on some of the outdated ideas, and just enjoy the ride.

Edgar Rice Burroughs has crafted a wondrous take on the concept of life on Mars that remains enticing to this day. Despite having been written nearly 100 years ago, Burrough's descriptions of the technology one might encounter on an alien world are as relevant today as they were when first written at the close of the Industrial Revolution. The only complaint I have with the story lies with its pacing. In many areas of the book, events move too quickly without explanation. Otherwise, though,a great read!