A Princess of Mars

Gentlemen fight honorably!

I'm not sure, can make comparisons on its sequels but not this particular volume. Considering the time in which it was written, I found it fascinating how Burroughs worked in the known knowledge and scientific data of Mars and then built this fantastic world around it before the day and age of common science fiction! It doesn't come across as the dated, cheesy stuff one might find from as late as the 1980's. Yes, there are green men on Mars, but not like Marvin the Martian :)

I think Mr. Dufris' accent and rhythm of speech is very believable for a 20+ year old Confederate War Veteran from the tobacco areas of Virginia. It's not too overstated but it's noticeable and compliments the gentlemanly but rugged when needed demeanor of John Carter very well.

No, I certainly finished it more quickly than average but I didn't have the desire to consume it all in one sitting. There are several tense scenes in the book and while not nerve wracking, sometimes it did leave me feeling like, "Ok I've had enough of lead character in danger" for now. As there are a lot of situations where John Carter finds himself in one kind of mortal terror or another.

This one is great. Just get Princess of Mars and do yourself a favor and stop. And you won't be left hanging if you do so, its a fufilling story on its own. Not a slight on Dufris, I think he does a pretty good job. But the sequels in this series can get repetitive and tedious in my opinion. In much the same way as the Wizards First Rule series did. I want to scream, "Oh my God, I figured it out 5 chapters ago??!! I thought you were a smart man!!!!" LOL

I first read the Martian series by Edgar Rice Burroughs in the 50's & 60's. Barely into my teens, the series excited me and really provided a boost for my imagination. I decided to buy the Audio version after seeing the movies "A Princes of Mars" and John Carter of Mars. It had been over 40 years since I had read them, but I just didn't remember the stories that way. I was right, but I wont go into the differences as this is not a review of the movies. "A Princes of Mars" was written in 1912, and upon re-reading the book (audio) I find that he was ahead of his time in many respects. The creator of Superman was probably a reader of Burroughs. E.E. "Doc" Smith, author of the Skylark series, was probably one too. There are probably more that I have not made a connection to as yet. As I said, it was written in 1912 and his personal attitudes, as seen through his main character, John Carter, a Civil War veteran who fought for the south, come through very clearly. His southern mentality are part of the story, and the reason that he react to the situations that he encounters the way he did. All in all, I find "A Princes of Mars" and for that matter, the rest of the series, to be a very good read.

This is the second audio version I've heard of a princess or mars, the first book in the John Carter series. The book is definitely dated (very victorian attitudes) but it was never supposed to be