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18th out of 96 books
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110 voters
Thuvia, Maid of Mars (Barsoom #4)
Mars has become divided by love. Not one, but two princes and a Jeddak are vying for the love of Thuvia of Ptarth. When she is mysteriously kidnapped, treachery threatens to throw Barsoom into bloody war.
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
July 12th 1986
by Del Rey
(first published 1920)
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Burroughs must have written this one to make a few bucks (or because his contract required it). Little imagination, improbable plot and more-than-usual coincidences (both good and bad) to make it work. But at least it was short. Normally, I want a book to be as long as possible; not this time.
Like father, like son: Carthoris is as clueless as his father.
Why does everyone always choose the new slave (in almost all cases a spy or one of the Carters) to accompany them on a critical, secret mission?...more
Like father, like son: Carthoris is as clueless as his father.
Why does everyone always choose the new slave (in almost all cases a spy or one of the Carters) to accompany them on a critical, secret mission?...more
So I made the mistake, as I was reading this one on the plane back from Korea, to get another perspective. I watched "John Carter." Now, let me be clear. These books are terrible, and Thuvia is much worse than the three that preceded it. At least in those others there was some interest each time as a new race of martians could serve as principal antagonists. Here the new race is a footnote and a deus ex machina. The "rules" of Barsoom are broken and power thrown out of balance. It's like the men...more
Highly formulaic. I begin to see a pattern in these books. Carter's (or now his son, Carthoris) loved one is kidnapped by some cruel person. He pursues, despite being outgunned, outnumbered, and hopelessly behind. Via a series of improbable coincidences, our hero catches up, faces certain death as he dukes it out with the bad guy's army, and survives just to find that the villain has slipped away with his prize. Repeat ad nauseum. Sorry, Mario, Princess Peach is not in this castle. Our hero disc...more
Might as well call this book "The Son Also Rises" - but I think that might be taken.
Why Thuvia's name is on the cover, I still have no idea and doubt the other books in the series will shed any light on it. This was a pure Carthoris book that mimics the formula of chasing the girl set up with the first two John Carter books.
Then, with a suggestion of a Princess Bride plot line that never gets explored and a political intrigue thriller that never really materializes, there was too much in this...more
Why Thuvia's name is on the cover, I still have no idea and doubt the other books in the series will shed any light on it. This was a pure Carthoris book that mimics the formula of chasing the girl set up with the first two John Carter books.
Then, with a suggestion of a Princess Bride plot line that never gets explored and a political intrigue thriller that never really materializes, there was too much in this...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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"Thuvia, Maid of Mars" is the 4th of 11 John Carter novels from the pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs. It first appeared in April 1916, as a three-part serial in the magazine "All Story Weekly." This is the first Carter novel that does not feature John Carter himself as the central character; he only makes a brief cameo appearance early on. Instead, the action mantle is taken up by Carthoris, Carter's son, but fortunately, Carter Junior turns out to be just as good a swashbuckler as the old man. In th...more
I was half expecting to utterly loathe this book after some of the reviews I heard from my friends. And most of them are quite understandable for the main reasons:
a: Thuvia is kidnapped (surprise surprise...Deja Thoris anyone? Deja Thoris? Bueller?)
b: Thuvia spurns pretty much Cathorsis after already being betrothed to someone else(surprise surprise--*cough* Deja Thoris)
c: Thuvia looses a lot of her kick butt character that she seemed to have in the Gods of Mars and Warlord of Mars. I mean seri...more
a: Thuvia is kidnapped (surprise surprise...Deja Thoris anyone? Deja Thoris? Bueller?)
b: Thuvia spurns pretty much Cathorsis after already being betrothed to someone else(surprise surprise--*cough* Deja Thoris)
c: Thuvia looses a lot of her kick butt character that she seemed to have in the Gods of Mars and Warlord of Mars. I mean seri...more
this is the 17th or 18th e.r.b./erb tale i will read...have read the previous 3 stories in this series...originally published 1920 it said in one description...although that sounds like an authentic winner, i'd beware of dates...fans of the hunger games, you'd think, would be all over these reads...but alas...i'd hazard that mind games on the web are more interesting.
chapter one is sub-titled carthoris and thuvia
and it begins:
upon a massive bench of polished ersite beneath the gorgeous blooms of...more
chapter one is sub-titled carthoris and thuvia
and it begins:
upon a massive bench of polished ersite beneath the gorgeous blooms of...more
I can't put my finger on it, but this isn't my favorite Barsoom book. Having said that, it's still a very strong entry in the series. This is the first book written in third person, so you actually get multiple points of view. It's also the first book not to feature John Carter as a protagonist (he has a very brief walk-on in the beginning of the book). The plot is about what you'd expect: Steel-thewed, square-jawed warrior is smitten with beautiful princess, but many complications ensue to keep...more
I was talking to my dad about Edgar Rice Burroughs the other day. My dad discovered Burroughs through comic book adaptations of A Princess of Mars and Tarzan, and then he moved on to the novels.
He said that Burroughs is "One of the best authors who gets absolutely no respect."
Here's what I think: Edgar Rice Burroughs may not have written anything salient on, say, the American Dream or man's inhumanity to man, but dammit, I don't care. I've never felt unsatisfied after a Burroughs novel.
Thuvia...more
He said that Burroughs is "One of the best authors who gets absolutely no respect."
Here's what I think: Edgar Rice Burroughs may not have written anything salient on, say, the American Dream or man's inhumanity to man, but dammit, I don't care. I've never felt unsatisfied after a Burroughs novel.
Thuvia...more
Sep 24, 2010
Angela Alcorn
marked it as to-read
Another great story by Burroughs.
Once again, a rollercoaster ride of short story chapters that end with a cliff hanger and often begin with a miraculous save or a the hero loosing conscience and the reader is not sure how he/she got out of the situation. But alas, the stories were written for magazines, and we must forgive the author these exciting enddings in order to keep his readers coming back for more issues.
After reading this fourth installment, I feel like I can safly say that Burroughs h...more
Once again, a rollercoaster ride of short story chapters that end with a cliff hanger and often begin with a miraculous save or a the hero loosing conscience and the reader is not sure how he/she got out of the situation. But alas, the stories were written for magazines, and we must forgive the author these exciting enddings in order to keep his readers coming back for more issues.
After reading this fourth installment, I feel like I can safly say that Burroughs h...more
The fourth book in the series and the first that doesn't feature John Carter as the protagonist; instead his son Carthoris is dashing around Mars trying to rescue the beautiful Thuvia and avoid being framed for her kidnapping. There's certainly no deep plot here, all action and adventure, and Carthoris is practically indistinguishable from his father as a protagonist. The ending is also rather abrupt and could have used some fleshing out.
I've always rather liked this book though, as Thuvia is th...more
I've always rather liked this book though, as Thuvia is th...more
Yes, this book has many, many flaws. However, I forgive Burroughs everything...well, almost everything...for this, my favorite sentence (from memory, so it may be off):
Carthoris blessed the chance that had caused Vas Kor to choose the bowman from among all others; for had it been another Dusarian, there would have been questions to answer as to the whereabouts of the warrior who lay sleeping so peacefully behind the dwelling of Hal Vas, Dwar of the Southern Road; and Carthoris had no answer to s...more
This book has some of the same problems as the others but also adds a few more. This book is not about John Carter but his son Carthois who acts exactly as his father but with less personality. Also this is the first in the series that Burroughs tries to write from more than one point of view. This must have been new to him as its poorly done and confusing for the reader. Also while it has the massive battles that one expects from the series it doesn't introduce interesting locations and/or crea...more
‘Thuvia, Maid of Mars’ would be just another of Burroughs’s well-crafted chase-and-sword-fight adventures – a solid three-out-of-five stars – were it not for the somewhat tongue-in-cheek chapters about the lost city of Lothar. The inhabitants of this remote and hidden fortress may or may not have imagined themselves into existence.
They’re not sure themselves. Divided into rival philosophical camps of ‘etherealists’ and ‘realists,’ they’ve been debating their own reality for millenia. ERB’s treat...more
They’re not sure themselves. Divided into rival philosophical camps of ‘etherealists’ and ‘realists,’ they’ve been debating their own reality for millenia. ERB’s treat...more
There's something missing from this series without John Carter. I know that Carthoris is his son and all of that but it just wasn't the same for me. Part of the mystique about this series is/was John Carter being an outsider, an Earthman on Mars. Without that it just isn't the same for me.
The villains in this one fell a little flat, and Carthoris didn't have enough of a background or unique personality I think to set him apart from many of the other Martians and characters of the book. Not Burro...more
The villains in this one fell a little flat, and Carthoris didn't have enough of a background or unique personality I think to set him apart from many of the other Martians and characters of the book. Not Burro...more
“Thuvia, Maid of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs is the fourth book in the Barsoom series, and it is quite a bit different than the previous books. The first three books focused on John Carter, and his love of Dejah Thoris, but they are barely mentioned in this book. Instead, the focus switches to focus on John Carter’s son, Cathoris, prince of Helium, and the title character Thuvia, princess of Ptarth, both of which were introduced in the second book of the series “The Gods of Mars”, but were fai...more
This installment departs from the earlier books. The first three were told from the first person perspective of John Carter himself. This book follows the son of John Carter and Dejah Thoris, Carthoris, in his quest to win the hand of his love, Thuvia, Princess of Ptarth. This very short book further departs by being told from the third person perspective. Like the previous books, this 120 page novella is packed with a lot of action.
I enjoyed this continuing excursion into a world that is a mix...more
I enjoyed this continuing excursion into a world that is a mix...more
The use of multiple viewpoint characters shows Burroughs's writing style evolving a bit, and it's a more focused story than the three preceding it in the series. Basically, there's just one main plot (Thuvia's kidnapping) and one sub-plot within it (the discovery of a city where people can use mental power to create solid illusions of other people) followed by a return to the main plot. The earlier stories were all over the place, packing random stuff into the narrative to the point of absurdity...more
This fourth in the Barsoon series is the first not to follow the nietzschean super man like character of John Carter. In this case, the main heroes are Carthoris, John's son, and Thuvia, Carthoris's love interest. However, despite this the book follows the same patterns as the previous books. Once again a new race of Martians is discovered and once again there are characters with unexplained super powers which come to the rescue just as things are at their most grim. The story itself is entertai...more
Carthoris, son of John Carter, loves Thuvia, a princess of a mighty nation on Mars; unfortunately she is promised to another. A group of men kidnap Thuvia from her home and many people claim that Carthoris may have been involved. To clear his good name Carthoris travels to Thuvia’s home to plead his innocence. His flyer is tampered with and he arrives far away from his goal. Can Carthoris save the day by stopping a war, save Thuvia, and somehow prevent her marriage to another?
This was a cookie c...more
This was a cookie c...more
First, I should say that I liked this book. I need to clarify that because there are some things I really didn't like about it. So I'll cover those first and then I'll get into the things I liked.
Things I didn't like:
1. The series up to this point has been from a first person perspective. It is written in the form of letters from John Carter to his nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs. In this sense, the author is actually a character in the story. This book strayed from that, going to an omniscient vie...more
Things I didn't like:
1. The series up to this point has been from a first person perspective. It is written in the form of letters from John Carter to his nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs. In this sense, the author is actually a character in the story. This book strayed from that, going to an omniscient vie...more
Thuvia Maid of Mars is a typical John Carter story, but without the braggadocios first-person commentary. After that comment I should mention that this story is not about John Carter, but instead about his son, Cathoris. John Carter does get a cameo mention however. This story follows the same formula as the previous Barsoom sagas; hero falls in love with princess but cultural honor forbids the relationship, Princess is in trouble, hero follows her and her captors all over Mars, hero finds himse...more
Burroughs is at his best when he combines the impetus of pulp adventures with the unselfconsciously far flung. When he gets too tied down to an idea or progression, it tends to hinder his imagination somewhat.
The alien setting of the Mars books then proves a great boon to Burroughs, since it is unfettered by much need for suspension of disbelief. The series has its highs, but it also has lows, like this book.
In it, he explores many of the same things he has in the previous books, casting John Ca...more
The alien setting of the Mars books then proves a great boon to Burroughs, since it is unfettered by much need for suspension of disbelief. The series has its highs, but it also has lows, like this book.
In it, he explores many of the same things he has in the previous books, casting John Ca...more
Jun 28, 2010
Erik Graff
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
boys thirteen or younger
Recommended to Erik by:
Tarzan
Shelves:
sf
Grandmother Lajla had a cottage on a heavily wooded hill overlooking Lake Michigan which her mother and grandmother had had built during the great war in consort with other Chicagoans of Norwegian descent who had purchased land all about. Every year until high school I spent all summer there with my mother and, while he existed, little brother. Father would come up on weekends. Lajla would usually spend one month of the summer with us.
The cabin was pretty rustic: no heat except from a fireplace,...more
The cabin was pretty rustic: no heat except from a fireplace,...more
These were considered "planetary romances" according to one source back when this series from the creator of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs, was written. This series of about 10 books started in 1912 and culminated around 1948. There's an odd mention of a book in 1964, but the other had been dead for 14 years by then. Plus there are a few shorts published in some pulp periodicals of the 1940s (where many of these stories appeared in years prior).
Today we call this stuff sci-fi, but it's quite diff...more
Today we call this stuff sci-fi, but it's quite diff...more
So, I read the fourth Barsoom novel, Thuvia, Maid of Mars. Unlike the previous novels, this novel concentrates on Carthoris, the son of John Carter, rather than John Carter himself, and assumes familiarity with Barsoom, rather than spending a lot of time in sight-seeing, tho there is yet another "lost race of Barsoom" to be found, with amazing mind powers. Because of concentrating on Carthoris rather than Carter, and assuming knowledge of Barsoom, it's actually a stronger novel than the three th...more
The fourth of Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom series that began with A Princess of Mars, this is actually the first book in the series that does not centre on the main protaganist of the first three novels (John Carter), as well as being the first story to be told in the third rather than first person.
As a consequence, I actually found this particular one to be a bit of a let-down from the previous, even if it does follow the same plot arc of those earlier stories (right down to yet another myster...more
As a consequence, I actually found this particular one to be a bit of a let-down from the previous, even if it does follow the same plot arc of those earlier stories (right down to yet another myster...more
I found this book to be a bit more enjoyable than some of the earlier Barsoom stories because Burroughs shifted the focus from John Carter and Dejah Thoris to their son Carthoris and the Martian Princess he is wooing. This means that he can save the space often spent with fawning descriptions of Carter's might and Dejah's beauty to tell a story. Burroughs introduces more intrigue and fantastic elements (such as armies summoned into existence by the power of the mind) than in the earlier works.
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Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Mar 17, 2012 02:59am