A Princess of Mars

Way back when I was in high school, a guy I had a crush on recommended that I read Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars books. He was a huge fan and always had his nose in one. I'd always meant to read A Princess of Mars but…you know how it is…

Then this week a really impressive movie trailer flashed on TV: Disney's John Carter, starring Taylor Kitsch. I adore Taylor Kitsch, who starred in Friday Night Lights, and think he is a phenomenal actor, which makes me wonder about his career choice… Anyway, I decided this was the week I read the book. Since Project Gutenberg had a Kindle version for free, it was all pretty easy.

So did I like it? Here's my verdict:

Highly entertaining. I liked it much more than Tarzan. I can see that I'll be disappointed in the new Disney film version with all that cutesy dialogue. There's nothing cutesy about this book. Surprisingly, half the book is romance, ladies: John Carter, gentleman of Virginia, falling head over heels in love with the stunningly beautiful Princess of Mars and saying such Harlequin gems as "My heart lies at your feet" (paraphrasing here, but not much). There are no bodices to rip as Martians don't wear clothes, but rescues from fates much worse than death abound.

BTW, the movie also has Bryan Cranston, James Purefoy and Ciaran Hinds! Three more of my absolutely favorite actors! Here's the trailer.