This review is specific to the Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading paperback Edition. The book is a collection of three classic tales of MartiThis review is specific to the Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading paperback Edition. The book is a collection of three classic tales of Martian adventures experienced by Earth-born adventurer John Carter. The books were written a century ago, in the very early days of science fiction. However, reading the stories back-to-back is probably not the best way to enjoy them, and this edition is marred by an annoying number of typos. While I've read other works by Burroughs, this was the first time I read any of his books about Mars. My reading choice was influenced by the recent movie version of the trilogy's first book, Princess of Mars.
The series is almost non-stop action, set in a richly imagined dying Mars, full of abandoned cities, multiple sentient races/cultures at each other's throats, strange environments, a shortage of water, and a thinning atmosphere. It is a fun story, definitely to be read for the action, not the science. John Carter, a gold-seeking veteran of the American Civil War, finds himself mysteriously transported to the Red Planet, or Barsoom as the natives call it. Carter, accustomed to Earth's higher gravity, is blessed with uncommon strength for his new world, and his war-time experiences and blunt personality set him on a path to hero-dom and (of course) the beautiful girl. Character development was not a priority of the author for these novels, and the plot often bumps along at the comic book level. That's fun individually, but wears thin if you read all three novels one after the other. By the time I reached the third book in this volume, I was often able to predict exactly what was going to happen several pages in advance of the author's actual delivery. I put it down and came back after a month, and enjoyed finishing it up.
Besides the problem I had with predictable plots, I would have given the book a higher rating, were it not for the sloppy work of the publisher. The number of typos is, to my experience, unprecedented, and a couple of times I had to re-read a line a second or third time to figure out what the abused word ought to have been. After suffering through this, I will think twice before I knowing buy another paperback published by B&N. The typos are definitely annoying and distracting from the story.
To sum up: If you like non-stop adventure, this is a good read, but I'd recommend getting a different edition by another publisher, and spacing out reading the different novels over time....more
Joe Haldeman is a name I've trusted, a rare author you can buy almost on the strength of the name alone. When I saw this in a bookstore, I was surprisJoe Haldeman is a name I've trusted, a rare author you can buy almost on the strength of the name alone. When I saw this in a bookstore, I was surprised, because I hadn't seen any of his books for years. When I read the blurb on the book's back cover, however, alarm bells began to go off. Such was my faith in the author that I bought it anyway. That was not one of my better decisions.
First, be aware this book is part of a "series" by the author, set in the same general story line. I hadn't noticed the small print telling me that on the book's *front* cover. I don't get the sense he is necessarily done with writing the series, and "middle" books are often weaker than the beginning or ending volumes. Maybe, if Haldeman continues to write the series, that will prove the case here.
That said, there are several problems with this book from my perspective. As a work of science fiction, it asks us to accept an alien species capable of many things, including blowing up Earth's moon and suspending certain natural laws regarding physics and energy production. Okay, I can suspend my disbelief that far. But the author then falls down on the job, failing to use major portions of that suspended disbelief. Blowing up the moon, for instance, is a big deal, even if somehow no appreciable pieces fall on Earth. Tides go away, crucial tidal ecosystems collapse almost instantly, and in many other slower ways, the world goes to hell. The author seems totally oblivious to such "fallout," not even suggesting the aliens had something to do with the marvelous non-change of life on Earth. Well, maybe he explained it in a previous novel, and just forgot to work it into his "synopsis" material here? I don't know, but disbelief can only be suspended so far, so often, so much.
Okay, turn off the brain and just follow the story. The story is, in a bare-bones sense, competently told. But I was never able to care much about the central characters. Maybe the author relied too much on readers being familiar with them from the previous books, unread by me. The plot is lackluster, taking the characters first this way, then that. Events proceed logically, perhaps, but without building much drama or tension. There's nothing especially new or fresh in what happens, either. It's more like a series of loosely-related vignettes were simply strung together. We know why characters do things, but don't know why the author has chosen to tell this particular tale; there's no strong theme or meaning. Finally, toss in a blatant deus ex machina ending.
Before finishing the book, I had been prepared to give it a three-star "okay" rating. But the artificial ending really left me feeling the entire reading experience was pointless. Haldeman has produced some good, even excellent, work. Instead of this book, try Forever War, All My Sins Remembered, or Mindbridge. This book is just a disappointment. ...more
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