Ralph Snelson

As Libervox recordings go, this one is pretty good. The reader, Snelson, has a voice that goes with the story pretty well, although his accents for some characters are just awful. Still, I wanted to read this book with a group & didn't have time for the old paperback on my shelves. The library has an audio edition, but it's out on loan & I'm still waiting for it. (I know why electronic formats are limited in their number of loans, but I don't like it.) This edition was handy & the book is short, not even 4 hours long.

Unfortunately, my memories of ERB's great adventures are far better than a re-read. There is far too much convenience in the writing. The hero is almost a super man in so many ways, but he does so many conveniently stupid things that allow him to fight his way out of the trick bag with heroic restraint that conveniently allows the bad guy to come back around for another go at him. The love theme was just ridiculous. He conveniently knew so much & yet was ignorant on so many other levels. (Tired of the word 'convenient' yet? So am I, but that's the plot in a nutshell.)

Still, it was a neat setting & the evolution of the world was fascinating. Unfortunately, like the first 3 Barsoom & first 2 Tarzan books, this first book isn't really complete. In some ways, I really want to read the next one (there are 3) to answer all the questions, but I can't take either the reader or the writing any more.… (altro)