The Monster Men

Rating:
Summary: Quirky blend of science fiction and jungle danger
Review: Burroughs wrote a lot of fiction for the pulps of his times, and followed a formula: girl gets in trouble, is saved by the hero, is lost to the hero, is captured/abducted by an evil force, and the hero spends the rest of the novel trying to find her and thus reclaim his love.

In this story, Professor Maxon has set off to a secluded island to proceed in an experiment in hubris -- the creation of "human" life -- so that his daughter, Virginia, can marry the perfect man.

His ultimate project -- Number Thirteen -- exceeds his wildest expectations. But the other 12 examples of his work -- the "monster men" of the title -- leave much to be desired.

Rather modern issues that, in light of the recent debate over cloning, are quite topical are discussed here: science and technology, human greed, creation of new life, elements of hubris. But it is a broad canvas onto which Burroughs paints one of his more common themes.

Still, for a non-series Burroughs title, this is an enjoyable read; bubble gum for the mind that even after 70 years still manages to deliver the goods.

This book has one of the best opening paragraphs you'll ever read:

"As he dropped the last grisly fragment of the dismembered and mutilated body into the small vat of nitric acid that was to devour every trace of the horrid evidence which might easily send him to the gallows, the man sank weakly into a chair and throwing his body forward upon his great, teak desk buried his face in his arms, breaking into dry, moaning sobs."

Rating:
Summary: Tarzan Meets Frankenstein
Review: If you are looking for an adventure story from a simpler time; something suitable for an early adolescent to read or just to bring back a more naïve time from your own youth, Burroughs is definitely prime material. This story is no exception, it follows the tried and true formula for ERB adventure - introduction, boy saves girl, boy loses girl, boy fights to regain girl, ..., boy gets girls and lives happily ever after.

The story centers on Doctor Maxon, a scientist who has discovered the secret of creating human life, albeit imperfectly, until he succeeds beyond his fondest aspirations with number thirteen. Throw in the requisite evil guys, the scientist's beautiful daughter and you have the makings of the story.

However, like many of Burroughs' stories there is an underlying message, sometimes it isn't buried very deep or a message of much import in out time, but it is usually there. This book explores questions that have been covered by other authors from Mary Shelly's Frankenstein to Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Does created human life have a soul? Should man be messing in the art of creating life? You may not find the answers here, but you at least find the questions. P-)

Rating:
Summary: Tarzan Meets Frankenstein
Review: If you are looking for an adventure story from a simpler time; something suitable for an early adolescent to read or just to bring back a more naïve time from your own youth, Burroughs is definitely prime material. This story is no exception, it follows the tried and true formula for ERB adventure - introduction, boy saves girl, boy loses girl, boy fights to regain girl, ..., boy gets girls and lives happily ever after.

The story centers on Doctor Maxon, a scientist who has discovered the secret of creating human life, albeit imperfectly, until he succeeds beyond his fondest aspirations with number thirteen. Throw in the requisite evil guys, the scientist's beautiful daughter and you have the makings of the story.

However, like many of Burroughs' stories there is an underlying message, sometimes it isn't buried very deep or a message of much import in out time, but it is usually there. This book explores questions that have been covered by other authors from Mary Shelly's Frankenstein to Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Does created human life have a soul? Should man be messing in the art of creating life? You may not find the answers here, but you at least find the questions. P-)

Rating:
Summary: Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Review: The work is written in the pictorial style of Burroughs.
Each sentence contains a vivid and generally horrific
vision which reinforces the story as it marches on.
In this case, the main character is a scientist who delights
in creating human life and seeks perfection in the 13th
creation. This is a good work for students in mid-high school.
By that time, they are mature enough to place the book in
its proper context. Burroughs has an almost perfect command
of the English language. Few words are wasted. Every word
moves the reader onto the next until the full picture
becomes evident somewhere later in the story. I like
Burroughs because his writings have a solid grammatical
structure and advanced vocabulary. This is needed for
today's students because they struggle to articulate even
the most basic concepts. Burroughs is not entirely
politically correct; however, his works are a treasure chest
of our language and what used to be called
"The King's English" .

Rating:
Summary: decent
Review: This book has an average Burroughs story line but the ending is just plain lousy

Rating:
Summary: Burroughs' version of "Frankenstein"
Review: This book is good escapist entertainment. This novel stands alone (it is not part of a series). To some extent I agree with a previous review that the ending could have been better ... it's a bit sudden and flat. That does not detract from the book as a whole being an excellent read. The plot line is implausible, but the action is fast and the moral dilemmas are intriguing. I first read this book as a teen-ager, then re-read it in my forties. It was still fun, even though I knew what was coming.