Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Series
Review: Call it a guilty pleasure, but I love these types of books - the type of pulp fiction where the heroes are heroic and villains dastardly, and the women are beautiful. Its also great to be able to read a great piece of science fiction/fantasy that is fast paced and not 700 pages long. A Princess of Mars is one of the greatest books I've ever read. I first read it a age 15 and have just finished reading it again. The imagination that went into creating the world of Barsoom is truely a work of art. The only books of this type that come close to the Barsoom series are Robert E. Howards Conan books and The Lord of the Rings. You owe it to yourself to pick up this book and read a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: A ripping good yarn
Review: I am yet another reviewer who first read the entire "Carter" series as a boy (in the 1960's). I rediscovered them recently after listening to a Coast to Coast radio interview where Richard Hoagland (ex NASA consultant) valiently defended his rather wild thesis that Mars indeed once hosted an incredible civilization, as evidenced by the infamous "face on mars", and the nearby pyramid and other ruins on the Cydonia Plains. Whether such assertions have any validity will be resolved eventually by science. Nonetheless,I realized with a moment of existentialist mirth that Edgar Rice Burroughs might be right! Out of the mouth of pulp fiction writers come revelations that will elude science for almost a century!?! Although there may be no glorious race of scantilly clad humans (for such prime and proper times as we assume 1912 to have been, Edgar relished describing the perfectly muscled and bronzed bodies of the martian warriers in their gleaming harnesses and the sumptous beauty of the semi-nude Martian maidens!) perhaps there was something similar, if you believe late night radio, eh? perhaps there are no barbaric 4 armed green warriers (is this where the proverbial "little green men from Mars originated?), but how about little Grey aliens, eh? Edgar Rice Burroughs was certainly an influence on many subsequent sci-fi classics in the 20th century, including the much more clinical and psychologically focused Martian Chronicles. Others have noted the legacy he gave to the Star Wars series. Now at the ripe age of 51, I have reread the series and find them still a ripping good yarn, even if the romantic undertones seem a bit quaint in this brutish "slam, bam, thank you maam" culture we have created since his time. A final shocking revelation for me: As others have noted, the major protagonist in this book is the beautiful Martian Princess Dejah. Was there some bizarre subconscious bleed through here? You see, I named my daughter (now 30 years old) "Desha". I haven't the heart to tell her that she may be named after a pulp fiction heroine from 1912! At least I changed the spelling of the name! Life can be banal and hard (like a Martian night outside the safety of city walls), so give yourself a break! Travel back in time to a Mars that might yet be found to be more real than we ever could have dreamed! A friend of mine has a 7 hour plane flight in a couple days. I am lending him the Mars books since they will make the time fly (no pun intended) in seconds.
Rating: 
Summary: Imaginative, escapist sci-fi adventure
Review: I finally read A Princess of Mars last month, after years of reading Burroughs' Tarzan books, sometimes several times over. Although this book shows shows the potential greatness that Burroughs was to achieve with the better Tarzan books, it's not really in the same league. The Tarzan novels at their best are complex, involving,and profound (at their worst, they're silly and repetitious, but, you know...)
A Princess of Mars is certainly imaginative, but it's not really thought-provoking. It's clear that Burroughs was strongly inspired by Jules Verne's novels, and it's clear that he's having a great time inventing the green Martians, their hover bikes, the giant atmosphere generator, the beautiful (and not really clothed) Princess Dejah Thoris, and the countless other denizens of the war-torn planet Mars. But the story is linear, there are no subplots, and some of the Martian inventions just seem silly (the egg incubators unguarded in the middle of the desert?)
Still, it's hard not to enjoy the story at a comic-book level. There may not be much subtlety to this book, but Burroughs was a born storyteller, and his straight-ahead, urgent narrative style is hard to resist. And although Burroughs' characters are justifiably criticized as being one-dimensional, it's exactly this simplicity that somehow makes them so appealing, and draws the reader into concern for their fates.
As some of the other reviewers here have said, younger readers would probably enjoy this book more. But I enjoyed it enough to want to read some of the other John Carter books. For a very good Burroughs book, read the original "Tarzan of the Apes." For sheer escapism, though, A Princess of Mars will do fine.
Rating: 
Summary: The First in the Series
Review: I first ran across Burroughs when I was about 11 or 12, back in
about '70. I think now it is the perfect age to encounter Burroughs, who is a workman-like but not stylish writer. He certainly knows how to tell an imaginative tale, that's for sure. But I think that for most people, if you read him too late, the magic isn't there. But at ll? All I can say: wow! The guy had an imagination. Great white Martian apes, red men and green men, sword battles, a dying planet...oh, it was good stuff! The first books in the series are the best; my favorite (because it's the first one I read) is "A Fighting Man of Mars," which was the fourth one. Still, they're all pretty good reads, but if you're going to read them, start with this one.
Rating:
Summary: READ IT AND HAVE FUN
Review: I first read this book, and indeed, the entire series, 45 years ago. I recently reread them and they have lost none of their charm. Thank goodness I still have a lot of little boy in me..this is the stuff young boys, and girls, dream of. It is interesting how many current fantasy novels/stories are clearly influenced by this work, wheather the authors know it or not. Recommend you read this one, and the others in the series, with fun in mind. If you want deep and profound, go elsewhere...if you want just fun...go with these.
Rating:
Summary: GET THIS BOOK! Read the whole series!
Review: John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, they are all here!This is the totally unbelievable story of a man who got transported to Mars basically, because he thought it would be cool to go, so he wished it, and POOF, he's there. Then, there's the fact that the planet itself and the life on it are also completely ridiculous. FORGET ALL THAT! Read it to be swept up in one of the greatest adventure series of all time. John Carter goes to Barsoom (Mars, to the Martians) rescues the most beautiful woman in the universe and (later in the series) conquers an entire world through the power of his will and the strength of his right arm. Handsome, powerful heroes, beautiful half naked captive princesses just panting to be rescued, Villians, so evil you want to go back in time to strangle their parents, Big ugly friends, (What are you laughing at, remember Chewbacca?) strange beasts, stranger aliens, wierd science, epic battles, betrayals, great reunions. This one's got it all. The best of Burroughs' body of work, the most action packed series from the true master of the action story. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the creator of Tarzan. Don't ever pick up his work expecting an intellectual workout. Just get in and hang on for the ride
Rating:
Summary: Not just for guys!
Review: Princess of Mars is a fantastic, wild ride. I think everyone makes a mistake though of saying it's just a guys book. I'm a woman, and it was my mother who recommended Princess to me! I think any girl who's interested in science fiction or fantasy would really enjoy this book. Yeah, it was obviously written with adolescent boys in mind but I think anyone can enjoy this wildly imaginative page turner. The characters are all extremely likable. John Carter is the perfect southern gentleman. Honorable, loyal, incredibly brave, respectful to women, extremely handsome; a perfect hero who is never boorish or conceited. Then there's Sola, one of the few green Martians to show compassion and kindness, and Tars Tarkas(aren't these names so cool?)a ferocious green martian warrior with a tragic past who is also able to feel compassion and love. And I dare anybody to tell me that they wouldn't want a Woola of their very own! Dejah Thoris though is mainly for the guys. Carter's love and devotion for her was really sweet. I didn't even know that this was part of a book series until I read it on amazon and now I am really eager to read the other books of the series. And wasn't the end cool? I don't think I've ever read an ending quite like that before. What Carter found in the cave at the end was very creepy and intriguing. (I won't give out a spoiler) Although this is pulp fiction and sort of like a comic book in a way,(I can see mothers in 1912 scolding their kids, "That Edgar Rice Burroughs is going to rot your mind if you keep reading it!") it's still light science fiction at it's best! (I'll warn you right off though, please don't expect something deep and complex like Dune or Darkover and post a review whining about it. Princess is purely for fun.) And am I the only one that thinks Princess would make a really awesome movie?
Rating:
Summary: Great job for his first book!
Review: This book is terrific. Princess of Mars, being Carl Sagan's favorite book as a child, has a very nice mix of sword fighting, military weapons, and sci-fi.
Burroughs did pretty well for his first book(and for his time),with great imagination. for I have never heard of a story back then in 1910s that is about Mars with a same kind of weapons we have here on Earth.
The story is about a war veteran from Virginia named John Carter, who was strangely teleported to Mars. There he found strange aliens, and others that looked like humans. There he met a lovely Princess, and togethor they must escape Green 12-foot Martians, White Apes, and other dangerous creatures.
This is book is one of the best books I've read. Its a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Adventure on a Mars that should have been
Review: This is one of those books that helped define science fiction and fantasy, back in the days when the genre didn't take itself so seriously as it does today. It isn't great literature, nor should it be read as such. Rather, "A Princess of Mars" sets down on the page a fantasy common to teenage boys (and no small number of adult men), that they may be whisked off to a world where moral choices are simple, fair maidens await rescue, and legendary battles are to be fought with nefarious foes. John Carter is a virtuous, passionate hero, and in the end he triumphs over all adversity, never admitting defeat. Improbable? No matter; his story is still entertaining and keeps you engaged. He makes Mars his own and brings us along for the ride. It's a new world, fresh for exploration. This latter thing was what really drew me and held me in this book, and despite all we know about Mars today still makes "A Princess of Mars" and its sequels worth reading. Over every red hill is a new adventure, a new, alien city, a fantastic machine or loyal pet that makes the world worth saving. The excitement this can engender is best testified by all the books like Burroughs' Mars series that came later, seeking to duplicate its magic; John Norman's efforts before he became controversial are an excellent example. So read "A Princess of Mars", and feel the excitement of being young again.
Rating:
Summary: A tale of fancy and fantasy beyond...
Review: This tome of pulp, action, love, and in general the meaning of the romantic story has encaptured and entralled me as if I was John Carter. Now that's a book. When one can open your mind to the fantastic and make you apart of it. I could write on the same reviews as others, but I will tell you, the reader of this, that this book is a gateway you never want to miss out on, and if you do I am sorry you did.
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