A Princess of Mars

By: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Narrated by: Jim Killavey

John Carter, an American Civil War veteran, goes prospecting in Arizona and, when set upon by Indians, is mysteriously transported to Mars, called "Barsoom" by its inhabitants. Carter finds that he has demigod-like strength on this planet, due to its lesser gravity. He is soon captured by "Tharks", the planet's warlike, four-armed, green inhabitants, and his incredible adventures begin.On a quest for adventure? Don't miss any of our Edgar Rice Burroughs titles, including more in the John Carter series.Public Domain (P)1988 Jimcin Recordings

Critic reviews

"As an Earth man who inexplicably fond himself transported to Mars, John Carter became the archetypical fantasy-adventure protagonist. With duty and honor as his basic motivating principles, he bravely plunged headlong into one exciting adventure after another....Sword fights and princess-saving were his specialities." (Nick Evangelista, The Encyclopedia of the Sword)

Poor narration spoils a great story

The narration of this audiobook is awful. Not dynamic at all, might as well be listening to a textbook read aloud.

Excellent Fiction, Robotic Narrator

I hate writing relatively negative reviews when the only reason why I have a problem with the release is the narrator. If I were just reviewing the books' contents, I'd give it a much higher score.

Due to the robotic and almost hard-to-listen-to narrator, I highly recommend that you find another release of this book. I've already paid for this version so I'm going to power through but it's not very easy... :(

A tortured classic

If you could sum up A Princess of Mars in three words, what would they be?

classic old sci-fi

What did you like best about this story?

It was an enjoyable escapist tale and a bit of science fiction history. Many of Burroughs' twists and story points become tropes that other authors use. While some of the story may seem contrived or trite, it is mostly because we've seen the tales inspired by Burroughs hundreds of times. It was enjoyable to see where it all came from.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narration was flat and un-inflected. I don't expect everyone to be as talented and exciting to listen to as Jim Dodge's rendition of the Potter books, but this narration was the audio equivalent of poorly washed salad. The salad is still ok, but every once in a while you get grit in your teeth.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A adventure too big for just one world.

Any additional comments?

Listen to A Princess of Mars. If you have access to a better narration, grab him, otherwise, just go with the flow, and alongside the story imagine how you might narrate it better.

Don't purchase this version.

Classic pulp sci-fi ruined by the second worst narrator on Audible (First worst is unimportant here).

There are a number of expertly-narrated versions of this Burroughs series on Audible - go get one of those.

Worst Narrator

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, the story is ok. With a good narrator the book would be much better.

Has A Princess of Mars turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, I know there are good Sci-Fi books, theres always the chance of a miss.

What didn’t you like about Jim Killavey’s performance?

No voice modulation or character in his voice.

Could you see A Princess of Mars being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It will be made into a movie, its set to release sometime this March.