Princess of Mars

Most famous for penning Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs also wrote the John Carter of Mars series. I haven't seen the newly released Disney movie, but the trailers prompted me to start reading the books. The first in the series, A Princess of Mars, (originally published in 1912) was quite enjoyable.

After the Civil War, John Carter, a former confederate officer, turns to prospecting in Arizona, where a strange encounter in a cave finds him mysteriously transported to the surface of Mars and into the clutches of the fifteen-foot tall green martian warriors with four arms and not an iota of kindness. He escapes death when he discovers that his athletic prowess is enhanced under the decreased gravity of the smaller planet. It is a well-plotted action story which introduces us to several tribes of Barsoomians (Martians) warring for survival on a dying planet.

Owing to its age, the book does contain a few uncommon words. Luckily I was reading on the Kindle so with the touch of a finger, I could see their definitions. Here are a few of them:

atavism - reversion to the past, to the outdated. The green martians do not praise atavism. However, in America, retro looks quite often resurge.

doughty - brave.

celerity - quickness, speed.

exigencies - the actions which need to be taken immediately to remedy a state of urgency.

importunity - an urgent request; a plea.