h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Historical Novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs - A87909565
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

A review of every single historical novel this famous swashbuckling author ever wrote.

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Yay more Edgar Rice Burroughs (or glutton for punishmnent, depending )

Very interesting - especially the link to the recent Simon de Montfort Entry

Some comments and questions on first reading:

"his difficult, second novel" - this makes it sound like the novel is difficult to read

I like a bit of repetition for dramatic effect, so the 'rejected's work well in the "Metcalf rejected the story" paragraph but the repetition of villainy and pagentry was heavy going.

I presume Burroughs made the dedication before approaching Bray, even though you mention the dedication after the approach.

"cheap paperback books now able to be cheaply published" - is 'cheap' used with two different meanings here?

"invalidated out of the service" - invalided?

"written by and dedicated to his son" - this makes it sound like Burrough's son dedicated the book to himself

What is AUC?

"becomes the Briton slave" - he is already a Briton before he becomes a slave? Who is aged four?

The crescendo is not the ending of the novel?

Thanks for those comments, I've made all the suggested changes.

"his difficult, second novel" - this makes it sound like the novel is difficult to read
True – I have changed this. I was hoping it was clear I meant that it is the novel equivalent of the difficult second album, but you're right that it isn't.

I added a to explain AUC and I've trimmed the villain's pageantry.

The crescendo is not the ending of the novel?
It is near the end of the novel. Edgar Rice Burroughs was an author with tremendous imagination. He has more ideas per novel than anyone else I know, with constant moments taking the plot in all directions. Sometimes they contradict what he's said before, but as a reader you go along with riding the crest of the wave. Where other authors would slow down gradually and tie everything up, Burroughs tends to suddenly slam on the brakes and stop abruptly. He doesn't seem to like ending his stories and does so reluctantly, so although 'I Am A Barbarian' had a natural stopping point at the time of the climax, it lasts a few more pages before halting. But this is one of Burroughs' better endings.

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