The Mad King - Softcover

Burroughs, Edgar Rice

Softcover

ISBN 10: 153501802X ISBN 13: 9781535018029

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

Synopsis

The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Mad King is a Ruritanian romance by "Tarzan" creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, originally published in two parts as "The Mad King" and "Barney Custer of Beatrice" in All-Story Weekly, in 1914 and 1915, respectively. The story is Burrough's version of the then popular Ruritanian romance exemplified by Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau. Set in Europe immediately before and during World War I, Burroughs' story differs from the Hope books in a number of details, though sharing much of their basic plot. The main difference between this story and Hope's two books is the portrayal of the rightful king as an actual antagonist to Barney, especially in the second part of the book, where he is as much a villain as Prince Peter and the Austrians. The other significant difference is the fact that the protagonist lives happily ever after with his princess, unlike the far more tragic ending of the "Zenda" series. Also, in The Mad King, Prince Peter is a clear villain, unlike Hope's more nuanced Duke Michael, who apparently is popular with the commoners. In Burroughs's story the role of the common people's hero is taken by a secondary character, Prince Von Der Tann; Prince Peter is universally reviled.

About this title

About the Author

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) is the creator of Tarzan, one of the most popular fictional characters of all time, and John Carter, hero of the Barsoom science fiction series. Burroughs was a prolific author, writing almost 70 books before his death in 1950, and was one of the first authors to popularize a character across multiple media, as he did with Tarzan s appearance in comic strips, movies, and merchandise. Residing in Hawaii at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, Burroughs was drawn into the Second World War and became one of the oldest war correspondents at the time. Edgar Rice Burroughs s popularity continues to be memorialized through the community of Tarzana, California, which is named after the ranch he owned in the area, and through the Burrough crater on Mars, which was named in his honour.

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 153501802X
• ISBN 13: 9781535018029
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 154