Burroughs Books

Sellevision was recommended to me by a friend, who suggested the book because I love the writing of Max Barry (of Company and Syrup fame). It turned out to be a great match.

Sellevision is a hilarious book -- simultaneously dark humored and lighthearted. It follows the lives of four hosts on the Sellevision network, a home shopping network. It might sound a little boring, but in the course of a year there is incest, genitals on live television, a nervous breakdown, a dead rat, and copious amounts of alcohol.

I didn't know that Augusten Burroughs had written a novel, so when he mentioned in his memoir Possible Side Effects that his first novel Sellevision is about a host of a home shopping channel whose penis slipped out while on the air, I knew that I'd be reading it.

Burroughs is the author of four best selling memoirs, the most famous being Running With Scissors, which has also been made into a movie. According to Burroughs's official website, Sellevision is in production to be made into a movie as well, and is scheduled to begin shooting in November of 2008. In his memoirs Burroughs has running themes, the main ones being: his weird family upbringing, his battle with alcoholism, and his relationship status as a gay man.

Sellevision is an account of the gradual destruction of a home shopping channel. The book has an ensemble of characters which is the books strongest and weakest points. The book starts with the aforementioned flashing, which leads to the mainest of main characters, Max, finding out that such a gaffe makes finding further employment almost impossible. Peggy Jean, a fundamentalist Christian who sells such trinkets as crucifix cufflinks and star of David money clips, starts drinking and pill popping when a stalker will not stop sending her e-mails that point out her unwanted body hair and other bodily flaws. Bebe is a forty-two year old shopping addict and star of Sellevision. These are the main characters of the book. Unfortunately, nobody told Burroughs.

For so small a book (229 pages with big font) there are too many characters. It was only towards about page 180 that I figured out that Trish and Leigh were two different people. I had somehow combined them into one super character in my head until that point. I'm sure that this specific problem didn't occur for many, but it is just an example of how confusing it can be to introduce six main characters within a span of 50 pages. The big characters were Max, Peggy Jean, and Bebe. He should've either stuck with them or made this a 350 page book.

Another drawback of the book is that it took too long for the action to start. There were too many references to the Selevision inventory and inner workings. I understand that he was trying to be detailed and draw us into the "world of home shopping", but instead it just made the pace drag. Once he cut the rate of the references down about a quarter of the way through the book, it was a lot more enjoyable. If Burroughs had written this way throughout the whole book, it would have flowed much better. The meat of the story was the characters and once he focused more on them, it got really good.

I don't want to be overly critical of the book, because it was a really enjoyable read. Burroughs was funny as ever, but it just seemed pretty obvious that this was his first try at a novel because of the structural flaws. I hope he gives fiction another try.

This is the first book I've read by Augusten Burroughs and honestly, I can't believe I read it through the end. The plot is formulaic and implausible and the characters are one-dimensional. Now, I understand that this book is "comedy" and because of that, doesn't have the same conventions of a regular novel. But unfortunately, the humor smacks of lazy writing and lack of imagination. In short, it's just plain bad, bad, bad.

The only people I imagine finding this funny are people who think Jay Leno's monologues are a hoot. If you appreciate good comedy, pass by this one and thank me later.

I like this author, and the book has a great premise. Unfortunately, I don't think the author cared enough about them to ever bring them to life. The situations in this book are quite hilarious -- and they would work really well as a popcorn movie. It's just not a book.

Sellevision, By Augusten Borroughs, is sadly dissapointing. It is predictible and childish. By neglecting to develop some of the characters the depth of the main character is limited. This is the story of Peggy Jean, the second leading host on the home shopping network, Sellevision. Peggy Jean is plagued by a stalker, and then devoleps a drug addiction. Lame. Another character, Max, has an embarrassing moment reminiscent of that is broadcast live on national television and is forced to leave his job at Sellevision. To handle Max's struggle to get a new job, Burroughs resorts to a gay cliche in a plot riddled with Cliches. turns to gay porn. Another character, Leigh, has an affair with the boss at Sellevision, and struggles to obtain his love. Bebe, the lead host on Sellevision, is very lonely, and channels this abandonment through shopping. She starts to go on a wide array of dates through the internet.

The thing that really bothered me in Sellevision, is that, the gay man conquered the least. In most books I read, the homosexual man is put down. I thought this would be different from a gay author. I know the world can be more difficult for gay men, but I thought that possibly, for once, the gay man would triumph. All the characters in the book make great accomplishments, While Max struggles to keep hold of his life.

Nice read--a bunch of short stories--so you can read one, not pick the book up for a couple of days, read another...however, relative to other augusten books (esp. running with scissors, dry, magical thinking), it is not QUITE as good.

...and though it left me less-than-amazed (as a friend promised I would be), I am mostly definitely intrigued when it comes to this author now. I can see myself reading some of his other works, even if this collection of memoir/essays are simply "okay".

All right. "Possible Side Effects" is a pretty good book. It's light and serious simultaneously, at times downright hilarious, and sometimes kind of boring. Fact of the matter is, it's pretty disorganized. Some of the story/essays made me grin, others grimace, and some were just kind of pathetic. At times, Burroughs managed to create the perfect mood - light, but important. Other times, stories were kind of scattered and pointless. Understandable in a memoir, but still somewhat annoying.

This seems like the kind of book you could really like if you just like reading other people tell you semi-funny, semi-sad stories about their lives. And while this memoir is humorously written, it's at times a bit... boring. And while lives are great and all, too much is just too much. Maybe I shouldn't have started here?

It's a pretty good book on the whole, but it's still not all that much. I'm sure I won't detract true Burroughs fans nor those curious about this author as I was, but keep in mind that this is not a stunning memoir, simply an okay one.

Excellent book! Loved everything that I have read by Augusten so far. Not as great as Running with Scissors, but still a really good book that held my interest the whole time.

Possible Side Effects

Augusten Burroughs has the ability to to tell experiences at all stages of his young life and turn some not so great memories into side-splitting laughter. Who doesn't embellish (a little) once you have grabbed the attention of your audience? Well that is what he does, just enough to make the story humorous. If you need a little laughter READ THIS BOOK. After my eyes would dry, I had to go back and read that paragraph or page again - only to have the same result. These are all short stories so you don't feel (too) frustrated having to put the book down. My favorites were "The Wisdom Tooth", "Getting To No You", and "Moving Violations" . I loved this book and will soon be reading his others. I am glad my first read was "A Wolf at the Table" as it explained to me more about his quirky family - immediate and extended - although "..Wolf.." does not have the humor this book does. Not a book for youngsters - maybe not teens either. A few stories are quite liberal with language, but it is not offensive in the sense that it works with that particular experience. Would I recommend this book to my twentysomething son or daughter? YES.

Augusten Burroughs has a way of making mundane events laughable. Possible Side Effects has no plot. It's a series of recollections, but it's his cynical/naive/self destructive point of view that makes the work even more addictive than a continuous storyline.

There was a lot of experimentation in speculative fiction back in the late 60s and early 70s, and many such works do not hold up for present readers. This bizarre experiment by Ballard is a partial exception and will make an impact with those readers patient enough to figure it out. The original text is a non-linear anti-plotline, dripping with obtuse postmodern construction techniques, so experience with slogging your way those types of writing methods will be a plus. Readers who do not expect the experimental writing style herein might find the book either boring or completely incomprehensible. Even Ballard himself has recommended that the book be read out-of-order. With that being said, adventurous readers willing to fight through Ballard's experimentation will find occasionally terrifying and always thought-provoking snippets on modern society's obsessions with sex and violence, plus a running condemnation of the hyperactive and bowdlerized media landscape. (Some academic knowledge of media patterns would be another advantage before reading the book.) Here Ballard also introduces the basic themes that would form the basis of his later and even more bizarre novel "Crash."

The illustrated 1990 edition of this book adds some features that will probably aid in the reader's comprehension. The annotations from Ballard himself are informative, as is the original preface by William S. Burroughs (though you can disregard the worshipful 1990 intro from the editors). While Ballard's non-linear and postmodern construction are showing their age, readers willing to sink their teeth (and minds) into the text will find an atrociously brain-bending experience. It's certainly not for everyone, though. [~doomsdayer520~]

*The Atrocity Exhibition* is a book so radically original in concept and execution it renders itself resistant to practically any attempt to rate it by ordinary standards. Lacking both conventional plot and characterization, bearing a structure closely resembling collage, and a syntax that sometimes seems to slip into a style reminiscent of automatic writing and word association, one might make the case that *Atrocity* is neither novel nor novella, neither entirely fiction nor entirely nonfiction--indeed, *The Atrocity Exhibition* represents a text outside any established genre whatsoever and therefore against what standard can you judge it, except, perhaps, the only relevant one: is it worth reading?

It is.

What you have here, basically, is a sort of literary assemblage loosely radiating around a dense gravitational core of obsessions--cultural, sexual, and psychological representative of the postmodern countdown to the anti-climactic nothing that took the place of the apocalypse we'd all been expecting.

The JFK assassination, the media representation of iconic Hollywood stars, the Vietnam war, the geometric sterility of highways and car parks, and the mythology of the American automobile as a symbol of speed, consumerism, sexuality, and the allure of violent death are some of the structuring themes around which *The Atrocity Exhibition* is built. Fans--or detractors--of Ballard's controversial *Crash* will find much of that later work prefigured here, but *The Atrocity Exhibition* is far more atrocious, far more deliciously tasteless than *Crash*, which, by comparison, now seems almost a "mainstream" novel.

Composed in an often flat, documentary style purposely reminiscent of a scientific paper, which, at times, it ostensibly is, *The Atrocity Exhibition* is one of the more extreme transgressive texts by a well-known author you're likely to read. In great part because Ballard employs real-life celebrities and historical personages as the victims of his x-rated brand of stylized violence and because of the matter-of-fact delivery of even the most outrageous sexual and political theories, the effect of *The Atrocity Exhibition* is in many ways even more shocking than, say, Burroughs's *Naked Lunch.* Ballard's fictional characters move through a surrealistic landscape of constantly shifting, never resolved, but always ominous aura, the borders between sanity and insanity, simulation and reality, fiction and fact open to interpretation. Is Ballard serious? Does he really mean the things he's saying? What's so disturbing is that one has to ask the question at all. There's a certain psychopathic truth to even the most radically insane theories proposed in *The Atrocity Exhibition,* the kind of simulacra of "truth" that is often inextricably wound into the schizophrenic rant of the insane. Is it possible that reality itself can't be rationally explained without recourse to insanity?

In this edition, Ballard has contributed sidebar annotations which are often every bit as thought-provoking as the text itself. Written from a perspective nearly three decades after the initial publication of *Atrocity,* Ballard's notes illuminate much of the circumstances and influences that inspired the text. It's striking how prescient Ballard was about events and trends that would eventually come to pass and how spot-on were his satiric takes on politics, media, war, and sex. *The Atrocity Exhibition* often reads like a prophetic text from an earlier time that eerily describes, even at its blackest, our obscene present--a sort of postmodern "Book of Revelation."

Hardly what one would call an "easy read," *The Atrocity Exhibition* requires attention and patience as well as a taste for experimentation and a connoisseur's palate for perversity. This book offers a feast for such readers, comparable to those super-exclusive restaurants of urban legend that serve Heart of Lion Medallions or Broasted Leg of B-movie Starlet--hard to find establishments, all-but-impossible to get into, certainly not for the hoi-polloi, but well worth the price of admission if nothing else can satisfy your jaded appetite. You've been warned. Here's your invitation to the Exhibition. Enjoy.

The Atrocity Exhibition is written with the kind of breath of a William S. Burroughs novel; particularly Naked Lunch. In both novels the characters seem to be lost in the labyrinth of their own mind. Whether or not the four male characters of Atrocity Exhibition are in fact living in a drug induced hell remains a mystery.
However what is clear, and believe me there is a lot left unclear in this work, is that the characters are living fractured lives. They are traumatized by events beyond their control. In a desperate attempt to gain some power over themselves, they grasp at one another, tearing apart emotions and using their bodies as a temple for self-actualization. It is difficult to grasp a cohesive narrative structure out of the novel and in a sense it is an anti-novel.
With characters and events that remain unclear, like Elizabeth Taylor and her ambiguous "gill slits." Despite these elements of nonsense this novel remains a kind of testament to how desperate people are to truly have a sense of self.
Once that self is grasped the characters enter some kind of new world where their dreams or fantasies become their reality. It is a kind of egotism where the sexual is not erotic but painful, the kind of pain found in isolation. Here you have to have a sense of methaphors and be able to pick apart the novels short-comings because it does get rather torrid trying to understand a work without empathy.
As the novel goes on I realized that Ballard wrote it in a way that he understands the inner-self so much that all he can do is show how these people experience reality. Without empathy the work becomes a lost testament to how disaffected people have become.

"The Atrocity Exhibition is the industrial brain-terrorism of a drug fetus and JG Ballard rapes the digital-chimpanzee's naked body in the corpse feti=streaming circuit of the abolition world." - Kenji Siratori, author of Blood Electric

the atrocity exhibition is a watershed and seminal work in the canon of jg ballard. ballard is regarded and indeed classified as a writer in the 'science fiction' genre. if you consider science fiction to be the domain of 'star wars' et al. then reappraise, reevaluate and restart your imaginative capacity NOW.
ballard bestrides the real essence of what science fiction is all about. along with genre peers like william s burroughs and philip k dick ballard lets our everyday reality somersault into malleable form in order to glimpse through its creases as it bends and flips. and that is what science fiction is truly about.
the atrocity exhibition retells the imaganitive interpretation of a world gone vacant and disused despite its technological grandeur and will to power. the narrative dispells the need to lurk in the shadow of pessimmism for a dystopian world view of 'the future'. like pk dick, ballard is recounting a parallel universe that we are, in fact, already in yet refuse, deny and thus - vainly - extricate ourselves from. ballard simply removes the blinkers from our eyes and reveals the panaramic vision of 'our times'. less a parallel universe than a 'concurrent' one.
one aspect of ballards narrative(s) in general and (just one) significant difference when compared to the likes of philip k dick and burroughs, is the total lack of paranoia permeating the text.
ballard in my view is more prophet than paranoid.
the atrocity exhibition is one man's coming to sense with the 'real' world by tortuous and torturous understanding... he has to go 'mad' first.
i got my copy through RE/SEARCH PUBLICATIONS and anybody interested in the left of centre (and therefore) more substantial literary experience should check them out post-haste.

This woman is beaten, smeared with excrement,beaten, forced to eat like a dog at his feet, beaten again, groped, almost gang raped, beaten and that is only halfway through the book! The typos and unfinished sentences makes me wonder if this was self published. It is horrible!!! There is no story here so far - just some sort of sick loveplay.

After reading a few 5 star reviews and one 1 star review of Leanne Burroughs's second book, HER HIGHLAND ROGUE, I had misgivings about buying either of her first two books. The synopsis for each book sounded appealing, though, and the fact that the majority of reviewers rated HER HIGHLAND ROGUE highly, made me take a chance and buy both books.

I have to say, I was not overwhelmed by HIGHLAND WISHES. I didn't find either Tory or Grant, the two main characters, particularly compelling. Tory, at age 17, has endured far more abuse and hatred in her life than is believable. Grant doesn't treat her much better after taking her prisoner, even allowing his drunken best friend to nearly rape her on the dining tables in the main hall in front of his clan, who also hate her. Except for a few demands that Grant release her, Tory quietly and efficiently completes all of her chores under brutal conditions, and at the same time does things that eventually win members of the clan onto her side.

I had trouble swallowing the fact that a clan would leave Annie, a very young orphan girl, living on her own with no known home or means of being fed or obtaining clothing.

The incident with Michael was baffling to me and I scanned back through the book trying to figure out who he was. He was introduced as though he were someone the reader should be famililar with. It wasn't until I continued reading on that I finally understood this was his first appearance in the book.

Most, if not all, of the misunderstandings and strife that occurs between Tory and Grant, does so because they don't communicate by asking for simple clarification. Each assumes they know what the other's actions or words mean and respond accordingly.

Finally, I found the extraordinary number of typos (including the wrong title at the top of every other page, and once referring to Tory as "Catherine", the heroine of her next book) very distracting.

While I didn't find this story so bad it wasn't worth finishing, I also didn't find it particularly engaging. It isn't something I would read again.

I have never in my life read a book with so many grammatical errors. It was unreal. It may have been easier to overlook if the story actually went somewhere...

I have Injoyed this book for the second time. and wish to make sure I had wrote A reveiw Too my Sirprise I had not So am doing it now It's well written to me show That Newer writer can write just as well as the old timer's hahahaa I love Story's set In Scotland out of 99% of all books set in it I love them. this Book was a very good Book to read.I will not go On about what it about you have to read it yourself and injoy. I hope as much as I did.

I know this is a work of fiction, but to say it is 'historical' is a HUGE stretch!! The way that the author portrayed life in 1296 is not realistic. The lead male character, Grant, is the 'Dr. Phil' of the 13th century. Grant should be a busy laird responsible for his clan at a time Scotland was preparing to fight against the oppression of England. (An ineffective representation of William Wallace is depicted in this book as the legendary freedom fighter appears briefly.) However, Grant seems to have all kinds of free time for therapy sessions with his English prisoner turned wife, encouraging her to 'share' her feelings/experiences. The leading lady, Tory, made repetitive dim-witted decisions that made it hard to respect her character. About 1/8 of the book was dedicated to dragging out every Christmas tradition ever heard of and boring the reader as scenes played out in words. After spending $16.95, I felt an obligation to read this book. If you are a history buff and enjoy works from authors such as Diana Gabaldon, skip this read. IT WAS PAINFUL!!!

I guess I'm still shaking my head over the authors' attack on Kristin Madden (Pagan Parenting and Pagan Homeschooling, both available here on Amazon). I really had to wonder if they read anything of these books or about the author of them beyond the cover blurbs.

Wicca, not to mention paganism, is such a big subject with so many viewpoints within it that I don't understand how Generation Hex can be considered well-researched when such a narrow view is presented. Other reviewers are correct--it misses the mark. And they probably don't even know how badly it's missed.

The Occult, normally regarded as nonsense, but some become devoted to it in spite of popular opinion. Co-authored by Dillon Burroughs and Marla Alupoaicei, "Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca" is a devout Christian's parenting guidebook to facing the growing cultural acceptance of Wicca and metaphysical new age witchcraft. Outlining just what Wicca is, and what a true Christian should do when confronted with them, "Generation Hex" offers parents practical and applicable information on dealing with this current cultural trend. Informed and informative, "Generation Hex" is especially recommended for anyone having to deal with New Age influences with respect to friends or family members.

Prejudice to the hilt! Me thinks I will write a book warning Pagan parents the dangers of Christianity and the bible.

I fear a Good Pagan child being exposed to all that murder, rape, incest and baby killing that goes on in the bible.

Evangelical Christians often encounter bizarre and inaccurate depictions of witchcraft, Wicca and other neopagan faiths. Whether through depictions of Satan worship, sacrifices or other heinous practices, many of these accounts are simply not true, and are misapplied to the faith groups being charged with such activities. Thankfully Dillon Burroughs (an accomplished apologetics author) and Marla Alupoaicei have teamed up to co-author Generation Hex, a new work explaining the Wiccan religion to Christians.

Generation Hex is an excellent primer for any follower of Christ who seeks to learn more about this growing religion. As many followers of the Wiccan faith are teenagers and young people, youth pastors and parents should certainly brush up on their knowledge of this religion. Wicca is often seen as a frightening unknown within the body of Christ, and I pray that this title will both educate and encourage Christians to reach out in love to Wiccans. Wiccans who have newly come to Christ and those who seek to learn more about the comparisons between the Craft and Christianity will also benefit from reading this accessible work.

As a former witch, and current follower of Jesus Christ I'm delighted to see Christian authors working to remove the stigma from the Craft. Witches, Wiccans and other Neopagans are people, just like any other. True, they are lost, but no more so than any other person without a personal relationship with Christ. There is no need for fear, only love. Love your pagan friends, neighbours and coworkers with the heart of Christ, and be there to answer their questions when the Father starts to draw them. I know that I'm thankful for the Christian neighbours in my life who kindly answered my queries without pressure or disdain when I heard Him call.

A very interesting and informative look into what the authors claim is the fastest growing religion in America - Wicca, or witchcraft. The authors do a great job of giving factual information that parents and students alike can examine about the core tenets of this belief system balanced with personal stories from young men and women to provide insight clearing up misinformation and mistaken assumptions made mostly out of ignorance with the help of the distorted view of mass media. The book was helpful, informative, and generally encouraging that as Christians we can engage Wiccans in thoughtful dialogue and discussion about the truths of their belief system. I also learned that many young people pursuing this particular ritual practice seem to be running from something else - hurt, pain, brokenness, despair - the ability to control, the power offered to Wiccans seems to be an appeal to those who are victimized or feel powerless. It's sad to think that many young people will seek to find solace in the creation and entirely miss the Creator. This book will hopefully shed light on the issue for many young people, youth pastors, and parents to identify those people in their midst who secretly practice magick and are seeking something grand and majestic, but are settling for something which will not and can not fill that void in their lives.

John Carter, after heroically saving Barsoom ends up missing, and hence has a bit of an earthly stay.

Making it back to Mars, he finds he has been gone for ten years, but is soon back in the thick of it and back to back with Tars Tarkas.

Yet again there is his Princess to track down, a nasty cannibal monster religion to overturn, and as something is rotten in the state of Helium, mass battles to be fought alongside the descendants.

More stirring Martian adventure.


3.5 out of 5

I just finished Gods Of Mars and am ready for chapter 3. I feel truly fortunate to have "discovered" burroughs at 43. The rush of action, the clash of steel and its all mine for the taking. I have been forewarned that perhaps after the first three books it becomes hit and miss but I shall discover that for myself. Do yourself a favor and pick up A Princess Of Mars - book 1 - if you haven't already.

Burroughs gets a lot of love for his Tarzan books, but one never hears much about these books. If you love adventure stories, swashbuckling, and good old fashioned rescue missions, you'll love this series. CLASSIC in every sense of the word.

Thank you for having these books for sale. My mother loved the John Carter series, I bought a set and kept them for good reading. One day I offered them to my son, and he won't even lend the books out, he loves them so much. I hope to complete my set. PS, I gave the books to my sister who was curious about our Mom's reading likes. So I may order yet another set for myself.

The Viking lander in the 70's proved there was no life on Mars. If you just forget that while reading this book you will enjoy it from beginning to end. Gods of Mars takes place ten years after the first John Carter Mars book, A Princess of Mars, but you really don't have to read it to enjoy this one. Another note, this there is a John Carter of Mars movie in the works due out some time in 2006-(7?). Check out this imdb link to learn more:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401729/

Very intense and for sure experimental,This is a work of literary art.Exterminator comes from a new dimension of literary genius.It is bold,daring and to put it mildly, "Revolutionary" in tone,style,and method.This novel could only come to fruition from a literary giant. ps.This is an acquired taste to read...

I got this book because we had to read it for a class that I was taking. I was optimistic when I started it, but several pages in, I put it down and didn't want to pick it back up. Gross, weird, awkward, , and EWWWWWWW are all words that I have to describe it. I tried several times to finish it, but decided instead to pick up on class discussions to aid me in my tests. I just couldn't do it! Totally not my cup of tea!

Like many people, I first heard about William S. Burroughs by way of "Naked Lunch." I don't know what I was expecting to find in this book that wasn't in that one, but I can say quite comfortably that it wasn't here. Saying it that way probably makes my opinion of the book sound worse than it really is, but I stand by it. The problems with this book mainly relate to the lack of thematic consistency between sections. This might sound like a rather absurd criticism of Burroughs (after all, some would argue the whole point of his work in general goes against holistic consistency) but I intend to qualify what I mean. In "Naked Lunch," for example, most vignettes relate at least superficially to the notion of control and how it can be abused. That's the reason why the "cut-up" method of "Naked Lunch" worked so well and why the cut-up method of "Exterminator!" does not. "Exterminator!" is truly cut up with the various vignettes alternating between the trite and inane to the overtly political and back again. As I finished this book, I was left with a feeling of profound dissatisfaction: there are some truly brilliant moments in this book ("From Here To Eternity," "Wind Die. You Die. We Die.," the eponymous opening story, the satires of Scientology, and so forth) but most of the rest of the sections miss their marks entirely. There is a true lack of artistic focus here that hinders Burroughs's words more than any obscene content (which, arguably, abounds in "Exterminator!") could ever hope to do. I could conceivably recommend this book to die-hard Burroughs fans (owing to the aforementioned sections and those like them) but casual readers need not apply.

I found this in the library at about age 15 or 16.
Looking at it a certain way, I was lucky - some boys
my age read "The Fountainhead" or "Atlas Shrugged",
and have their minds destroyed. I read "Exterminator!"
and had my mind - well, altered in strange ways.

To give an idea of how sheltered I was, there's a scene
where a teenage boy is described as having a 'hardon'.
I did not know what that meant, and could not figure it
out by context.

This is a strange book, not one of WSB's best, but defintely
worth a look if you like this sort of thing.

The story within the book, "Exterminator", caused shifts in my consciousness that have not been rivalled to this day. It moved me from one world of thought to another imperceptibly and then back again, almost before I realized any change had occurred at all. Kinda like the channels being changed on a tv, but the thread of the story is continuous throughout, even as the channels are changing! The odd thing is you don't realize you've been "watching" another channel until the set has been switched back to the original! All via the genius of William S. Burroughs.

This isn't a single novel, but two novellas - one that was originally co-written with ERB's son as something to be adapted to an illustrated format, and a secondthat seemingly opened a new continuity, one that was never continued.

The first, "John Carter and the Giant of Mars," picks up elements from the earlier "Synthetic Men." One of those vat-bred humanoids has mastered part of the sysnthesis technology and threatens Helium with a 130 foot tall giant, a composite made from the tissues of hundreds of others real and man-made men. After many daring escapes and marvelous acts of skill and bravery, John Carter saves the day in by the strength of his mighty sword-arm. You know, the usual, but without the confused and mercurial romantic theme.

Then Carter is taken captive by "The Skeleton Men of Jupiter," preparatory to their invasion of Mars. Since he'd never reveal the military secrets they demand, the bad guys (ugly and humorless, by the way) capture his Barsoomian bride and threaten her with un-nameable horrors, possibly resembling bad dates that some female readers will recall. He leads the usual band of desperate but hnorable prisoners in the usual daring escape that humiliates the hubristic captors, amid the usual swordplay and mayhem. Oddly, however, the invasion plans are left largely intact, presumably to have been defeated in the unwritten sequels.

These aren't the strongest in the Carter canon, but still good fun for the ERB enthusiast. I recommend starting with other books in the Barsoom series - once you've developed the taste for them, you might find this more palatable.

-- wiredweird

Great reprint of this great classic science fiction / fantasy series. Much appreciated. Looking forward to purchasing the remainder of the series when they are published.

Leonaur Ltd. is publishing the definitive Edgar Rice Burroughs 21st century editions. These usually contain 2 books of the different ERB major series in order - thus far John Carter, Pellucidar, and Carson of Venus. In the future, possibly Tarzan!
These books are handsome and my rating is mainly based on this - the ERB fan knows best about the rest of it.
This volume contains the 3rd part of the John Carter of Mars trilogy as it brings the saga of John Carter and Dejah Thoris' romance, marriage, dissaperances, et al to a close. It also contains "Thuvia, Maid of Mars", the adventures of Carthoris, JC and DT's son. It should be acquired by ERB fans.

For some reason, Amazon has mixed in reviews here that have NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS VOLUME. All the talk about "the 11th book" in the series pertain to another volume altogether. I hope someone from Amazon reads this and finds the mistake.

That said . . .

The Mars series by ERB is excellent. I've read each book half a dozen times over the course of my life. Burroughs had an amazingly fertile imagination, but the Tarzan movies his mind look vapid.

But these books are his masterworks.

If you like adventurous science fiction you should love these.

Alot of reviews are saying the Edgar Rice Burroughs did not actually write "John Carter and the Giant of Mars". The truth is that he did. This is what happened and what causes confusion: a childrens publisher wanted a short version of a Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel. Mr. Burroughs was concerned that he could not keep it short enough for the publisher so he asked his son to help craft a shorter story. At the same time, Amazing Stories asked Edgar Rice Burroughs for another Mars novel. A full lenght one to serialize. Edgar took the short story and stretched it to a full novel. This is confirmed by several sources and by Edgar Rice Burroughs estate. It explains why some of the novel strays from the rest of the series. So, yes his son was involved, but it is wrong to say that Edgar Rice Burroughs did not write it. He did. Especially the novel version.

Anyway, all of the Mars books are exciting and I recomend all the books in the series.

I had read Dewey's Democracy and Education before, and wanted to own a copy to refer to again and again. I was not pleased with this particular edition, however. The type is small, and the chapter breaks are not clearly indicated.

I was required to read this book for my Masters in a class oddly enough called "Democracy and Education". This book contains information that has to be read and reread, and then the book needs to be put down for a moment in order to wrap your mind around what was just interpreted on the page. At least this is how I read the book. Needless to say, I didn't read this book in one day.

This book is a dense study, but that doesn't mean it isn't good material. It is very deep and times complex. I am a pretty well read person, but some of John Dewey's concepts are totally over my head. This is after I went through the process I noted prior, several times. John Dewey is very philosophical towards idealism in education and pedagogy. It would be nice to see more of Dewey's ideas put into practice in public schools and less emphasis on norm reference testing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I understand all of the goals Dewey envisioned. He was a brilliant man. I strongly recommend that you read this book first and then read Left Back by Diane Ravitch to learn how and why the progressive movement failed.

Fantastic; a book I would recommend to just about anyone. To address some of the critics mentioned in the other reviews: RE: "Dewey Dogma" (1) There is absolutely no pretense of an application of the scientific method, hence there can be no mis-application; (2) This book strikes me personally as one of the least dogmatic things I've ever read in my life. The ideas are fresh, original, and beautiful crafted and ordered; (3) "Education is Socialization" - an equation of broadly construed "-tions" that results in a statement that one can neither agree nor disagree with.

I could be wrong, but nowhere did I read these ideas as explicit recommendations to be implemented, rather I read this book as a general exploration of educational aims and processes. Dewey (justifiably in my opinion) explores closely connected concepts which I imagine are left out of other educational texts, which is why some with pre-professional backgrounds in education count the length and depth of this book as a negative.

His writing, in my opinion, is clear and concise (at least in comparison with other great philosophers) - writing that I would personally aspire to. His ideas, and I can't say this enough, are some of the most original I've come across. We didn't really cover the pragmatists in any of my philosophy classes. Reading this makes me wish we had.

This book is one of the great milestones of American history and philosophy and particularly education. It's as relevant today as the day it was written a century ago.

I purchased this audio book to introduce my son to Edgar Rice Burroughs, and I wanted to listen to something that I hadn't read myself. I had already read much of the Tarzan series in my younger days, and have recently read the John Carter on Mars series.

This series also follows the same formula that worked so well in the previous series. This is not great literature, but pure action and adventure, with romance thrown in. The author does a good job describing this inner world of Pellucidar, and picking up the weird landscapes and perspectives that would occur. I'm amazed at Burroughs imagination, and the fantastic creatures and races he comes up with.

The reader was Patrick Lawlor, and he did a good job with the characterizations. We listened to this on a road trip, and it made the time pass very quickly. My son really enjoyed it also. I highly recommend this audio book.

I have always been a fan of ERB since I was about twelve. I am over fifty.
As an adult one realizes that ERB might not get published today. His books are simple good vs. evil tales that still have the power to ring your heart with his prose. At the Earth's core was not his best series nor his worst The Venus ones hold that distinction I think. Probably the best book in the series is Tarzan at the Earth's core. This volume is a good introduction and once you have read it you can decide whether to read any of the other's you probably will!

Bill Hash author of AMRA availble through amzon.com

outstanding! what a story...the characters were so real that as i read the book i was right along side David and the Professor in their journey to the center of the earth... great reading!..

This is the first book in Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Pellucidar" series. After the standard *how I came to know this story* bit, it doesn't take long to get straight into the action. The heroes are an athletic and wealthy young man (David Innes) and an inventive old fellow (Abner Perry). Perry has invented a wonderful digging machine... that gets locked on course. Thus the two men wind up... At The Earth's Core!
They are no sooner in this strange land than they incounter megatheria, ape-men with prehensile tales, ape-men without tales, intelligent pterosaurs, cavemen whose favorite greeting is "I kill!" and the lovely Dian (a wonderful cavegirl with a rather ordinary name). Can they escape with their lives, save Dian, and free the human race from the heartless reptilian overlords?
There are some continuity errors (blame it on the weird timelessness?) and I think the next book in the series is better, but this one is good. Well worth reading, and I've bought it, loaned it, didn't get it back, and gotten it for Christmas.

There have been a number of well written citiques of scientific blunders in the writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs. David Langford (1982) makes a convincing case that the notion of a hollow Earth had long been discredited by scientists when Burroughs published the first Pellucidar novel in 1914. Nor does Burroughs seem to have followed any single pseudo-scientific scenario very closely. His "research" was probably limited to a few newspaper and popular magazine articles.

But in _The Trillion Year Spree_ (1986), Brian W. Aldiss argues that such scientific criticism is not relevant in an an evaluation of the settings of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Burroughs "is not interested in the facts of the external world" (163). Rather, he is "reporting from his own internal Pellucidar. Burroughs's Mars, like Ray Bradbury's later Mars, reports on areas which cannot be scrutinized through any telescope" (163). Burroughs "wants us to identify, to sink into his dream countries and exclude the outside one" (165).

Well, then. What are the basic characteristics of this internal Pellucidar? It is a retreat to the primitive. Mars, Pellucidar, Venus, and Africa are all low-tech worlds. It is a rejection of urban culture, something of a protest against the rising urbanization and population growth of the time. It was conservative, offering mythic extensions of the Americain west at precisely the same time that the Old West was closing off. And it was anti-intellectual and somewhat irrational in nature. Burroughs frequently praised the common sense of soldiers, fighting men and "common people" and satirized the follies of scientists. (In _At the Earth's Core_, the inventor Abner Perry is portrayed as loveable but foolish.)

This anti-intellectualism may be seen in Burroughs's treatment of the concepts of space and time in _At the Earth's Core_. Space is distorted in several of Burroughs's settings, but certainly the most spectacular example is the horizonless world of Pellucidar. Here is David Innes's first view of it:

As far as the eye could reach out the sea continued and upon its bosom floated tiny islands, those in the distance reduced to mere specks; but ever beyond them was the sea, until the impression became quite real that one was _looking up_ at the most distant point that the eyes could fathom-- the distance was lost in the distance. (20)

While Pellucidar is actually limited in size, it does not _appear_ to be limited. One of the effects of a horizonless world is that it has no visible boundaries. The sense of disorientation that characters feel in this world gives the reader a sense that it is virtually unmappable. Finally, Burroughs uses a simple but effective trick with Pellucidar to make it appear bigger: He makes Pellucidar three quarters land and one quarter water. Thus, while the total area of Pellucidar is really smaller than the surface area of Earth, the total _land_ area is greater. The reader is convinced that there is in fact an almost unending frontier inside the Earth.

In Pellucidar, time is also distorted (as it is in other Burroughs settings as well). In Pellucidar, the sun at the center of the Earth keeps Pellucidar in perpetual daylight. Since there are no cycles of night and day, Burroughs claims that this results in a world of variable time. (This is sort of like arguing that if the clocks have stopped in your house, so has the passage of time.) Two characters may separate and then rejoin one another. For one character, months may have passed, while for another only hours have passed. Yet Burroughs does not simply claim that time is relative in Pellucidar. He has Innes assert that it is nonexistant. "How may one measure time," he asks, "where time does not exist!" (39)

Why these treatments of time and space? First, I think it is to satirize the rationalism of those egghead scientists. See how ridiculous their theories really are! Second, I believe that it is a bit of a revolt against the Protestant work ethic and factory schedules. But mostly,I think it is to create a world in which heroes and heroines can remain perpetually young, vigorous, and attractive. The new frontier of Burroughs is a kind of perpetual preadolescent state.

Aldiss's attack on scientific critiques of Burroughs has some justification. Surely it is not terribly important at this late date to demonstrate that his work was full of scientific errors. But it _does_ seem reasonable to ask questions regarding Burroughs's logic in the development of his setting. He was reasonably effective in playing tricks with the reader's sense of space. But he was content to use only a few rhetorical tricks in order to suspend the laws of time. His treatment of time must be considered a weakness in his setting.