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Caspak #1
The Land That Time Forgot
Dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers and fierce Neanderthals inhabit the mysterious continent of Caspak in this classic lost world adventure, perfect for fans of Jurassic Park
1916. It’s wartime and an American ship has just been torpedoed. Flung into the open seas, Bowen Tyler is rescued and taken captive aboard an enemy submarine. With him held prisoner alongside fellow survivor, the beautiful Lys la Rue, the submarine enters unchartered seas. On the horizon, land is spotted—a mysterious island, previously undiscovered. Cautiously, crew and prisoners alike disembark to explore the strange new continent. Surrounded by primeval jungle, they are soon to discover life here has stood still for millions of years, with Neanderthals and dinosaurs still roaming. Taking charge immediately, Tyler sets up camp and brokers a tentative pact between prisoners and crew for them to work together. But Tyler’s new life will be a constant fight for survival. Peace between the factions in his camp will crumble, the Neanderthals will attack, and the dinosaurs are getting closer. And finally when Lys La Rue is kidnapped, Tyler knows he must leave the safety of camp and battle to save her, while ever getting closer to unraveling the secrets of the incredible continent of Caspak. This is a classic lost world novel, full of adventure, war, and intrigue, from a master of the genre.
1916. It’s wartime and an American ship has just been torpedoed. Flung into the open seas, Bowen Tyler is rescued and taken captive aboard an enemy submarine. With him held prisoner alongside fellow survivor, the beautiful Lys la Rue, the submarine enters unchartered seas. On the horizon, land is spotted—a mysterious island, previously undiscovered. Cautiously, crew and prisoners alike disembark to explore the strange new continent. Surrounded by primeval jungle, they are soon to discover life here has stood still for millions of years, with Neanderthals and dinosaurs still roaming. Taking charge immediately, Tyler sets up camp and brokers a tentative pact between prisoners and crew for them to work together. But Tyler’s new life will be a constant fight for survival. Peace between the factions in his camp will crumble, the Neanderthals will attack, and the dinosaurs are getting closer. And finally when Lys La Rue is kidnapped, Tyler knows he must leave the safety of camp and battle to save her, while ever getting closer to unraveling the secrets of the incredible continent of Caspak. This is a classic lost world novel, full of adventure, war, and intrigue, from a master of the genre.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1918
About the author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
2,846 books2,603 followersEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
January 14, 2020
7/10
The Land that Time Forgot is a fantasy novel, based on the similar lines of The Lost World, in which a group of people find themselves in a strange land, that was cut off from the rest of the world since antiquity, where they find flora and fauna of prehistoric ages still surviving (and yes, that includes Dinosaurs and other wild creepy creatures). How they came to be in this wild prehistoric land is actually another adventure, and a different story in itself, which only make it more realistic and appealing.
It was a gripping novel: if started once, you can't keep it down: it moves with decent pace with many twists and turns, and most importantly: it has been written quite judiciously. Burroughs is a very good story-teller: he creates an atmosphere filled with uncertainty and unease, quite effortlessly, and also succeeds in depicting the situation where people are stuck in a grim and dangerous environment that is thousands of miles away from the nearest civilization. It's not only a story of an adventure to an unknown land but also of love, betrayal, courage, and above all: hope and survival.
Recommended!
The Land that Time Forgot is a fantasy novel, based on the similar lines of The Lost World, in which a group of people find themselves in a strange land, that was cut off from the rest of the world since antiquity, where they find flora and fauna of prehistoric ages still surviving (and yes, that includes Dinosaurs and other wild creepy creatures). How they came to be in this wild prehistoric land is actually another adventure, and a different story in itself, which only make it more realistic and appealing.
It was a gripping novel: if started once, you can't keep it down: it moves with decent pace with many twists and turns, and most importantly: it has been written quite judiciously. Burroughs is a very good story-teller: he creates an atmosphere filled with uncertainty and unease, quite effortlessly, and also succeeds in depicting the situation where people are stuck in a grim and dangerous environment that is thousands of miles away from the nearest civilization. It's not only a story of an adventure to an unknown land but also of love, betrayal, courage, and above all: hope and survival.
Recommended!
February 8, 2019
In 1916, an American civilian ship is attacked and sunk by a German U-boat. Some of the survivors and their saviors subsequently get stranded on a strange island; an island that no modern human has set foot upon or even knows about (presumably).
Thus, this thrown-together group tries to survive amidst various dinosaurs, Neanderthals, „ape-men“ and other dangers.
Sound familiar? Yeah. This must be the original story that spawned The Lost World as much as movies such as Jurassic Park and all their sequels.
The novel does have some outdated male opinions towards girls/women and their „delicate nature“ but the book also features a girl that isn’t quite as „delicate“ as the male MC at first thinks / expects, which is quite remarkable.
There are quite a lot of war-time scenes (the sinking of the boat, being rescued, being captured etc) before we finally get to the island but considering when this story takes place and how the group came together, that was quite realistic.
I’m not entirely happy that some of the very first dinosaurs they encountered ended up as dinner but they were starving so I understand.
The story then veers towards that might not be to everyone’s taste but I didn’t read too much into it. In fact, I thought that this author managed be much more modern in how he treated certain topics than numerous authors from later decades (as late as the 70s and 80s).
As a kid, I didn’t play with plush ponies but with dinosaurs crafted from durable rubber. I loved any kind of movie that had giant and strange animals so, naturally, I loved the stories by Jules Verne or this author. Though at the time I didn’t know about Edgar Rice Burroughs as such. I just loved seeing humans in remote places on Earth, walking among giant extinct animals, trying to survive the hostile environment and marveling at what Earth must have looked like a few million years ago.
The author’s writing style is quite engaging, the short story fast-paced and engaging. The characters aren’t the best I’ve followed through the pages but nevertheless well-drawn. The highlight, however, are of course the creatures living on the island out of time.
Marvelling at a world that might be fantasy but, at one point in time, had also been real (more or less). There aren't as many mentioned here as shown in the movie from which the pictures / gifs are taken but one can easily imagine the island's ecosystem.
I'm happy I finally found out about this grandfather of all adventure stories in prehistoric settings as it gave a good idea of the beginning of the sub-genre.
Thus, this thrown-together group tries to survive amidst various dinosaurs, Neanderthals, „ape-men“ and other dangers.
Sound familiar? Yeah. This must be the original story that spawned The Lost World as much as movies such as Jurassic Park and all their sequels.
The novel does have some outdated male opinions towards girls/women and their „delicate nature“ but the book also features a girl that isn’t quite as „delicate“ as the male MC at first thinks / expects, which is quite remarkable.
There are quite a lot of war-time scenes (the sinking of the boat, being rescued, being captured etc) before we finally get to the island but considering when this story takes place and how the group came together, that was quite realistic.
I’m not entirely happy that some of the very first dinosaurs they encountered ended up as dinner but they were starving so I understand.
The story then veers towards that might not be to everyone’s taste but I didn’t read too much into it. In fact, I thought that this author managed be much more modern in how he treated certain topics than numerous authors from later decades (as late as the 70s and 80s).
As a kid, I didn’t play with plush ponies but with dinosaurs crafted from durable rubber. I loved any kind of movie that had giant and strange animals so, naturally, I loved the stories by Jules Verne or this author. Though at the time I didn’t know about Edgar Rice Burroughs as such. I just loved seeing humans in remote places on Earth, walking among giant extinct animals, trying to survive the hostile environment and marveling at what Earth must have looked like a few million years ago.
The author’s writing style is quite engaging, the short story fast-paced and engaging. The characters aren’t the best I’ve followed through the pages but nevertheless well-drawn. The highlight, however, are of course the creatures living on the island out of time.
Marvelling at a world that might be fantasy but, at one point in time, had also been real (more or less). There aren't as many mentioned here as shown in the movie from which the pictures / gifs are taken but one can easily imagine the island's ecosystem.
I'm happy I finally found out about this grandfather of all adventure stories in prehistoric settings as it gave a good idea of the beginning of the sub-genre.
February 8, 2019
I can honestly say that I had a lot more fun with this than, say, The Island of Doctor Moreau. That is to say, I thought it was a pretty nifty adventure. :)
It came out in 1918 for those of you somewhat familiar with the historical terrain. War was on everyone's minds and pretty much anything that let us escape from our world to some deserted island... or not so deserted... is pretty much the epitome of awesome.
The first half of this short novel was already a top-notch adventure with capturing a U-boat and uncovering traitors, but once they made it to the land that time forgot, you and I both know that we're in love with the dinos. :)
I really want some steak, now. Nom nom.
The surprising difference between this cool little adventure and more modern tales is quite striking. The same thing written in the 60's or 70's would have been embarrassing for any female character. Weak, abused, treated like crap. But not so in this one. Maybe it was the whole women's voting rights or something, but this female was pretty awesome. Strong, quick thinking, and determined. I likey.
It came out in 1918 for those of you somewhat familiar with the historical terrain. War was on everyone's minds and pretty much anything that let us escape from our world to some deserted island... or not so deserted... is pretty much the epitome of awesome.
The first half of this short novel was already a top-notch adventure with capturing a U-boat and uncovering traitors, but once they made it to the land that time forgot, you and I both know that we're in love with the dinos. :)
I really want some steak, now. Nom nom.
The surprising difference between this cool little adventure and more modern tales is quite striking. The same thing written in the 60's or 70's would have been embarrassing for any female character. Weak, abused, treated like crap. But not so in this one. Maybe it was the whole women's voting rights or something, but this female was pretty awesome. Strong, quick thinking, and determined. I likey.
July 6, 2022
The first act is an exhausting war adventure featuring a German U-boat at the outbreak of the Great War. Our hero and heroine, as well as a faithful dog, are torpedoed, rescued by a tug boat, sunk again by the same submarine, take over the German ship, lose command due to treachery, then resume control again only to be stranded off the rocky coast on an uncharted land after the ship is sabotaged. Geez! All this before we ever get to the Land that Time Forgot. In fact, I almost forgot about it myself.
Like "The Moon Maid," Burroughs followed this Radium-Age classic with two sequels that were eventually published as one volume. Together, they comprise the "Caspak Trilogy," which may not be as well read as his Martian stories, but are a fun ride for lovers of classic old school science fiction full of dinosaurs and civilizations of primitive humans.
There is a bit of a science mystery here, as it seems every gradient of human evolution exists on Caspak, with the more primitive tribes dwelling to the south, known as "the beginning," and growing more advanced further north. Each tribe has a religious understanding of what it means to be ready to travel north. I found this idea interesting and this is largely what motivated me to read more of the series.
Though I had a great time in this "Jurassic world," the actual narrative was rather devoid of sophistication. The surviving Germans aboard the U-boat can't be trusted, because, well... they're Germans in a Burroughs novel written during World War I. The heroine starts off as a spunky and capable character, only to be relegated to the damsel in distress wearing only a dainty slip of muslin and constantly being kidnapped by hairy apemen. The narrator is a ship builder, yet seems equally skilled at military command, hand-to-hand combat, hunting large and dangerous game, surviving in the wilderness, sewing an outfit out of leapord skins, and just generally being a superhero. How is he able to accomplish all of this? Burroughs offers no explanation other than to once say the character is from California, where all the residents are familiar with jujitsu. Oh really? I didn't know that, and I bet you Californians didn't know that either.
But all of that comes with the territory of early American escapist pulp entertainment. You can get some depth out of select Burroughs stories, but sometimes they don't age so well. What I have a harder time forgiving are the plot contrivances. The hero starts his adventure on a cruise ship that is sunk by the very submarine he designed and built, perfectly setting him up to be able to take over and captain the war engine himself. The only other survivor of the sinking is our heroine, who mentions that she was engaged to be married to a German, and lo and behold, the commander of the U-boat that sank her ship and almost killed her is her former fiance. I repeat--a U-boat sinks a passenger vessel, and the only survivors are the guy who designed the very same sub and the commander's girlfriend. What a stupid way to artificially move a plot along!
But again, you can't get too mad at this book. Either avoid it if this isn't your thing, or turn your brain off and enjoy.
Like "The Moon Maid," Burroughs followed this Radium-Age classic with two sequels that were eventually published as one volume. Together, they comprise the "Caspak Trilogy," which may not be as well read as his Martian stories, but are a fun ride for lovers of classic old school science fiction full of dinosaurs and civilizations of primitive humans.
There is a bit of a science mystery here, as it seems every gradient of human evolution exists on Caspak, with the more primitive tribes dwelling to the south, known as "the beginning," and growing more advanced further north. Each tribe has a religious understanding of what it means to be ready to travel north. I found this idea interesting and this is largely what motivated me to read more of the series.
Though I had a great time in this "Jurassic world," the actual narrative was rather devoid of sophistication. The surviving Germans aboard the U-boat can't be trusted, because, well... they're Germans in a Burroughs novel written during World War I. The heroine starts off as a spunky and capable character, only to be relegated to the damsel in distress wearing only a dainty slip of muslin and constantly being kidnapped by hairy apemen. The narrator is a ship builder, yet seems equally skilled at military command, hand-to-hand combat, hunting large and dangerous game, surviving in the wilderness, sewing an outfit out of leapord skins, and just generally being a superhero. How is he able to accomplish all of this? Burroughs offers no explanation other than to once say the character is from California, where all the residents are familiar with jujitsu. Oh really? I didn't know that, and I bet you Californians didn't know that either.
But all of that comes with the territory of early American escapist pulp entertainment. You can get some depth out of select Burroughs stories, but sometimes they don't age so well. What I have a harder time forgiving are the plot contrivances. The hero starts his adventure on a cruise ship that is sunk by the very submarine he designed and built, perfectly setting him up to be able to take over and captain the war engine himself. The only other survivor of the sinking is our heroine, who mentions that she was engaged to be married to a German, and lo and behold, the commander of the U-boat that sank her ship and almost killed her is her former fiance. I repeat--a U-boat sinks a passenger vessel, and the only survivors are the guy who designed the very same sub and the commander's girlfriend. What a stupid way to artificially move a plot along!
But again, you can't get too mad at this book. Either avoid it if this isn't your thing, or turn your brain off and enjoy.
August 29, 2023
Okay but not great, and pales in comparison to Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, (which was written six years earlier, and to which this clearly owes a debt if not an outright apology). Not really sure what Burroughs' focus was here; the first half of the book is exclusively a WWI submarine story, and only does the second half take place in his nonsensical lost continent. Unlike Doyle, who at least stabbed at scientific plausibility atop his isolated South American tepuis, Burroughs barely tries to have his science make sense - an entire semi-tropical continent lost just north of Antarctica; dinosaurs, modern mammals and at least 5 (?) species of "cavemen" co-evolving/co-existing; etc. Really? And while there are more dinosaurs and other beasts here than in Lost World, they really play no part in the story - they're just kind of there in the background, and so except for one "Bosche" sailor eaten by a plesiosaur, could just as easily have been feral cats or noisy neighbors for all the impact they have.
In terms of writing, Burroughs' protagonist is a pretty colorless character. I understand this is often the case with first person narrators (which Lost World also had), especially back in the self-effacing early 1900's. But Burroughs doesn't offer us any secondary, larger-than-life or even just interesting characters like Professor Challenger to hold our interest.
I did not realize that this was the first book in a trilogy. But it's the only one available at our library, and it didn't hold me enough to look elsewhere for the sequels; will just read the Wikipedia pages to see what happened next.
Finally, and exactly as in Lost World - what's up with all the allosaurs hopping around like kangaroos? Is that really how science envisioned dinosaurs back then? (Answer: apparently so; or at least according to my Marx allosaurus from the early 1960's.)
In terms of writing, Burroughs' protagonist is a pretty colorless character. I understand this is often the case with first person narrators (which Lost World also had), especially back in the self-effacing early 1900's. But Burroughs doesn't offer us any secondary, larger-than-life or even just interesting characters like Professor Challenger to hold our interest.
I did not realize that this was the first book in a trilogy. But it's the only one available at our library, and it didn't hold me enough to look elsewhere for the sequels; will just read the Wikipedia pages to see what happened next.
Finally, and exactly as in Lost World - what's up with all the allosaurs hopping around like kangaroos? Is that really how science envisioned dinosaurs back then? (Answer: apparently so; or at least according to my Marx allosaurus from the early 1960's.)
November 24, 2021
Published in 1918 and set during WWI, this book starts as a maritime voyage, where a series of ships are sunk. American protagonist Bowen Tyler finds himself, along with a British tugboat crew, onboard a German U-boat. The U-boat eventually comes across the lost island of Capsak (aka Caprona). This island is “the land that time forgot.” The crew of Americans, Germans, and British must work together to try to survive. They come across dinosaurs, animals, vegetation, and a variety of humans at various stages of evolutionary development.
It is a short book that whets the appetite for more information about what this strange land could be. Of course, it is only the first book in a trilogy so perhaps I need to read the other two. It is filled with non-stop action at the expense of any deeper character development.
I had somehow missed this novel in my years of reading the classics. I am glad to have finally read it. I can see later influences in novels such as Jurassic Park. It is a fast-paced quick read. Recommended to anyone interested in early SciFi or fantasy.
It is a short book that whets the appetite for more information about what this strange land could be. Of course, it is only the first book in a trilogy so perhaps I need to read the other two. It is filled with non-stop action at the expense of any deeper character development.
I had somehow missed this novel in my years of reading the classics. I am glad to have finally read it. I can see later influences in novels such as Jurassic Park. It is a fast-paced quick read. Recommended to anyone interested in early SciFi or fantasy.
June 2, 2022
By the time Edgar Rice Burroughs came out with his classic Caspak trilogy of short novels in 1918, the Chicago-born author was already 43 years old and had seen no fewer than two dozen of his novels in print. When it came to being a wordsmith, Burroughs, as has been often noted, was a late bloomer. Having previously been employed as a ranch hand, factory worker, gold miner, railroad laborer, and, uh, pencil-sharpener salesman, Burroughs decided, in 1911, to try his hand at writing; as he famously once said, "if people were paid for writing rot such as I read in some of those [pulp] magazines...I could write stories just as rotten"! His first work, "A Princess of Mars" (1912), was of course an enormous and seminal success, and by the time of the release of the Caspak trilogy six years later, Burroughs had already given the world three more John Carter books--"The Gods of Mars" (1913), "The Warlord of Mars" (1914) and "Thuvia, Maid of Mars" (1916)--the first six Tarzan books--"Tarzan of the Apes" (1912), "The Return of Tarzan" (1913), "The Beasts of Tarzan" (1914), "The Son of Tarzan" (1915), "Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar" (1916) and "Jungle Tales of Tarzan" (1916 - 1917)--the first two of an eventual seven in the Pellucidar series--"At the Earth's Core" (1914) and "Pellucidar" (1915)--as well as the three Mucker books and almost a dozen other titles! A prodigiously prolific output of high-quality product, especially for such a late beginner!
Now, this reader had previously experienced many of those earlier titles, but for some reason, the Caspak series, despite being very highly regarded by ERB enthusiasts, had up till recently managed to elude me. Not that it has been overly difficult to procure. As a matter of fact, ever since its release as a three-part serial, in the August, October and December 1918 issues of "The Blue Book Magazine" (cover price: 15 cents...and that August issue, typically, being 192 pages long!), Burroughs' famous series has seen dozens upon dozens of reprints, befitting its perennial classic status. Although "The Blue Book" released the series as three separate novellas--"The Land That Time Forgot," "The People That Time Forgot" and "Out of Time's Abyss"--and despite Ace Books releasing the three titles as separate paperbacks in a famous 1960s printing, Burroughs always envisioned the series as a single novel, entitled simply "The Land That Time Forgot." The book was thus released in that manner in 1924, as a single-volume hardcover, by the Chicago-based publisher A. C. McClurg, and, 75 years later, in 1999, by Bison Books...the edition that this reader was fortunate enough to acquire. This Bison edition is a particularly nice one, featuring as it does a scholarly introduction by Mike Resnick, a glossary of Caspakan words, a listing of the various peoples and tribes to be found in the three sections, and a detailed cast-of-characters listing. Plus, the volume features easily readable typography, very few typos in its 435-page length, and a map of Caspak, drawn by Burroughs himself in 1917. Truly, a handsome volume of a classic novel. But getting back to Burroughs' actual work, I will deal with the three sections separately, for the sake of convenience.
So...the first entry in the Caspak series, "The Land That Time Forgot," takes the form of a manuscript that is, in essence, a message in a bottle. This MS, which had been thrust into a Thermos and cast adrift into the sea, is found by a man in southern Greenland, who has decided to release it to the world. The MS, it seems, was written by one Bowen Tyler, Jr., although we do not discover his name until the tail end of his story. Tyler had been working in his Dad's submarine factory in California; however, he'd decided he wanted to enlist as a flyer in WW1 Europe. But during his trans-Atlantic passage, a German U-boat, the U-33, had torpedoed and sank the ship he was on. Tyler had spent a miserable night on the high sea aboard a lifeboat with his terrier, Nobs, and with a beautiful American woman named Lys La Rue, with whom he'd fallen pretty instantly in love. The three had been picked up by a British tugboat in the English Channel, which craft was itself soon sent to the bottom by that same pesky U-33...but not before the tug's crew and Tyler had managed to overpower the German crew in hand-to-hand combat. Thus, in the first half of Tyler's thrilling tale, our narrator, with his great knowledge of subs, becomes commander, with the tug's second-in-command, Bradley, acting as a loyal second again. The command of the sub switches back to the Germans and then back again, matters being made even more complicated by a saboteur aboard, who wrecks the navigational equipment and, more distressingly, poisons the sub's water supply. Eventually, the U-33, distrusted by all ships that it approaches, somehow blunders into the South Pacific, ultimately arriving at the rampart-encircled island of Caprona--discovered in the 18th century by the (fictional) Italian explorer Caproni, who had been unable to land on it, Bradley recalls--and thus, at roughly its halfway point, and after some wonderful segments of high-seas adventure, Burroughs' novella really begins to take off.
Using a subterranean tunnel entrance, the U-33 is able to penetrate some 40 miles into the giant island's interior (according to Burroughs' map, Caprona is roughly 180 miles long and 130 miles wide, its Great Inland Lake being no less than 120 miles long and 60 miles wide) and finds itself in some kind of prehistoric hellscape; a land where Jurassic monstrosities roam unchecked, and seven categories of primitive man, each in a different evolutionary stage, prowl the countryside. In this Book 1, the former English, American and German enemies effect a shaky truce, build a permanent compound called Fort Dinosaur, learn to hunt for food, make friends with some of the local brutes, and basically try to adapt to their new nightmare existence. But even more trouble arises when the Baron Friedrich von Schoenvorts, the German captain, resumes his villainous ways, and when Lys is abducted from the fort by one of the Caspakan brute men ("Caspak," it seems, is the natives' name for the interior of the island of Caprona), forcing Tyler to grab his firearms and head off into the unexplored regions, alone, to attempt a rescue....
All told, Burroughs' first entry in the now-classic Caspak series makes for a perfect introduction to this memorable lost world, leaving us wanting to know more--much more--about Caprona, and curious as to several unanswered questions. This first installment features breakneck action from start to finish, and--simply written as it is in ERB's reader-friendly style--those pages really do seem to keep themselves turning. As noted in "The Science Fiction Encyclopedia," Burroughs, despite his limitations, had an "ability to transport the reader to a glorious never-never land, exotic and dangerous," and that ability is surely on full display here. Caprona, an island that was once a volcanic crater and its surroundings before a continental submergence took place eons ago, is a marvelous feat of the imagination; kind of like a precursor to King Kong's Skull Island. When Tyler tells Schoenvorts, early on, "There is another place we can go...and we will before we'll go to Germany. That place is hell," little could he know how prophetic those words might be! And that Schoenvorts, by the way, nasty and disdainfully proud as he is ("disagreeable" is the word that Tyler uses repeatedly to describe him), makes for a wonderfully hissable villain; it is to be hoped that he reappears later on, to get his just deserts! The book's setup of a disparate collection of former enemies being forced to cohabitate in a cramped sub and later on a dangerous island is a fairly brilliant one, I feel, and the author here does justice to the conceit.
Of course, Burroughs, natural-born storyteller that he was, keeps his story moving at a relentless pace and dishes out any number of exciting set pieces. Among them: the sinking of Tyler and Lys' ship in the Channel; the storming of the U-33; the attack on a German cruiser; Tyler trapped upon the outer deck of the U-boat, while the unknown saboteur causes the ship to submerge (for me, the most exciting and harrowing scene in the entire book!); the subterranean tunnel entry into Caspak; the first attack of the reptilian fauna; and Tyler's rescue of Lys following her abduction, during which he battles Tsa of the hatchet-men and sojourns among the more highly evolved spear-men. And then, to top things off, Burroughs concludes his tale with eight words that are just simply wonderful. I cannot imagine any reader not champing at the bit to proceed on to Book 2, "The People That Time Forgot," after breathlessly flipping over the final page of this Book 1.
To be perfectly honest, "The Land That Time Forgot" is hardly a perfect affair, and some minor problems do inevitably arise. Characterizations here are sketchy and minimal, but that fault can be easily pardoned, as this is, after all, only Book 1 of three, and especially in light of the fact that Tyler here has a history to tell, in a manuscript written under trying conditions, to put it mildly. Some minor instances of racism crop up a few times, but, to quote from "The Science Fiction Encyclopedia" once again, Burroughs' "efficient narrative style helps to compensate for the prudery and touches of racism." More serious, for this reader, is the book's use of not just coincidence, but double coincidence to set the stage for its story. I mean, is it likely that the sub that manages to sink Tyler twice should be one that his father's factory constructed, and whose captain, Schoenvorts, just happens to be engaged (via a forced, socially convenient arrangement) to Lys? This reader was also bothered when Bradly mentions that Caproni "followed [Captain James] Cook about 1721." But since Cook didn't even enter the Royal Navy until the 1750s, and engage in his first of three famous exploratory voyages until 1768, this bit just doesn’t ring true. Still, these are minor matters, in such a relentlessly exciting book as this.
"The Land That Time Forgot" concludes with several cliff-hanging matters left up in the air. What happened to the U-33, after Schoenvorts and the other Germans made off with it? What happened to Nobs, a wonderfully brave and spirited animal, who mysteriously disappears toward the end of Book 1? What happened to Bradley and his exploring party, the graves of two of which Tyler discovers as he endeavors to rescue Lys? Will Bowen and Lys be seen or heard from again? Who are the mysterious, supposedly highly evolved Galus, whom the brutish hatchet- and spear-men make reference to and aspire to become? As shown on Burroughs' map, this first volume has only revealed around 1/3 of the island of Caprona, and this reader cannot wait to dive into Book 2 now, to hopefully get those questions answered and explore the other 2/3 of this Mesozoic hellhole. Stay tuned....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs....)
Now, this reader had previously experienced many of those earlier titles, but for some reason, the Caspak series, despite being very highly regarded by ERB enthusiasts, had up till recently managed to elude me. Not that it has been overly difficult to procure. As a matter of fact, ever since its release as a three-part serial, in the August, October and December 1918 issues of "The Blue Book Magazine" (cover price: 15 cents...and that August issue, typically, being 192 pages long!), Burroughs' famous series has seen dozens upon dozens of reprints, befitting its perennial classic status. Although "The Blue Book" released the series as three separate novellas--"The Land That Time Forgot," "The People That Time Forgot" and "Out of Time's Abyss"--and despite Ace Books releasing the three titles as separate paperbacks in a famous 1960s printing, Burroughs always envisioned the series as a single novel, entitled simply "The Land That Time Forgot." The book was thus released in that manner in 1924, as a single-volume hardcover, by the Chicago-based publisher A. C. McClurg, and, 75 years later, in 1999, by Bison Books...the edition that this reader was fortunate enough to acquire. This Bison edition is a particularly nice one, featuring as it does a scholarly introduction by Mike Resnick, a glossary of Caspakan words, a listing of the various peoples and tribes to be found in the three sections, and a detailed cast-of-characters listing. Plus, the volume features easily readable typography, very few typos in its 435-page length, and a map of Caspak, drawn by Burroughs himself in 1917. Truly, a handsome volume of a classic novel. But getting back to Burroughs' actual work, I will deal with the three sections separately, for the sake of convenience.
So...the first entry in the Caspak series, "The Land That Time Forgot," takes the form of a manuscript that is, in essence, a message in a bottle. This MS, which had been thrust into a Thermos and cast adrift into the sea, is found by a man in southern Greenland, who has decided to release it to the world. The MS, it seems, was written by one Bowen Tyler, Jr., although we do not discover his name until the tail end of his story. Tyler had been working in his Dad's submarine factory in California; however, he'd decided he wanted to enlist as a flyer in WW1 Europe. But during his trans-Atlantic passage, a German U-boat, the U-33, had torpedoed and sank the ship he was on. Tyler had spent a miserable night on the high sea aboard a lifeboat with his terrier, Nobs, and with a beautiful American woman named Lys La Rue, with whom he'd fallen pretty instantly in love. The three had been picked up by a British tugboat in the English Channel, which craft was itself soon sent to the bottom by that same pesky U-33...but not before the tug's crew and Tyler had managed to overpower the German crew in hand-to-hand combat. Thus, in the first half of Tyler's thrilling tale, our narrator, with his great knowledge of subs, becomes commander, with the tug's second-in-command, Bradley, acting as a loyal second again. The command of the sub switches back to the Germans and then back again, matters being made even more complicated by a saboteur aboard, who wrecks the navigational equipment and, more distressingly, poisons the sub's water supply. Eventually, the U-33, distrusted by all ships that it approaches, somehow blunders into the South Pacific, ultimately arriving at the rampart-encircled island of Caprona--discovered in the 18th century by the (fictional) Italian explorer Caproni, who had been unable to land on it, Bradley recalls--and thus, at roughly its halfway point, and after some wonderful segments of high-seas adventure, Burroughs' novella really begins to take off.
Using a subterranean tunnel entrance, the U-33 is able to penetrate some 40 miles into the giant island's interior (according to Burroughs' map, Caprona is roughly 180 miles long and 130 miles wide, its Great Inland Lake being no less than 120 miles long and 60 miles wide) and finds itself in some kind of prehistoric hellscape; a land where Jurassic monstrosities roam unchecked, and seven categories of primitive man, each in a different evolutionary stage, prowl the countryside. In this Book 1, the former English, American and German enemies effect a shaky truce, build a permanent compound called Fort Dinosaur, learn to hunt for food, make friends with some of the local brutes, and basically try to adapt to their new nightmare existence. But even more trouble arises when the Baron Friedrich von Schoenvorts, the German captain, resumes his villainous ways, and when Lys is abducted from the fort by one of the Caspakan brute men ("Caspak," it seems, is the natives' name for the interior of the island of Caprona), forcing Tyler to grab his firearms and head off into the unexplored regions, alone, to attempt a rescue....
All told, Burroughs' first entry in the now-classic Caspak series makes for a perfect introduction to this memorable lost world, leaving us wanting to know more--much more--about Caprona, and curious as to several unanswered questions. This first installment features breakneck action from start to finish, and--simply written as it is in ERB's reader-friendly style--those pages really do seem to keep themselves turning. As noted in "The Science Fiction Encyclopedia," Burroughs, despite his limitations, had an "ability to transport the reader to a glorious never-never land, exotic and dangerous," and that ability is surely on full display here. Caprona, an island that was once a volcanic crater and its surroundings before a continental submergence took place eons ago, is a marvelous feat of the imagination; kind of like a precursor to King Kong's Skull Island. When Tyler tells Schoenvorts, early on, "There is another place we can go...and we will before we'll go to Germany. That place is hell," little could he know how prophetic those words might be! And that Schoenvorts, by the way, nasty and disdainfully proud as he is ("disagreeable" is the word that Tyler uses repeatedly to describe him), makes for a wonderfully hissable villain; it is to be hoped that he reappears later on, to get his just deserts! The book's setup of a disparate collection of former enemies being forced to cohabitate in a cramped sub and later on a dangerous island is a fairly brilliant one, I feel, and the author here does justice to the conceit.
Of course, Burroughs, natural-born storyteller that he was, keeps his story moving at a relentless pace and dishes out any number of exciting set pieces. Among them: the sinking of Tyler and Lys' ship in the Channel; the storming of the U-33; the attack on a German cruiser; Tyler trapped upon the outer deck of the U-boat, while the unknown saboteur causes the ship to submerge (for me, the most exciting and harrowing scene in the entire book!); the subterranean tunnel entry into Caspak; the first attack of the reptilian fauna; and Tyler's rescue of Lys following her abduction, during which he battles Tsa of the hatchet-men and sojourns among the more highly evolved spear-men. And then, to top things off, Burroughs concludes his tale with eight words that are just simply wonderful. I cannot imagine any reader not champing at the bit to proceed on to Book 2, "The People That Time Forgot," after breathlessly flipping over the final page of this Book 1.
To be perfectly honest, "The Land That Time Forgot" is hardly a perfect affair, and some minor problems do inevitably arise. Characterizations here are sketchy and minimal, but that fault can be easily pardoned, as this is, after all, only Book 1 of three, and especially in light of the fact that Tyler here has a history to tell, in a manuscript written under trying conditions, to put it mildly. Some minor instances of racism crop up a few times, but, to quote from "The Science Fiction Encyclopedia" once again, Burroughs' "efficient narrative style helps to compensate for the prudery and touches of racism." More serious, for this reader, is the book's use of not just coincidence, but double coincidence to set the stage for its story. I mean, is it likely that the sub that manages to sink Tyler twice should be one that his father's factory constructed, and whose captain, Schoenvorts, just happens to be engaged (via a forced, socially convenient arrangement) to Lys? This reader was also bothered when Bradly mentions that Caproni "followed [Captain James] Cook about 1721." But since Cook didn't even enter the Royal Navy until the 1750s, and engage in his first of three famous exploratory voyages until 1768, this bit just doesn’t ring true. Still, these are minor matters, in such a relentlessly exciting book as this.
"The Land That Time Forgot" concludes with several cliff-hanging matters left up in the air. What happened to the U-33, after Schoenvorts and the other Germans made off with it? What happened to Nobs, a wonderfully brave and spirited animal, who mysteriously disappears toward the end of Book 1? What happened to Bradley and his exploring party, the graves of two of which Tyler discovers as he endeavors to rescue Lys? Will Bowen and Lys be seen or heard from again? Who are the mysterious, supposedly highly evolved Galus, whom the brutish hatchet- and spear-men make reference to and aspire to become? As shown on Burroughs' map, this first volume has only revealed around 1/3 of the island of Caprona, and this reader cannot wait to dive into Book 2 now, to hopefully get those questions answered and explore the other 2/3 of this Mesozoic hellhole. Stay tuned....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs....)
October 22, 2014
As Libervox recordings go, this one is pretty good. The reader, Snelson, has a voice that goes with the story pretty well, although his accents for some characters are just awful. Still, I wanted to read this book with a group & didn't have time for the old paperback on my shelves. The library has an audio edition, but it's out on loan & I'm still waiting for it. (I know why electronic formats are limited in their number of loans, but I don't like it.) This edition was handy & the book is short, not even 4 hours long.
Unfortunately, my memories of ERB's great adventures are far better than a re-read. There is far too much convenience in the writing. The hero is almost a super man in so many ways, but he does so many conveniently stupid things that allow him to fight his way out of the trick bag with heroic restraint that conveniently allows the bad guy to come back around for another go at him. The love theme was just ridiculous. He conveniently knew so much & yet was ignorant on so many other levels. (Tired of the word 'convenient' yet? So am I, but that's the plot in a nutshell.)
Still, it was a neat setting & the evolution of the world was fascinating. Unfortunately, like the first 3 Barsoom & first 2 Tarzan books, this first book isn't really complete. In some ways, I really want to read the next one (there are 3) to answer all the questions, but I can't take either the reader or the writing any more.
Unfortunately, my memories of ERB's great adventures are far better than a re-read. There is far too much convenience in the writing. The hero is almost a super man in so many ways, but he does so many conveniently stupid things that allow him to fight his way out of the trick bag with heroic restraint that conveniently allows the bad guy to come back around for another go at him. The love theme was just ridiculous. He conveniently knew so much & yet was ignorant on so many other levels. (Tired of the word 'convenient' yet? So am I, but that's the plot in a nutshell.)
Still, it was a neat setting & the evolution of the world was fascinating. Unfortunately, like the first 3 Barsoom & first 2 Tarzan books, this first book isn't really complete. In some ways, I really want to read the next one (there are 3) to answer all the questions, but I can't take either the reader or the writing any more.
March 9, 2020
Yeah! Unsubtle racism disguised as talk of evolution, just what every modern reader wants to read.
February 8, 2024
Enjoyed this well written, imaginative story. Definitely recommend.
September 25, 2009
In 1995, I sold a large box full of mint-condition Edgar Rice Burroughs books left over from my younger days. A coworker took it off my hands for the princely sum of $10. Looking at what's available today on eBay (where I retrieved a new copy of this title), that box might now fetch $500. Oops.
My recollection of Burroughs is that (possibly aside from the Tarzan series) he had a formula, which he used again and again: a doughty hero ventures into extraordinary circumstances, and along the way rescues and falls in love with a beautiful and resilient woman. Well, when I avidly read and reread everything of Burroughs that was in print in the early 60s, I thought that formula worked just fine.
And reading it now -- heck, it still works. Sometimes the prose feels a little purple. Sometimes I could wish for a little more introspection. But I think Burroughs might be underrated. It's startling how clear my memory of this tale is as I read it again. I feel almost as if I'm revisiting my boyhood home.
I let my books go previously because I didn't expect to have any heirs who would appreciate them. That conclusion turned out to be premature. So now I'm going to try and gradually rebuild at least part of that collection for the kids.
My recollection of Burroughs is that (possibly aside from the Tarzan series) he had a formula, which he used again and again: a doughty hero ventures into extraordinary circumstances, and along the way rescues and falls in love with a beautiful and resilient woman. Well, when I avidly read and reread everything of Burroughs that was in print in the early 60s, I thought that formula worked just fine.
And reading it now -- heck, it still works. Sometimes the prose feels a little purple. Sometimes I could wish for a little more introspection. But I think Burroughs might be underrated. It's startling how clear my memory of this tale is as I read it again. I feel almost as if I'm revisiting my boyhood home.
I let my books go previously because I didn't expect to have any heirs who would appreciate them. That conclusion turned out to be premature. So now I'm going to try and gradually rebuild at least part of that collection for the kids.
March 9, 2023
This is one of those books that I remember more of the film than I do of the story - which I am not surprised over since I saw this film at that time where I did everything in my power to avoid reading.
So as you can imagine than when I started to read the book it felt familiar but at the same time I hardly recognised a think - hardly surprising considered this came from an age where films from books varied wildly and usually only shared a title (seems not much has changed since has it).
However after all that is said and done the sense of adventure and swashbuckling daring-do that you would come to expect from Edgar Rice Burroughs is all there and even though a lot of the language is rather dated now its still great fun.
The real question is that this is only the first part of the trilogy the question really is what happens next
So as you can imagine than when I started to read the book it felt familiar but at the same time I hardly recognised a think - hardly surprising considered this came from an age where films from books varied wildly and usually only shared a title (seems not much has changed since has it).
However after all that is said and done the sense of adventure and swashbuckling daring-do that you would come to expect from Edgar Rice Burroughs is all there and even though a lot of the language is rather dated now its still great fun.
The real question is that this is only the first part of the trilogy the question really is what happens next
August 15, 2015
Similar to Arthur Conan Doyles's The Lost World, but with a touch of romance added. Entertaining, but not as good as his A Princess of Mars. I have yet to read his Tarzan novels.
March 7, 2017
This short book was first published in 1918. Worts and all, this book is considered a classic. A group of people are stranded on an island with dinosaurs. To enjoy this book, you must suspend your knowledge of science and evolution. The book may be the source, or, at least, evidence of the beginning of the false idea that humans were the "goal" of evolution, and that some creatures are "more evolved" than others. Also, when homo sapiens were "more evolved" Burroughs describes them as being "less negroid" (oh brother).
There are creatures from different Eras. Burroughs freely mixes Cenozoic and Mesozoic era fauna and flora, not that I'm an expert in such, but this is now common knowledge that humans and triceratops did not co-exist. Also, the sexism in this book is so over the top you'll shake your head and, hopefully, be grateful for better times.
So, if you can ignore the bad science and the sexism, this book is about a boy and his dog meeting a girl. The boy must win the safety and affection of the girl, while fighting off dinosaurs and cavemen.
There are creatures from different Eras. Burroughs freely mixes Cenozoic and Mesozoic era fauna and flora, not that I'm an expert in such, but this is now common knowledge that humans and triceratops did not co-exist. Also, the sexism in this book is so over the top you'll shake your head and, hopefully, be grateful for better times.
So, if you can ignore the bad science and the sexism, this book is about a boy and his dog meeting a girl. The boy must win the safety and affection of the girl, while fighting off dinosaurs and cavemen.
August 24, 2021
How much story can a person jam into 60 pages? Apparently quite a bit as we are entertained by treachery on the high seas, spies, lost continents, and prehistoric beasts. Good grief, this story rattled my poor frayed nerves.
Oh, well, on to the next volume in the series.
Oh, well, on to the next volume in the series.
January 4, 2024
Short and rather silly book that felt aimed at boys - ergo, I enjoyed it.
It's got battles with Nazis, submarine warfare, a beautiful damsel in distress to rescue, it's got dinosaurs, it's got animal pelts to wear and native tribes to master.
Of course, it's not just sexist, but rather racist as well, and while it condemns the Nazis it still seems to agree with the idea of certain races and breeds being "higher" and "nobler" than others. This didn't bother me too much, as it was normal at the time of writing - just noting it.
I was having a great time with this story, but unfortunately Burroughs doesn't seem to know what to do with the land-locked dinosaur continent that he has; the plot just dies when we reach there, and many threads aren't concluded. I might continue with the series, as it's a very low-investment, easy, popcorn read.
Would I re-read: no.
It's got battles with Nazis, submarine warfare, a beautiful damsel in distress to rescue, it's got dinosaurs, it's got animal pelts to wear and native tribes to master.
Of course, it's not just sexist, but rather racist as well, and while it condemns the Nazis it still seems to agree with the idea of certain races and breeds being "higher" and "nobler" than others. This didn't bother me too much, as it was normal at the time of writing - just noting it.
I was having a great time with this story, but unfortunately Burroughs doesn't seem to know what to do with the land-locked dinosaur continent that he has; the plot just dies when we reach there, and many threads aren't concluded. I might continue with the series, as it's a very low-investment, easy, popcorn read.
Would I re-read: no.
March 27, 2017
Audiobook
I enjoyed this (nearly) 100 year old classic adventure.
I enjoyed this (nearly) 100 year old classic adventure.
March 11, 2010
I loved this book. It's like a mix between Indiana Jones, Gulliver's Travels, Jurassic Park and a mutant sort of Planet of the Apes, with some other stuff thrown in.
I don't know that I've seen either of the movies (maybe parts of the first one, when I was a kid), but I recommend reading it first, as it is significantly different, from what I've read about the movies on Wikipedia. The book is rather short (only about 40k words, which is 10k words off being a long short story).
The writing style is definitely fast-paced and extremely easy to read/follow. It's quite enjoyable, although it's more of an action style mixed with a journal than something very descriptive or full of obvious literary devices.
The book ends well, but there are some things left unresolved: that's probably what the next two books are for: to tell us how these evolving people work, and maybe about those tadpole pools the native women used.
There is at least one thing that might not seem realistic, though: i.e. how the main character seems to have so much ammunition (without an explanation).
It takes half the book before they get to the island, but the first half is certainly interesting, too—submarine wars between them and the Germans, basically, and intrigue with prisoners, and the woman, Lys.
They do use an offensive term for the Germans throughout the story, so be warned of that (although I had not been familiar with the term before this book).
I don't know that I've seen either of the movies (maybe parts of the first one, when I was a kid), but I recommend reading it first, as it is significantly different, from what I've read about the movies on Wikipedia. The book is rather short (only about 40k words, which is 10k words off being a long short story).
The writing style is definitely fast-paced and extremely easy to read/follow. It's quite enjoyable, although it's more of an action style mixed with a journal than something very descriptive or full of obvious literary devices.
The book ends well, but there are some things left unresolved: that's probably what the next two books are for: to tell us how these evolving people work, and maybe about those tadpole pools the native women used.
There is at least one thing that might not seem realistic, though: i.e. how the main character seems to have so much ammunition (without an explanation).
It takes half the book before they get to the island, but the first half is certainly interesting, too—submarine wars between them and the Germans, basically, and intrigue with prisoners, and the woman, Lys.
They do use an offensive term for the Germans throughout the story, so be warned of that (although I had not been familiar with the term before this book).
September 4, 2018
This book was written in 1918 and takes place during World War I.
We have a u-boat lost at sea that stumbles across an island that is secluded and untouched by mankind and all environmental and evolutionary changes that have taken place over the past millions of years so our heroes are stuck on an island with dinosaurs, saber tooth tigers, primitive man and all kinds of other monsters.
This was not the first time I've read this novel but I didn't remember how slow it was at the start. It took almost a third of the way into the book before they ever reach the island.
Good action. Good characters (although dated).
So how to rate the book?
Because of the dated aspect of the novel my enjoyment was a 3 star book
BUT
For historical relevance (I can't even begin to count the number of movies, comics and books that were spun off the ideas in this novel) this is a 5+ star book.
So I'll average it out to 4 stars.
Because of the historical significance of the book and the author I would recommend this to most everyone.
We have a u-boat lost at sea that stumbles across an island that is secluded and untouched by mankind and all environmental and evolutionary changes that have taken place over the past millions of years so our heroes are stuck on an island with dinosaurs, saber tooth tigers, primitive man and all kinds of other monsters.
This was not the first time I've read this novel but I didn't remember how slow it was at the start. It took almost a third of the way into the book before they ever reach the island.
Good action. Good characters (although dated).
So how to rate the book?
Because of the dated aspect of the novel my enjoyment was a 3 star book
BUT
For historical relevance (I can't even begin to count the number of movies, comics and books that were spun off the ideas in this novel) this is a 5+ star book.
So I'll average it out to 4 stars.
Because of the historical significance of the book and the author I would recommend this to most everyone.
February 24, 2018
Half submarine adventure story, half unbelievable lost island adventure, all pulp. Probably draws a lot from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, published four years earlier and given much more acclaim. Both were originally published in magazines.
Judging it as pulp, the rough plot works and is plenty exciting. The tropical "island" is too unbelievable, with 3 or 4 species of early man in addition to scattered dinosaurs, and all just north of Antarctica. Worse, the dinosaurs aren't the menacing villains we would expect, and play a very minor part of the plot.
Perhaps early man (and his voyage "north") is meant to be a metaphor here? The jujitsu wielding main character works well, and his paramour is quite capable - perhaps more so than most of the time.
Overall rating, 3 stars. I'll read the sequels, especially if they are as quick as this, but I especially want to read Doyle for comparison.
Judging it as pulp, the rough plot works and is plenty exciting. The tropical "island" is too unbelievable, with 3 or 4 species of early man in addition to scattered dinosaurs, and all just north of Antarctica. Worse, the dinosaurs aren't the menacing villains we would expect, and play a very minor part of the plot.
Perhaps early man (and his voyage "north") is meant to be a metaphor here? The jujitsu wielding main character works well, and his paramour is quite capable - perhaps more so than most of the time.
Overall rating, 3 stars. I'll read the sequels, especially if they are as quick as this, but I especially want to read Doyle for comparison.
May 1, 2019
I love to read old sci-fi and fantasy novels, to look backward through a lens of time and see what man imagined for the distant future that is now.
In this case, modern man went back in time, to the days of the dinosaurs!
I am certain everything that could be said has already been said about this book in any academic or theoretical context.
So I will say simply that I loved it!
These books make me feel like I'm eleven or twelve again, discovering "wild ideas, man," and I love that feeling of literary nostalgia too.
In this case, modern man went back in time, to the days of the dinosaurs!
I am certain everything that could be said has already been said about this book in any academic or theoretical context.
So I will say simply that I loved it!
These books make me feel like I'm eleven or twelve again, discovering "wild ideas, man," and I love that feeling of literary nostalgia too.
February 18, 2023
One of the few ERB worlds I've missed...up to now. Enjoyed this one quite a bit and look forward to the other two books in the series.
May 27, 2015
Surprisingly, this novel works best in its initial chapters, before the characters reach dinosaur island. Once they finally do, things take an abrupt turn for the campy. Charles Darwin certainly didn't do this book any favors, as evolution is the driving force behind what makes much of this story both silly an inherently racist. Burroughs obviously believed that whites were the most evolved people on the planet, while blacks had barely come down from the trees. I normally wouldn't give a book this racist a passing grade; but I realize that Burroughs was a product of his times, and I'm willing to cut him a little slack. The book is worth reading, if not for the dinosaurs, then for the cool bits about hijacking a German submarine.
October 2, 2015
I enjoyed this book like I have enjoyed many ERB books. His classic style of writing is always pleasant and the adventure for our characters in this one is not short on entertainment value. While not quite as wild as his Barsoom escapades, ERB takes readers on a very satisfying adventure into a lost world of long forgotten creatures and peril.
February 26, 2023
How is this considered a “classic”. It is horrible and there are so many holes in the narrative. It should be taught as an example of what not to do when writing.
December 5, 2023
This is classic science fiction where men are men and women need a lot of rescuing. However, in this novel, the woman in question needed a lot less rescuing than most. In fact, she could be quite assertive in her own way and quite able to defend herself.
The story: a man finds a message in a bottle which outlines what happened to Bowen J. Tyler, an American first lost at sea, then captain of a U-boat lost at sea during World War One. Low on supplies, the U-boat must land on the shores of a large island named Caprona or Caspak depending on the character talking. On the island, evolution has proceeded down a different path with primative men and dinosaurs co-existing. Tyler must find a way to survive along with his crewmates and his one true love, Lys La Rue.
Any problems with this story? Well, aside from the whole idea of men and dinosaurs co-existing, it seemed improbable that time and again that Tyler misjudged the character and possible actions of the other people in the story. While some of it could be excused given the honor code most people took for granted at the time, one had to be an idiot to trust some of these people. Apparently, Tyler was just that idiot. Luckily, Lys La Rue was less of an idiot.
The other problem stemmed from the portrayal of the German aristocracy and its character. I'm not sure how accurate it was. I know some of it was accurate for the time. I just don't know how accurate so I reserve judgement.
Any modesty issues? Well.. a man and a woman lost at sea in a life raft while she was scantily dressed was immodest in itself. There was an attempt by the author to sanctify their relationship by a primative ceremony. It seemed reasonable to me, but your milage may vary. No sex was suggested.
The ending was left wide open for the sequel, "The People That Time Forgot". The ending wasn't exactly a cliffhanger, but close. One could walk away from this novel satisfied in imagining what came next.
I might read this book again if I were reading the series.
The story: a man finds a message in a bottle which outlines what happened to Bowen J. Tyler, an American first lost at sea, then captain of a U-boat lost at sea during World War One. Low on supplies, the U-boat must land on the shores of a large island named Caprona or Caspak depending on the character talking. On the island, evolution has proceeded down a different path with primative men and dinosaurs co-existing. Tyler must find a way to survive along with his crewmates and his one true love, Lys La Rue.
Any problems with this story? Well, aside from the whole idea of men and dinosaurs co-existing, it seemed improbable that time and again that Tyler misjudged the character and possible actions of the other people in the story. While some of it could be excused given the honor code most people took for granted at the time, one had to be an idiot to trust some of these people. Apparently, Tyler was just that idiot. Luckily, Lys La Rue was less of an idiot.
The other problem stemmed from the portrayal of the German aristocracy and its character. I'm not sure how accurate it was. I know some of it was accurate for the time. I just don't know how accurate so I reserve judgement.
Any modesty issues? Well.. a man and a woman lost at sea in a life raft while she was scantily dressed was immodest in itself. There was an attempt by the author to sanctify their relationship by a primative ceremony. It seemed reasonable to me, but your milage may vary. No sex was suggested.
The ending was left wide open for the sequel, "The People That Time Forgot". The ending wasn't exactly a cliffhanger, but close. One could walk away from this novel satisfied in imagining what came next.
I might read this book again if I were reading the series.
April 23, 2021
After the disappointing Tarzan of the Apes, I decided to give Burroughs a second shot, and once again I find myself disappointed. The characters are flat and undeveloped; the plot is ludicrous; the narrative oscillates between tedium and events that transpire much too rapidly; and the details read like they were gleaned from an encyclopedia by someone who hasn’t travelled outside his home region. I have no idea how well-travelled or worldly Burroughs may have been (apparently, according to Wikipedia, he was a pencil-sharpener salesman?), but his fiction reads like someone who received his entire knowledge of the world through corny magazine articles and pulp fiction.
This novel also shared the same major failing as Tarzan: Burroughs insists that the characters who stumble upon Caspak learn the language of the primitive Neanderthals within a couple weeks, enough to be able to have conversations with them. It’s only slightly less absurd than the idea that Tarzan could teach himself English and French without first acquiring any language at all.
I will continue reading the next two novels in the trilogy only because they are short and I already own them. I can’t imagine these will get any better, but one can hope.
This novel also shared the same major failing as Tarzan: Burroughs insists that the characters who stumble upon Caspak learn the language of the primitive Neanderthals within a couple weeks, enough to be able to have conversations with them. It’s only slightly less absurd than the idea that Tarzan could teach himself English and French without first acquiring any language at all.
I will continue reading the next two novels in the trilogy only because they are short and I already own them. I can’t imagine these will get any better, but one can hope.
March 28, 2023
This was...fine? There are very interesting tidbits and I'm also pretty lenient about the lack of rules around the world-building, but it does feel like the story goes halfway and then just stops trying to convince its reader that we should care about this world in the first place. Part of that is just my utter apathy towards the "romance" — which I'm putting in quotes because it reads more like a man constantly becoming overcome by lust in the most inappropriate situations.
October 16, 2022
I love the film adaptation made in the 70's. It was a special film from my childhood, but I never got around to reading the book until now. It's a little hard going as a read. The stilted language of the day does make the book a little flat. I have to say Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn did a great job adapting the book for the low budget flick. They changed up the dynamics and made the characters far more likeable and the story more engaging.
January 31, 2023
A group of American sailors are onboard a German U-boat with the German crew after having lost their ship when they stumble upon an island of cavemen and dinosaurs. Not bad, not great, just nostalgia.
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