The Lost Continent

Burroughs, Edgar Rice, 1875-1950Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 210K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice BurroughsAuthor: Burroughs, Edgar Rice, 1875-1950,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 1, 1994

Editor's review

The Lost Continent is an early adventure novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, continuing the author's signature style of exploration in unknown worlds. The story revolves around an isolated land that preserves prehistoric creatures and peculiar civilizations, with the protagonist facing constant survival challenges and shocks to his understanding. As a public-domain eBook, its most notable value lies in presenting the narrative rhythm and imaginative approach of early twentieth-century popular adventure fiction, offering reference value for studying the evolution of early science fiction adventure genres. Readers need not expect rigorous scientific worldbuilding; it is better appreciated as a fantasy adventure work bearing the marks of its era. The Project Gutenberg edition is easy to search and cite, suitable for reading in fragmented settings such as commuting or travel, and also suitable as introductory material for reading English originals.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who enjoy early science fiction and adventure novels
Genre fiction fans who want to understand Burroughs's creative lineage
Learners who need public-domain English texts for reading practice
Researchers interested in early twentieth-century popular literature

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer hard science fiction settings and rigorous scientific logic
Readers hoping for modern pacing and complex character development
Beginners who find older narrative styles and language conventions hard to adjust to

Reading tips

Read the opening chapters first to get a feel for the narrative rhythm, then decide whether to read the whole book.
Pair it with the reading order of Burroughs's other works to understand common features of his adventure themes.
When reading the English original, mark unfamiliar place names and creature names for easy cross-referencing.
Treat the book as a sample of genre literature and jot down its imaginative approach and era-specific limitations.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for English beginners to read directly?

Not very suitable for readers with zero foundation. Although Burroughs's language is popular narrative, it still contains many old-fashioned expressions and uncommon words. It is recommended to try after reaching an intermediate English reading level, or choose an annotated edition for support.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition is a free public-domain eBook with searchable and citable text, convenient for reading on electronic devices. It lacks the introductions and annotations of modern publishers, so readers need to supplement background knowledge themselves; it suits readers with their own reading plans.

What is the relationship between this book and Burroughs's other works?

This book continues Burroughs's favored theme of exploration in unknown worlds and shares the narrative appeal of popular adventure with his well-known series, but the story and characters are independent. It can serve as one entry point for understanding the author's creative style before expanding to other works.

Comments

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About the author

Burroughs, Edgar Rice, 1875-1950 Author

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) was an American author best known for his science fiction and adventure novels. The library holds 33 of his works, including Tarzan of the Apes, The Gods of Mars, At the Earth's Core, The Land That Time Forgot, Pellucidar, and The Moon Maid. His writing is boldly imaginative and briskly paced, often combining unfamiliar settings—alien worlds, the Earth's interior, and the jungle—with tense adventure. His Tarzan figure has had a lasting influence, and his Mars and Pellucidar series are also important early works of science fiction adventure. Public information about the details of his life is limited, so this introduction focuses on his creative output.