The Mad King

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

3.0

Word count: 517K words
Chapters: 52

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 Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Author: Burroughs, Edgar Rice, 1875-1950. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Nov 1, 1995

Editor's review

The Mad King is an adventure novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs written outside his Tarzan series, centered on royal succession and political intrigue in a fictional small European country, combining mistaken identity, court rivalries, and action set pieces. Burroughs's storytelling is brisk and direct, with chapters often closing on suspense, suited to readers seeking sheer reading momentum. The book carries on the author's popular adventure style: the protagonist maneuvers through crises, the lines between friend and foe are clear, and the plot advances through coincidence and action rather than complex psychological portrayal. As a public-domain ebook, it is convenient to read on electronic devices at any time and serves as a sample of the type pleasures of early twentieth-century American popular fiction. A caveat: the work bears the marks of its era, its political depiction of the fictional country is rather simplified, and characterization leans toward types; readers are advised to enter with the expectations of genre fiction. If you have read other adventure works by Burroughs, this can be an extended read; if not, it is also a way to experience his narrative rhythm.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classic popular adventure and court intrigue
Burroughs fans looking to expand into his non-Tarzan novels
English learners seeking light, brisk English reading practice
Researchers interested in early twentieth-century American popular fiction genres

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting deep psychological portraiture and complex political depiction
Readers with low tolerance for typed characters and coincidence-driven plots
Readers seeking Burroughs's representative science fiction or prehistoric-themed works

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter, following the suspense; suitable for commutes or bedtime in segments.
While reading, note the mistaken-identity and succession threads and sort out the main factional relationships.
Readers of the original English can first read through for plot, then revisit key dialogue to build up expressions.
If the fictional country's background feels unfamiliar, read the opening setup chapters before entering the main line.

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 related to Tarzan?

Not directly. The Mad King is an adventure novel in a different vein by Burroughs, set in a fictional small European country and centered on the throne and intrigue; it is unconnected to the Tarzan series' world and characters and can be read independently.

Is the setting a real country or a fictional one?

The kingdom in the story is the author's invention and does not correspond to a specific real country. The novel uses fictional court politics as a stage for adventure, with the emphasis on mistaken identity and action conflicts; readers need not compare it with real history or geography.

What level of English is this suitable for?

Burroughs's narrative language is generally plain, sentences are not long, and the plot is strongly driven; readers with intermediate English reading ability can try it. When encountering unfamiliar names or places, skim past them first and revisit details after grasping the main line.

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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.