Re-reading rolls on. I just finished Edgar Rice Burrough’s The Mad King for the second time. If you’ve read Anthony Hope’s The Prisoner of Zenda (or any of the other entries in the Ruritanian Romance genre) you have a pretty good idea of what ERB is dishing up in Mad King.
Now, this is ERB. So you’re in good hands regarding pace. Things keep moving. There are captures, escapes, fights, pitched battles. Rinse and repeat. There is a love story driving the protagonist; a protagonist hampered by, and ultimately triumphant through, his own strict moral code. There is also, a great deal of luck and coincidence at play, which are story elements that I personally dislike. Still, the plot and general likeability of Barney Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska (not all that far from where my sister lives, by the way) and Princess Emma von der Tann helped me along for the duration.
The plot requires that Barney, an American on vacation in the fictional Eastern European country of Lutha, bears a resemblance to the eponymous Mad King Leopold, who had been locked up by his villainous uncle since childhood. The Mad King has escaped. Bernard is mistaken for him. Now, early on in the book, when Barney first sees Leopold, ERB states that the resemblance is general, more a matter of height, weight, and hair and eye color. Later on, however, when the plot demands it, ERB declares that the likeness is uncanny. But that’s a trifle. Anyway, Barney and Leopold’s betrothed, Princess Emma, fall in love. Barney at times takes on the role of king when necessary to protect Lutha from Leopold’s cowardice and his connivance with his villainous uncle and his henchmen. World War I begins and Barney again takes over, fighting off the Austrians and making alliance with the Serbians. Various captures, escapes, and impersonations finally come to a head. The virtuous heroes are hitched and the villains get their due. It is all rather rote and cliche-ridden, and Barney is panoplied in double-proof plot armor. But the cliches are enjoyable, and the quick-hitting cliffhanger episodes keep you reading. Light, but fun. And if you’ve read any of these posts before, you’ll know I approve of fun.
Also, if you’ve read any of these posts before, you’ll know that now I’ll try to sell you something. Twilight Galaxy: Dekason is still available. Book two will be out, I believe, at the end of July. So you’ve still got time to read book one. Let me know if it is fun.
