Additional stuff (my essay) on http://requiemformorebooks.wordpress.... 
 A Princess of Mars is one of those classical pulp science fiction that was purely original and basic of all the science fiction in this world. Its the story of a man who find himself on the other side of the planet and found friendship and love among the hardened and unforgiving terrains of Mars. 
 I had problems reading this book. The language is very modern and relatable to our average fiction. But mostly because Edgar's unimaginative archetypal character in John Carter which can be overembelished as a gender specific reading alike to He-Man, Tarzan (which was written by the same author too and Tarzan was coincidently, a mirror image to Carter, obviously), Hulk, Avatar and etc. 
 I've watched and read every kind of fantasy and science fiction that does revolved around this book, I find the book as a whole is very predictable since everyone uses his idea. There were some things that nagged at me especially with Dejah Thoris insufferable damsel in distress role. Add to that, she's (and EVERYONE) is naked on the planet which somehow given me a sick thought about the novel being considered as a soft-porn in literature form. It's pulp fiction anyway. 
 But I had to take an account that this book is the father of everything in inter-dimensional science fiction so I do let things slip out of my radar. The book is decent and easy to be read by anyone. There's plot progression filled with action even without character progression. There was also subtext between racial discontentment, anti-feminism, skin colourings and etc which does give the book some sort of a superficial quality in a reader's guilty pleasure. 
 Although I read romance, I do hated the abrupt pacing in this book and the objectification of Dejah Thoris by male perspectives. This book is considered as a Twilight romance novel for boys and how appropriate it was to be called that. I made an essay just to point out that the theme basically support the entire story structure. Sort of Han Solo and Leia story arc without Luke and Death Star scenes. 
 It is a harmless fun but if you want to find some sort of meaningfulness in this book series like Frank Herbert's Dune did. Well, you're out of luck.