The Rider

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Karlova and Morgoth had been enemies for centuries -- and now they were about to join in a peaceful alliance through the marriage of Princess Mary and Prince Boris. But the Rider, the most successful highwayman ever to plague the two countries, secretly became part of the royal wedding plans. From then on, nothing went according to schedule.

Why was this mysterious brigand? What could he gain by sabotaging the two nations' only chance for peace?

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Literature, Action

154 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1918

About the author

Edgar 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.

Reviews

[Gary Fortuin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very different type of story from Burroughs. A tale of swapped identities, royal marriages and miscues, and a notorious brigand. This could very well be a modern day Hallmark movie. A prince and a princess, destined to an arranged marriage, swap identities with common folk and hilarity ensues. Well, not hilarity- violence and someone almost being killed by a firing squad. Kind of a weird pulp royal romance story?

[Chuck Byrd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars...sometimes confusing...but always fun.

[William Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim volume has been on my to-read pile for a long time and I am so glad I finally got to it. I passed a highly enjoyable afternoon reading it from cover to cover. It's an old-fashioned adventure story of two Ruritanian-type kingdoms and the dread highwayman that terrorises the border between them. It's also a romance and a comedy of errors as mistaken identities, concealed identities and swapped identities clash and collide in every possible permutation to keep the plot whizzing along. As ever, ERB's style is vivid and cinematic, and in terms of plotting he is nigh on Shakespearean in this tangled web. Great fun!

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Burroughs book all the way! Lots of adventure, fun, and coincidence so unbelievable they could almost be true. It's generally not hard to see where an E.R.B. story is going, but that does nothing to dampen the thrill of getting there.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great adventure story from this pulp era master. Recommedned

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story reflecting the pre-World War I situation in Europe, the story takes place in two fictional neighboring kingdoms in Central Europe or the Balkans, Karlova and Morgoth. Their two kings are finagling to arrange a permanent peace by arranging the marriage of Crown Prince Boris of Karlova to Crown Princess Mary of Morgoth. Meanwhile in America, Gwendolyn, the daughter of tycoon Abner J. Bass is in love with Mr. Hemmington Main, but her mother is set on Gwen marrying into European nobility or royalty (in spite of Abner's sympathizing with Hemmy) so she and Gwen go off to Europe (and end up in Morgoth). Princess Mary had had an American education and had been Gwen's college roommate (without telling her that she was a Princess).
Prince Boris is scheduled to go to Morgoth and meet Princess Mary at the royal court of Morgoth. but he does not want to marry Princess Mary. And she doesn't want to marry him. They both have very negative preconceived notions of what the other is like. After a dust up with him in a local tavern, where Prince Boris encounters a local bandit known as The Rider, he arranges for the Rider to impersonate him at the royal court of Morgoth. Princess Mary for her part applies makeup to herself to make herself look ugly. So the story takes off with twists and turns based on switched identities, a fast-paced adventure.

[Brian Grouhel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Edgar Rice Burroughs!

[Jim Fleck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent quick read. It is a bit complicated for such a short book, and not typical ERB, but still worth the time. Given the theme it may even appeal to my daughters!

[Frode · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. ERB contrives a great tale with some mistaken identities and switcheroos, but the coincidences strain the imagination. The story moves along rapidly and has a variety of twists and turns to keep the reader's attention. There is little philosophizing and commentary on life. It is just a made up story to entertain. Perhaps the only social comment is that Americans are viewed as a bit too democratic in the eyes of European landed gentry. The story was, however, written in 1915, so that may have been a prevailing attitude then. No matter, it was a chuckle to read and certainly put forth the ideals of valorous conduct in the face of desperation. Boys should like this book. I checked, and it is available used. My copy is old with a Frank Frazzeta cover. Nice!

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The curious thing about the way this book played out was that the reader was positioned to know the details of every secret and conspiracy as they occurred, from the very beginning. I don't know if this is how the typical ruritanian romance / graustarkian romance plays out, or if this is just how Burroughs decided to write this one.

In any case, I went into this book with the impression that the reader would be ignorant about anyone's identity or secrets until the last moment, when the Rider would dramatically reveal himself to be the Lost Prince's twin's daughter's roommate and the heir to the throne. Or some such. Happily, however, that isn't what happens at all, and my delusional thinking was adjusted very early on.

[Rob · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this over the summer. It wasn't great in my opinion. A lot of what happened was absolutely ridiculous and I thought to myself "why would that happen", or I saw it coming. The characters, in my opinion, were mostly stupid and unobservant. I know it's fiction, but I want to be tricked into thinking it could happen or be able to think if it happened, it would happen like that. I almost didn't finish reading this book because it was getting painful for me.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those that have read The Mad King, this is basically a novelette with many similar ideas. For those that haven't, please please please read The Mad King first (I give it 5 stars!). A funny book, but pretty short and not fleshed out (originally written for serial publication in a magazine), this makes a great beach read or airplane book. I loved it - but I'm used to better from Burroughs. So, graded a B.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book, it moves at a fairly brisk pace, and overall, it is entertaining. I love the ending, and I had fun reading it, though it is definitely the product of another age, and modern readers might find everything a little too trite for their taste. This is a product of romance in the original sense of the word. I have read that The Mad King by Burroughs is similar in theme, but is much better in execution and I will be reading that soon.

[Wilson E. Stevens Sr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good and quick read. I enjoyed it very much, and found it so interesting I didn't go to bed, but continued reading from start until I finished it. Kind of a classic story where the prince is bored, takes the place of an outlaw called the Rider, and becomes mixed up, messes up, and gets arrested, and convicted and sentenced to die. Last minute reprieve and finding true love. Great book, recommend it to all to read if they haven't yet.

[Seth Kenlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another one-off ERB novel, this one about a highwayman who gets embroiled in an adventure with the local prince via a mutually agreed swap of identity. It's a good story, although not the page-turner that The Mad King was, and without the context and history of Tarzan, so it's got this weird place in my mind as that one random ERB book I read. But it's good, I'd recommend it.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite a fantasy. But definitely a romance in the earlier sense of that word. Fast paced and fun.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

exciting little tale of intrigue among royalty. If you liked this you will like the graustark series by george barr mccutcheon.

[Beth Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a cute little adventure story with some entertaining twists and a case of love at first sight. It will probably pass out of my memory quickly.

[Clark Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great re-read by the master of pulp fiction.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

read between summer 1970 & summer 1974

[Stormcrow Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but what's not to like about the Frazetta image that adorns this book. It's what inspired me to pick it up, many many years ago, from a used book store. However, it sat on my shelves for many years until I finally read it this evening in just a few hours.

I did try reading it once, many years ago, but immediately I could tell I wasn't into it. I was in the mood for a Burroughs adventure and this book is not your typical ERB novel. Instead, it's more a comedy of errors, kind of like watching a 1930's screwball comedy combined with an Errol Flynn adventure. And it is a comedy of errors as characters switch identities purposefully or accidentally as befits their needs. While the premise is a rather tired cliché by today's standards, giving the book some leniency (it was written over 100 years ago!) along with its brevity made it a nice delightful distraction.