The Mad King
Encyclopedia
'The Mad King is a novel by "Tarzan
" creator Edgar Rice Burroughs
, originally published in two parts as "The Mad King" and "Barney Custer of Beatrice" in All-Story Weekly, in 1914 and 1915, respectively. These were combined for the book edition, first published in hardcover
by A. C. McClurg
in 1926.
is a young American
named Barney Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska
, who is the son of an American farmer and a runaway Luthan princess, Victoria Rubinroth. Unaware of his royal blood, much less that he is a dead ringer for his relative Leopold, the current king of Lutha, Barney visits Lutha on the eve of the First World War to see for himself his mother's native land. As he arrives in Lutha, King Leopold, has just escaped from his ten years' imprisonment at the hands of his scheming uncle, Prince Peter of Blentz. Much to his own and everyone else's confusion, Barney is naturally mistaken for the king, leading to numerous complications.
Barney meets and falls in love with Princess Emma Von Der Tann, Leopold's promised bride and then becomes intimately involved in Luthan affairs, working to help the king and ultimately allowing himself to be proclaimed as king while impersonating Leopold to prevent Prince Peter from seizing the throne. He finally succeeds in foiling Peter's plans to become king himself by rescuing and fighting for the real king. Unfortunately, after his coronation, King Leopold discovers the shared love between Barney and Princess Emma, and Barney is forced to leave Lutha, mimicking the flight of his father years earlier, though his father left with a princess—Barney has only a soldier. Thus ends part one.
In the second part of the novel, the European skies are darkening as World War I has begun. In Lutha, King Leopold has proven himself to be a bad ruler and has not yet persuaded Princess Emma to marry him. In Nebraska, Barney's soldier friend leaves the farm to return to Lutha. Barney himself is attacked by one of Prince Peter's henchmen and he decides to return to Lutha as well. After an adventurous trip across war-torn Europe, which includes being mistaken for a spy by the Austrians and barely escaping a firing squad, Barney finally reaches Lutha, where he once again is forced to impersonate the king in order to save Lutha from the advancing Austrians. He makes a diplomatic alliance with Serbia, and defeats the Austrians in person, thereby saving Lutha. The real king Leopold, who has been his antagonist throughout the second part of the novel, is mistaken for Barney and killed by one of Prince Peter's henchmen. Barney then consents to remain as king of Lutha, married at last to Princess Emma.
exemplified by Anthony Hope
's The Prisoner of Zenda
and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau
. Set in Europe immediately before and during World War I
, Burroughs' story differs from the Hope books in a number of details, though sharing much of their basic plot.
The main difference between this story and Hope's two books is the portrayal of the rightful king as an actual antagonist to Barney, especially in the second part of the book, where he is as much a villain as Prince Peter and the Austrians. The other significant difference is the fact that the protagonist lives happily ever after with his princess, unlike the far more tragic ending of the "Zenda
" series. Also, in The Mad King, Prince Peter is a clear villain, unlike the more nuanced Duke Michael, who apparently is popular with the commoners. In Burroughs's story the role of the common people's hero is taken by a secondary character, Prince Von Der Tann; Prince Peter is universally reviled.
At the time of writing and publication in 1914-15, developments in the actual war
—where Serbia seemed able to hold its own in the fighting with the Austrians—made the book's ending plausible. This was, however, decisively changed by the entry of Bulgaria
into the war; Serbia was completely overrun, devastated, and occupied until the end of the war. If Lutha were real, it would probably have shared Serbia's fate. If liberated from Austrian occupation in 1918, Lutha might have struggled to preserve independence and avoid incorporation in the new Kingdom of Yugoslavia
. Had Lutha remained independent, having an American citizen on its throne might have come under close international scrutiny in the Versailles Conference.
—a collection of two novellas written in 1914/1915 and first published together in 1925—has as its protagonist Barney's sister Virginia Custer. These stories take place between Barney's two Luthan adventures, when he and his sister are the guests of Tarzan
on the latter's African estate. When cave man Nu is released from suspended animation, Virginia discovers that she is the reincarnation of his great love Nat-ul. The story covers her adventures with Nu.
for this story has expired in the United States and, thus, now resides in the public domain
there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg
.
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
" creator Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
, originally published in two parts as "The Mad King" and "Barney Custer of Beatrice" in All-Story Weekly, in 1914 and 1915, respectively. These were combined for the book edition, first published in hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
by A. C. McClurg
A. C. McClurg
A. C. McClurg was a Chicago based publisher made famous by their original publishing of the Tarzan of the Apes novels and other stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs....
in 1926.
Plot summary
Set in the mythical European kingdom of Lutha, the protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is a young American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
named Barney Custer, of Beatrice, Nebraska
Beatrice, Nebraska
Beatrice is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska.Beatrice is located south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River. It is surrounded by agricultural country. The population was 12,459 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, who is the son of an American farmer and a runaway Luthan princess, Victoria Rubinroth. Unaware of his royal blood, much less that he is a dead ringer for his relative Leopold, the current king of Lutha, Barney visits Lutha on the eve of the First World War to see for himself his mother's native land. As he arrives in Lutha, King Leopold, has just escaped from his ten years' imprisonment at the hands of his scheming uncle, Prince Peter of Blentz. Much to his own and everyone else's confusion, Barney is naturally mistaken for the king, leading to numerous complications.
Barney meets and falls in love with Princess Emma Von Der Tann, Leopold's promised bride and then becomes intimately involved in Luthan affairs, working to help the king and ultimately allowing himself to be proclaimed as king while impersonating Leopold to prevent Prince Peter from seizing the throne. He finally succeeds in foiling Peter's plans to become king himself by rescuing and fighting for the real king. Unfortunately, after his coronation, King Leopold discovers the shared love between Barney and Princess Emma, and Barney is forced to leave Lutha, mimicking the flight of his father years earlier, though his father left with a princess—Barney has only a soldier. Thus ends part one.
In the second part of the novel, the European skies are darkening as World War I has begun. In Lutha, King Leopold has proven himself to be a bad ruler and has not yet persuaded Princess Emma to marry him. In Nebraska, Barney's soldier friend leaves the farm to return to Lutha. Barney himself is attacked by one of Prince Peter's henchmen and he decides to return to Lutha as well. After an adventurous trip across war-torn Europe, which includes being mistaken for a spy by the Austrians and barely escaping a firing squad, Barney finally reaches Lutha, where he once again is forced to impersonate the king in order to save Lutha from the advancing Austrians. He makes a diplomatic alliance with Serbia, and defeats the Austrians in person, thereby saving Lutha. The real king Leopold, who has been his antagonist throughout the second part of the novel, is mistaken for Barney and killed by one of Prince Peter's henchmen. Barney then consents to remain as king of Lutha, married at last to Princess Emma.
Comparisons
The story is Burrough's version of the then popular Ruritanian romanceRuritanian Romance
A Ruritanian Romance is a story set in a fictional country, usually in Central or Eastern Europe, such as the Ruritania that gave the genre its name...
exemplified by Anthony Hope
Anthony Hope
Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope , was an English novelist and playwright. Although he was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels, he is remembered best for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau...
's The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus unable to attend his own coronation. Political forces are such that in order for the king to retain his crown his...
and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau
Rupert of Hentzau
Rupert of Hentzau is a sequel by Anthony Hope to The Prisoner of Zenda, written in 1895, but not published until 1898.-Plot summary:...
. Set in Europe immediately before and during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Burroughs' story differs from the Hope books in a number of details, though sharing much of their basic plot.
The main difference between this story and Hope's two books is the portrayal of the rightful king as an actual antagonist to Barney, especially in the second part of the book, where he is as much a villain as Prince Peter and the Austrians. The other significant difference is the fact that the protagonist lives happily ever after with his princess, unlike the far more tragic ending of the "Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus unable to attend his own coronation. Political forces are such that in order for the king to retain his crown his...
" series. Also, in The Mad King, Prince Peter is a clear villain, unlike the more nuanced Duke Michael, who apparently is popular with the commoners. In Burroughs's story the role of the common people's hero is taken by a secondary character, Prince Von Der Tann; Prince Peter is universally reviled.
Historical background
Unlike Hope's Ruritanian novels, "The Mad King" is set in a real world situation. Lutha's location is easy to find, as Burroughs describes it as being between Austria and Serbia. Lutha's circumstances mirror those of many Balkan nations forced to choose sides in the opening phase of the First World War. Burroughs also clearly chooses sides in the conflict, portraying Austria (and by extension her German allies) as the bad guys. Serbia is represented as being a good power.At the time of writing and publication in 1914-15, developments in the actual war
Serbian Campaign (World War I)
The Serbian Campaign was fought from late July 1914, when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia at the outset of the First World War, until late 1915, when the Macedonian Front was formed...
—where Serbia seemed able to hold its own in the fighting with the Austrians—made the book's ending plausible. This was, however, decisively changed by the entry of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
into the war; Serbia was completely overrun, devastated, and occupied until the end of the war. If Lutha were real, it would probably have shared Serbia's fate. If liberated from Austrian occupation in 1918, Lutha might have struggled to preserve independence and avoid incorporation in the new Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
. Had Lutha remained independent, having an American citizen on its throne might have come under close international scrutiny in the Versailles Conference.
Interlude
The Eternal LoverThe Eternal Lover
The Eternal Lover is an Edgar Rice Burroughs fantasy-adventure novel. The story was begun in November 1913 under the working title Nu of the Niocene. It was first run serially in two parts by All-Story Weekly...
—a collection of two novellas written in 1914/1915 and first published together in 1925—has as its protagonist Barney's sister Virginia Custer. These stories take place between Barney's two Luthan adventures, when he and his sister are the guests of Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
on the latter's African estate. When cave man Nu is released from suspended animation, Virginia discovers that she is the reincarnation of his great love Nat-ul. The story covers her adventures with Nu.
Copyright
The copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
for this story has expired in the United States and, thus, now resides in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
.