A Princess of Mars, King Solomon's Mines

Although I've more-or-less switched to talking about one book per post, it's hard not to write about A Princess of Mars and King Solomon's Mines, which I read back-to-back, simultaneously.

Both are pulpy adventure stories written almost a century ago, both are imperialist, sexist, etc.  And yet I enjoyed King Solomon's Mines, but couldn't really get into A Princess of Mars.  I think part of this is down to different narrative styles.  Allan Quatermain, narrator of Mines, is more appealing than John Carter, narrator of Princess.

• Quatermain confesses to being "a bit of a coward."  Obviously he doesn't flee from danger, or this wouldn't be much of an adventure story, but he worries about the future.  John Carter is "so constituted that [he is] subconsciously forced into the path of duty without recourse to tiresome mental processes."
• Quatermain regrets shooting an enemy general who didn't do him any personal harm.  John Carter would happily kill anyone who randomly gets in his way.  (As he kills 4 guards who are safeguarding Dejah Thoris, even though they weren't even holding her captive).
• Quatermain sees the occasional humor in situations.  Carter is always (tiresomely) in earnest.  Similarly, Quatermain is occasionally pensive, and his flights of philosophy slow down the novel for a few pages here & there.  Princess just barrels ahead at full speed.

As I mentioned above, both are thoroughly of their time (though Haggard seems the closer to modern sensibilities of the two).  But even with that in mind, I found Princess hard to enjoy.