Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Signet Classics (1990), Paperback, 288 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: Tarzan of the Apes is Edgar Rice Burroughs' first novel in the series starring the man raised by apes. John Clayton is born in the coastal jungles of equatorial Africa to a marooned couple from England, John and Alice Clayton, the Lord and Lady of Greystoke. But after his parents die, the infant Clayton is adopted by she-ape Kala. Raised without awareness of his human heritage, he is named Tarzan, meaning "White Skin" in the language of the apes. Tarzan proved to be so popular that Burroughs continued to write his tales into the 1940s, clocking up two dozen sequels..
User reviews
LibraryThing member atimco
Tarzan of the Apes, first published in serial form in 1912, brought its author instant fame. Edgar Rice Burroughs went on to write twenty-four sequels featuring the adventures of his iconic Ape-Man, and today the character is part of our cultural background as the subject of many adaptations in
The plot is well known; after his parents die in the jungle of Africa, young Tarzan is raised by a clan of apes, far from the rest of humanity. Though he eventually realizes he is not an ape, Tarzan lives by the jungle code and slowly vanquishes all the dangers of the jungle through his superior human reasoning and intelligence. When a treasure-hunting expedition lands on his secluded shore, Tarzan is drawn to the people of his own race, especially the young woman Jane Porter. But how can a king of the apes ever hope to win the love of a cultured English girl?
I admit, I was very drawn into the story and I can see why it has been perennially popular. Burroughs' attempts to make animal life realistic yet intelligible to his readers are generally successful, and we want to see how Tarzan will meet the challenges of his life. At the same time, we are intensely interested in how Tarzan will cope with other humans.
A couple criticisms, though: Burroughs is extremely ethnocentric, constantly pointing out Tarzan's mental, moral, intellectual, and physical superiority derived from his having descended from a line of English nobility. The natives don't fare well in this tale, as one might expect given that Burroughs writes from an evolutionary perspective. It's a product of its time, sure, but racism is still wrong. I was able to enjoy the story despite these elements, but they certainly caused me to roll my eyes more than once.
I was also disappointed with the story itself. Everything was going well until Tarzan comes to Europe, learns polished manners, comes into money, etc. (all of which is very artificially constructed). Jane Porter's threatened marriage with the moneylender Robert Canler seems tacked on, and it's a little too convenient that she would be caught in a forest fire from which only Tarzan the Muscular can save her. And then her decision at the end! And Tarzan's pathetic acquiescence to it! I shut the book and felt profoundly cheated, even while trying to understand why Burroughs would do this. And yet at the same time I wanted to find the next sequel, Return of Tarzan, and find out what happens next. No wonder Burroughs was able to sell twenty-four more of Tarzan's adventures. There really is something addicting about this character.
I enjoyed this story—it certainly kept me reading at a fast pace—and if I ever see any of Burroughs' Tarzan sequels, you can be sure I'll snap them up. But I'm not sure I'll ever revisit this book. It has a great character and initial setting that are sadly compromised by later plot contortions and Tarzan's annoyingly, unnecessarily "heroic" choice at the end.
Edit: Never mind. I just read the plot summary of Return of Tarzan on Wikipedia and I think I have had enough of his pulp fiction adventures to last a lifetime. Oy vey.
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film and comic strips. Interestingly, the famous line "I Tarzan. You Jane" doesn't even appear in the book. And yet it's become one of the most recognizable features of the character. The plot is well known; after his parents die in the jungle of Africa, young Tarzan is raised by a clan of apes, far from the rest of humanity. Though he eventually realizes he is not an ape, Tarzan lives by the jungle code and slowly vanquishes all the dangers of the jungle through his superior human reasoning and intelligence. When a treasure-hunting expedition lands on his secluded shore, Tarzan is drawn to the people of his own race, especially the young woman Jane Porter. But how can a king of the apes ever hope to win the love of a cultured English girl?
I admit, I was very drawn into the story and I can see why it has been perennially popular. Burroughs' attempts to make animal life realistic yet intelligible to his readers are generally successful, and we want to see how Tarzan will meet the challenges of his life. At the same time, we are intensely interested in how Tarzan will cope with other humans.
A couple criticisms, though: Burroughs is extremely ethnocentric, constantly pointing out Tarzan's mental, moral, intellectual, and physical superiority derived from his having descended from a line of English nobility. The natives don't fare well in this tale, as one might expect given that Burroughs writes from an evolutionary perspective. It's a product of its time, sure, but racism is still wrong. I was able to enjoy the story despite these elements, but they certainly caused me to roll my eyes more than once.
I was also disappointed with the story itself. Everything was going well until Tarzan comes to Europe, learns polished manners, comes into money, etc. (all of which is very artificially constructed). Jane Porter's threatened marriage with the moneylender Robert Canler seems tacked on, and it's a little too convenient that she would be caught in a forest fire from which only Tarzan the Muscular can save her. And then her decision at the end! And Tarzan's pathetic acquiescence to it! I shut the book and felt profoundly cheated, even while trying to understand why Burroughs would do this. And yet at the same time I wanted to find the next sequel, Return of Tarzan, and find out what happens next. No wonder Burroughs was able to sell twenty-four more of Tarzan's adventures. There really is something addicting about this character.
I enjoyed this story—it certainly kept me reading at a fast pace—and if I ever see any of Burroughs' Tarzan sequels, you can be sure I'll snap them up. But I'm not sure I'll ever revisit this book. It has a great character and initial setting that are sadly compromised by later plot contortions and Tarzan's annoyingly, unnecessarily "heroic" choice at the end.
Edit: Never mind. I just read the plot summary of Return of Tarzan on Wikipedia and I think I have had enough of his pulp fiction adventures to last a lifetime. Oy vey.
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LibraryThing member edwinbcn
"Do fingerprints show racial characteristics?" he asked. "Could you determine, for example, solely from fingerprints whether the subject was Negro or Caucasian?"
"I think not," replied the officer, although some claim that those of the Negro are less complex."
"Could the finger prints of an ape be
"Probably, because the ape's would be far simpler than those of the higher organism."
Tarzan of the Apes (1912) is a popular work of fiction, available in many cheap and freely downloadable editions. Unfortunately, the source of the text in such editions is not always clear. Although many editions claim to be "complete and unabridged" they may actually be edited or altered. While such editing for political correctness may be an understandable choice for publishers, it is quite unsettling to know and see that the freely downloadable version available from the Project Gutenberg is in fact a censored edition, a fact stated nowhere. Indeed, an overview of the editorial choices strongly suggests that the freely downloadable version of Tarzan of the Apes at the Gutenberg project is in fact not based on an edition in the public domain, but most likely taken from an edition which should still be protected by copyright.
The edition of the Shanghai-based publisher World Publishing does not give any information about the origin of the text. However, this edition must be based on a very early text version, which is either very close to the original text, or possibly based on the original text, with some minor editorial changes by the Chinese publisher. A quick survey, using Jerry L. Schneider’s essay “Tarzan the Censored” as a reference, shows the limited extent of censorship in the Chinese edition. Schneider made a concordance or an early, hardback edition by A.L. Burt, circa 1915 and compared it with a censored edition published by Ballantine (1969) and Grosset & Dunlap (1973). Schneider’s research indicates that editions published between 1915 and 1963, appeared unedited, and apart from typological errors, identical to the original version, which editions published after 1969 were edited for political correctness.
The Chinese English-language edition follows the censored editions by capitalizing the words “Negro” and “Negress”. Likewise, it follows the censor describing the following scene as ... frightened child the huge woman ran to bury her face on her mistress’ shoulder. (Chapter 13, p. 133) rather than the original ... frightened child the huge black ran to bury her face on her mistress’ shoulder.. (Chapter 13, p. 178).
However, the Chinese edition does not follow the censored editions in polishing away the “vernacular” of Esmeralda. Censored editions reproduce Esmeralda’s speech in standard English, as for instance in the following polished and shortened version: ” "Oh, Gaberelle, I want to die! " ... "Let me die, dear Lord, don't let me see that awful face again." (Chapter 18, page 149) versus the longer original ” "O Gaberelle, Ah wants to die! " ... "Lemme die, deah Lawd, but doan lemme see dat awrful face again. Whafer yo' sen de devil 'roun' after po ole Esmeralda? She ain't done nuffin' to nobody, Lawd; hones' she ain't. She's puffickly indecent, Lawd; yas'm, deed she is." (Chapter 18, page 245) and retained in the Chinese edition (Chapter 18, page 186).
Schneider’s essay does not refer to the fingerprint passage (in the Chinese edition in Chapter 26, page 277). In the Chinese edition, the answer of the officer is longer, most likely as in the original edition, namely: "Do fingerprints show racial characteristics?" he asked. "Could you determine, for example, solely from fingerprints whether the subject was Negro or Caucasian?"
"I think not," replied the officer, although some claim that those of the Negro are less complex.", while more recent, censored editions (including the edition on the Gutenberg project), simply reproduce it as follows: "Do fingerprints show racial characteristics?" he asked. "Could you determine, for example, solely from fingerprints whether the subject was Negro or Caucasian?"
"I think not," replied the officer."
Reverberating with colonial sentiment of superiority of the white race, much like in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Tarzan of the Apes is much less focused and constitutes a jumble of ideas, including references to Darwinism, Social Darwinism, and the technique of fingerprinting, which was still relatively new at that time. Besides, the plot is fraught with melodramatic events and features, such as treasure hunt, reminiscent of the adventure novels of Stevenson. Besides the allusions to the supremacy of the white man over the natives in the African forest, the rivalry between Robert Canler and Tarzan over Jane Porter resembles the fight of the great apes over a mate more than anything else.
Tarzan of the Apes is remarkably readable, and quite enjoyable for a light superficial read, the story familiar to most. A reading is still attractive, to purge all cultural constructs built overhead by media and film. Descriptions are very beautiful, and the familiarity with the story makes for a very quick read. Nonetheless, some story elements are still quite surprising, such as Tarzan’s long acquaintance with d’Arnot, and his mastering the French language, before and over English.
"I think not," replied the officer, although some claim that those of the Negro are less complex."
"Could the finger prints of an ape be
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detected from those of a man?""Probably, because the ape's would be far simpler than those of the higher organism."
Tarzan of the Apes (1912) is a popular work of fiction, available in many cheap and freely downloadable editions. Unfortunately, the source of the text in such editions is not always clear. Although many editions claim to be "complete and unabridged" they may actually be edited or altered. While such editing for political correctness may be an understandable choice for publishers, it is quite unsettling to know and see that the freely downloadable version available from the Project Gutenberg is in fact a censored edition, a fact stated nowhere. Indeed, an overview of the editorial choices strongly suggests that the freely downloadable version of Tarzan of the Apes at the Gutenberg project is in fact not based on an edition in the public domain, but most likely taken from an edition which should still be protected by copyright.
The edition of the Shanghai-based publisher World Publishing does not give any information about the origin of the text. However, this edition must be based on a very early text version, which is either very close to the original text, or possibly based on the original text, with some minor editorial changes by the Chinese publisher. A quick survey, using Jerry L. Schneider’s essay “Tarzan the Censored” as a reference, shows the limited extent of censorship in the Chinese edition. Schneider made a concordance or an early, hardback edition by A.L. Burt, circa 1915 and compared it with a censored edition published by Ballantine (1969) and Grosset & Dunlap (1973). Schneider’s research indicates that editions published between 1915 and 1963, appeared unedited, and apart from typological errors, identical to the original version, which editions published after 1969 were edited for political correctness.
The Chinese English-language edition follows the censored editions by capitalizing the words “Negro” and “Negress”. Likewise, it follows the censor describing the following scene as ... frightened child the huge woman ran to bury her face on her mistress’ shoulder. (Chapter 13, p. 133) rather than the original ... frightened child the huge black ran to bury her face on her mistress’ shoulder.. (Chapter 13, p. 178).
However, the Chinese edition does not follow the censored editions in polishing away the “vernacular” of Esmeralda. Censored editions reproduce Esmeralda’s speech in standard English, as for instance in the following polished and shortened version: ” "Oh, Gaberelle, I want to die! " ... "Let me die, dear Lord, don't let me see that awful face again." (Chapter 18, page 149) versus the longer original ” "O Gaberelle, Ah wants to die! " ... "Lemme die, deah Lawd, but doan lemme see dat awrful face again. Whafer yo' sen de devil 'roun' after po ole Esmeralda? She ain't done nuffin' to nobody, Lawd; hones' she ain't. She's puffickly indecent, Lawd; yas'm, deed she is." (Chapter 18, page 245) and retained in the Chinese edition (Chapter 18, page 186).
Schneider’s essay does not refer to the fingerprint passage (in the Chinese edition in Chapter 26, page 277). In the Chinese edition, the answer of the officer is longer, most likely as in the original edition, namely: "Do fingerprints show racial characteristics?" he asked. "Could you determine, for example, solely from fingerprints whether the subject was Negro or Caucasian?"
"I think not," replied the officer, although some claim that those of the Negro are less complex.", while more recent, censored editions (including the edition on the Gutenberg project), simply reproduce it as follows: "Do fingerprints show racial characteristics?" he asked. "Could you determine, for example, solely from fingerprints whether the subject was Negro or Caucasian?"
"I think not," replied the officer."
Reverberating with colonial sentiment of superiority of the white race, much like in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Tarzan of the Apes is much less focused and constitutes a jumble of ideas, including references to Darwinism, Social Darwinism, and the technique of fingerprinting, which was still relatively new at that time. Besides, the plot is fraught with melodramatic events and features, such as treasure hunt, reminiscent of the adventure novels of Stevenson. Besides the allusions to the supremacy of the white man over the natives in the African forest, the rivalry between Robert Canler and Tarzan over Jane Porter resembles the fight of the great apes over a mate more than anything else.
Tarzan of the Apes is remarkably readable, and quite enjoyable for a light superficial read, the story familiar to most. A reading is still attractive, to purge all cultural constructs built overhead by media and film. Descriptions are very beautiful, and the familiarity with the story makes for a very quick read. Nonetheless, some story elements are still quite surprising, such as Tarzan’s long acquaintance with d’Arnot, and his mastering the French language, before and over English.
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LibraryThing member baswood
" Jane her lithe, young form flattened against the trunk of a great tree, her hands tight pressed against her rising and falling bosom, and her eyes wide with mingles horror, fascination, fear, and admiration - watched the primordial ape battle with the primeval man for possession of a woman - for
As the great muscles of the man's back and shoulders knotted beneath the tension of his efforts, and the huge biceps and forearm held at bay those mighty tusks, the veil of centuries of civilization and culture was swept from the blurred vision of the Baltimore girl."
Edgar Rice Burroughs knew how to tell a good story; his prose carries the reader along effortlessly page after page. Pulp fiction it may be, but it is so well written and at times so convincing that he makes his fantastical stories seam real. I used to gobble these books up as a teenager, and re-reading Tarzan today I was soon under it's spell and could hardly put the book down. Burroughs was in love with his male characters especially his hero Tarzan and if his descriptions of that perfect body are going to put you off then perhaps it's not for you:
She watched him from beneath half-closed lids, Tarzan crossed the little circular clearing toward the trees upon the further side. She noted the graceful majesty of his carriage, the perfect symmetry of his magnificent figure and the poise of his well-shaped head upon his broad shoulders. What a perfect creature! There could be naught of cruelty or baseness beneath that godlike exterior. Never, she thought had such a man strode the earth since God created the first man in his own image."
Burroughs Tarzan is a savage creature, but he is also a noble savage and this is the hook that makes him so attractive. Episodes of the Tarzan story first appeared in 1912 and it was published in book form in 1914 and while the story is very much of it's time as regards attitudes to women and black people, I did not find it overtly racist or sexist; a black maid is singled out as a figure of fun, but then so are two English academics. The black natives are savage and cruel, but Burroughs points out that this is the result of even crueller barbarities practiced on them by white officers of Leopold II's of Belgium regime.
Tarzan is still a rip roaring adventure yarn with a super hero who one could almost believe in and one you might want to believe in. If ever I am in a reading slump I shall just pick up one of these stories, hell I might pick one up if I am not in a slump especially as the Tarzan and Jane story in this first of the series ends in a cliff hanger. Great fun and a four star read.
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her.As the great muscles of the man's back and shoulders knotted beneath the tension of his efforts, and the huge biceps and forearm held at bay those mighty tusks, the veil of centuries of civilization and culture was swept from the blurred vision of the Baltimore girl."
Edgar Rice Burroughs knew how to tell a good story; his prose carries the reader along effortlessly page after page. Pulp fiction it may be, but it is so well written and at times so convincing that he makes his fantastical stories seam real. I used to gobble these books up as a teenager, and re-reading Tarzan today I was soon under it's spell and could hardly put the book down. Burroughs was in love with his male characters especially his hero Tarzan and if his descriptions of that perfect body are going to put you off then perhaps it's not for you:
She watched him from beneath half-closed lids, Tarzan crossed the little circular clearing toward the trees upon the further side. She noted the graceful majesty of his carriage, the perfect symmetry of his magnificent figure and the poise of his well-shaped head upon his broad shoulders. What a perfect creature! There could be naught of cruelty or baseness beneath that godlike exterior. Never, she thought had such a man strode the earth since God created the first man in his own image."
Burroughs Tarzan is a savage creature, but he is also a noble savage and this is the hook that makes him so attractive. Episodes of the Tarzan story first appeared in 1912 and it was published in book form in 1914 and while the story is very much of it's time as regards attitudes to women and black people, I did not find it overtly racist or sexist; a black maid is singled out as a figure of fun, but then so are two English academics. The black natives are savage and cruel, but Burroughs points out that this is the result of even crueller barbarities practiced on them by white officers of Leopold II's of Belgium regime.
Tarzan is still a rip roaring adventure yarn with a super hero who one could almost believe in and one you might want to believe in. If ever I am in a reading slump I shall just pick up one of these stories, hell I might pick one up if I am not in a slump especially as the Tarzan and Jane story in this first of the series ends in a cliff hanger. Great fun and a four star read.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
When I was a child, long before video games and in fact, before we even had a TV, I was obsessed with comic books and one of my favourites were the Tarzan series of comics. Of course, I also was a big fan of Tarzan movies, especially the ones featuring Johnny Weismuller. How I never came to
I was afraid I would find it dated and/or silly, but in fact I absolutely loved it. And yes, it was dated, especially in the author’s attitude toward black people. and yes, it is rather silly, but still a fantastic adventure melodrama that I really enjoyed. Certainly not great literature but a wonderfully creative story that has stood the test of time and is still capturing imaginations today. I’m sure Edgar Rice Burroughs would be very proud if he knew how influential Tarzan was to become upon popular culture!
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actually read Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan of the Apes before now is a mystery to me.I was afraid I would find it dated and/or silly, but in fact I absolutely loved it. And yes, it was dated, especially in the author’s attitude toward black people. and yes, it is rather silly, but still a fantastic adventure melodrama that I really enjoyed. Certainly not great literature but a wonderfully creative story that has stood the test of time and is still capturing imaginations today. I’m sure Edgar Rice Burroughs would be very proud if he knew how influential Tarzan was to become upon popular culture!
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LibraryThing member silviastraka
I was surprised at how much I liked this book. For its genre, the writing is excellent. It is fast-paced, evocative,and dramatic. I was drawn in immediately.
I'm actually reading this book to my partner at bedtime each night. Not every book reads well out loud, but this one does.
Clearly, the book
The book is a classic, not because it's high literature, but because it's a rolicking good adventure. It also has had a major cultural impact, particularly, as an earlier reviewer pointed out, on Hollywood.
This book is inspiring me to return to some of the other classic adventure stories that I haven't read for decades.
I'm actually reading this book to my partner at bedtime each night. Not every book reads well out loud, but this one does.
Clearly, the book
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was written in another era that was unconscious about issues like white supremacy and colonization. While understanding the historical context, it still leaves me uneasy with the realization that this book would be offensive to Black people, who are depicted as "savages", in contrast to Tarzan, who is at the same time the ape-man and also the noble Lord Greystoke. The book is a classic, not because it's high literature, but because it's a rolicking good adventure. It also has had a major cultural impact, particularly, as an earlier reviewer pointed out, on Hollywood.
This book is inspiring me to return to some of the other classic adventure stories that I haven't read for decades.
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LibraryThing member ursula
Here's a case of a book being pretty much overwhelmed by its own success in popular culture. From Johnny Weissmuller to "Me Tarzan, you Jane" to being Disney-fied, everyone knows the story of Tarzan. Or at least, some version of it. The thing about reading the book is that you might find out the
Lord Greystoke and his young, pregnant wife are marooned on the coast of Africa after a mutiny on board the ship on which they were traveling. They make a reasonably comfortable life for themselves on the isolated beach, just outside the beginning of a deep jungle. The baby is born, and when by the time he's just over a year old, both his parents are dead and he's been stolen by an ape who is grieving for her own lost baby. The rest of the book has to do with Tarzan's place as an outsider with the tribe of apes, and his experiences with native tribes and eventually, the first white people he sees.
Burroughs' writing is serviceable, and the plot will keep you going even in the midst of completely unbelievable coincidences and other developments - that stretch of beach is apparently the happening place for maroonings, for example, and Tarzan is a super-genius who can teach himself to read without ever having been introduced to the concept of a written language. The racism, sexism, classism and support for imperialism that reflect his time are a little hard to swallow for the modern reader. Jane, as a woman, "was created to be protected." Tarzan isn't disturbed by the natives' cannibalism until their potential victim is a white man. Tarzan instinctively reacts to Jane's courtesies in kind as "the hall-mark of his aristocratic birth, the natural outcropping of many generations of fine breeding." Jane's black servant is a malaprop-spouting, eye-rolling, fainting-at-the-drop-of-a-hat stereotype. Even with those caveats, it's worth reading just to know where the story really began.
Recommended for: fans of swashbucklers and adventure, anyone who can hear the Tarzan yell in their head (which must be everyone), people who don't mind occasionally shaking a fist at the attitudes in the book.
Quote: "Jane Porter -- her lithe, young form flattened against the trunk of a great tree, her hands tight pressed against her rising and falling bosom, and her eyes wide with mingled horror, fascination, fear and admiration -- watched the primordial ape battle with the primeval man for possession of a woman -- for her."
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version you know didn't come from the book. I'll admit I'm not too familiar with the various adaptations of the story, but I didn't quite expect what I got.Lord Greystoke and his young, pregnant wife are marooned on the coast of Africa after a mutiny on board the ship on which they were traveling. They make a reasonably comfortable life for themselves on the isolated beach, just outside the beginning of a deep jungle. The baby is born, and when by the time he's just over a year old, both his parents are dead and he's been stolen by an ape who is grieving for her own lost baby. The rest of the book has to do with Tarzan's place as an outsider with the tribe of apes, and his experiences with native tribes and eventually, the first white people he sees.
Burroughs' writing is serviceable, and the plot will keep you going even in the midst of completely unbelievable coincidences and other developments - that stretch of beach is apparently the happening place for maroonings, for example, and Tarzan is a super-genius who can teach himself to read without ever having been introduced to the concept of a written language. The racism, sexism, classism and support for imperialism that reflect his time are a little hard to swallow for the modern reader. Jane, as a woman, "was created to be protected." Tarzan isn't disturbed by the natives' cannibalism until their potential victim is a white man. Tarzan instinctively reacts to Jane's courtesies in kind as "the hall-mark of his aristocratic birth, the natural outcropping of many generations of fine breeding." Jane's black servant is a malaprop-spouting, eye-rolling, fainting-at-the-drop-of-a-hat stereotype. Even with those caveats, it's worth reading just to know where the story really began.
Recommended for: fans of swashbucklers and adventure, anyone who can hear the Tarzan yell in their head (which must be everyone), people who don't mind occasionally shaking a fist at the attitudes in the book.
Quote: "Jane Porter -- her lithe, young form flattened against the trunk of a great tree, her hands tight pressed against her rising and falling bosom, and her eyes wide with mingled horror, fascination, fear and admiration -- watched the primordial ape battle with the primeval man for possession of a woman -- for her."
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LibraryThing member mirrani
Why did it take me so long to pick up this classic? This is your typical little adventure from a time when adventure series were very popular. Nothing complicated here, just good fun in the classic way. People who have seen various movie versions might be disappointed in the book because it won't
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be what they expect, but movies never follow a book exactly and I think most of us are aware of that by now. I have to say in most cases I enjoyed this book much better than the theatrical equivalents. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stbalbach
The story of Tarzan is a twist on the noble savage theme, except with a white man as the "other" (ironically among other whites). The book is full of embarrassing artifacts such as racial stereotypes, social Darwinism, superiority of white culture. A few scenes involving the affair with Jane and
I have a theory about Tarzan. When superheroes arose in the late 19th and early 20th century in pulp fiction and dime store novels, it was in response to a changing world for white males. Colonialism was being questioned, female suffrage was at its height, the western frontier was closed - the white male was suffering a crisis of identity. The superhero offered a new found outlet to express a sense of superiority. By identifying with superheroes, he could live out his traditional mandate of conquest and patriarchy, which the real world was increasingly making impossible. Thus we don't find many black superheroes, even to this day. This historical insight makes me a little wary of the whole superhero enterprise and perhaps helps explain what made Tarzan so popular on a certain level.
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Tarzan are well done. Given its influence on popular culture it's still a worthwhile read, only just.I have a theory about Tarzan. When superheroes arose in the late 19th and early 20th century in pulp fiction and dime store novels, it was in response to a changing world for white males. Colonialism was being questioned, female suffrage was at its height, the western frontier was closed - the white male was suffering a crisis of identity. The superhero offered a new found outlet to express a sense of superiority. By identifying with superheroes, he could live out his traditional mandate of conquest and patriarchy, which the real world was increasingly making impossible. Thus we don't find many black superheroes, even to this day. This historical insight makes me a little wary of the whole superhero enterprise and perhaps helps explain what made Tarzan so popular on a certain level.
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LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Definitely a dated classic, but wonderful for all that. I re-read it for The Pulp magazine group I'm in & am glad I did. You really want to read the next book, "The Return of Tarzan" immediately after since we're left with a cliff hanger.Burroughs hasn't aged as well as some authors, mostly because
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of his handling of PC subjects such as racism & sexism. It is too easy to see the outward signs of both in his books, but careful reading shows that while he may have catered to the views of the day, he didn't seem to really believe in the racism, in this book.For instance, the majority of blacks in this book are degenerate brutes. They're a tribe of barbaric cannibals who killed the 'mother' of our hero, though. They have the misfortune to have a society that Burroughs denigrates at every opportunity. Esmeralda, Jane's servant/confidant/nanny, is also an object of humor, but then so is her father & his secretary/companion. All are caricatures, as is Tarzan himself. When it comes right down to it, Burroughs makes a point that fingerprints from an ape might be simpler, but there was no difference between those of a black & a white. This admission of equality of physical evolution wasn't common in his day. He treats the white pirates the same way as the black tribesman - they're bad guys & so contemptible. The story hinges on coincidence & stupid, heroic restraint consistently & that doesn't do it any favors nor did the cliff hanger ending. Still, it was a fun read & I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Tarzan has been so warped by movies, TV & add-ons that it's nice to see the original. Show Less
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
This Librivox recording is fabulous! Mark Smith reads a public domain version of Burroughs's man of the jungle and it all comes to life. It is apparent that Smith, a Librivox volunteer reader, likes his material and that he wants you to enjoy the story and characters. Free for download, and highly
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recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sarahfine
Surprisingly romantic, with breathtaking action scenes. This book has aged well, excepting racist depictions of the Africans, and a very silly maidservant, which are typical of the time period. The ending is surprising for those who have only experienced the film versions.
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
This is a boys' book and reminded me of the Rover Boys books I read as a child. It is said to be Burroughs' best book out ot the some 70 he wrote. It is mighty fantastic, but it is neat to see Tarzan triumphing over all the bad guys, without too much effort. It has also been named as the fifth best
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book of the 1910s, which is hard to believe. It is easy to read, but pretty fantastic. Show Less
LibraryThing member marient
The book was recommended by the Murrays for Book Club. It is the first book of the Tarzan series in which Tarzan is born in the jungle to English aristocratic parents. The parents both die and Tarzan is adopted by the apes.
Eventually, when Tarzan is a man, a shipwreck brings other white men to his
Eventually, when Tarzan is a man, a shipwreck brings other white men to his
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shores and he meets Jane Porter. Show Less
LibraryThing member DavidBurrows
Given all the tarzan films that span out of the books - it makes sense to read the original. Very entertaining
LibraryThing member StormRaven
Tarzan is the most famous of Edgar Rice Burroughs' creations. In general, however, I find the character to be less interesting, and less believable than many of his others. This seems odd, since Tarzan ostensibly lives in early twentieth century Earth, while for example, John Carter wanders about
No real explanation is given for Tarzan's incredible gifts. Most people know the basics of Tarzan's story: a foundling raised by apes in the jungles of Africa who rises to the top of his band of primates and has adventures across the whole of the dark continent. In addition to the couple dozen books featuring him, Tarzan has been the subject of numerous movie adaptations, cementing him onto the cultural landscape like few other characters. As most people have come to know Tarzan through these somewhat watered down movies, the brutality and violence of the Tarzan featured in this book will come as something of a shock to some: Tarzan fights and kills a couple apes in bloody, graphic combat, explicit descriptions of hunting and killing prey are in the book, and for a portion of the book Tarzan essentially terrorizes an African village by abducting and killing residents because he thinks it is "funny". (It is apparently okay though, after all, they are only black cannibals, did I mention that the book has some pronounced racist overtones?)
The racism and classism prevalent in the era when the book was written is apparent through the book. All common sailors are presented as little more than criminal rabble kept in line by the firearms carried by their officers. The book gets kind of muddled with respect to Tarzan himself - at turns his brutality is excused as a result of his life in the wild, at others his heritage as the son of an English lord (a lord who is killed when Tarzan is an infant, after which the lord of the apes has no contact with humans until he is an adult) is used to explain his instinctive chivalry and magnanimity. Apparently one's bloodline is what makes you treat women well and rescue wayward French officers from evil cannibalistic natives.
The first part of the book is devoted to telling the story of how Tarzan's parents came to be marooned in the wilds of Africa, and how Tarzan came to be adopted by an Ape. The second portion details Tarzan's life among the Apes as he grows from an infant to a superhuman adult. In the third section of the book, Tarzan's world is turned upside down by the arrival of another band of white castaways (including Jane Porter, the Jane from "me Tarzan, you Jane" fame of the movies). The final section concerns the civilizing of Tarzan, as he is taught French by an officer he rescues, and then travels to Paris and the United States.
Tarzan is, in the end, an entirely unbelievable character. More so even that characters who tramp about on other planets or inside the bowels of the Earth. He is also a contradictory character, at times excusably savage, at other improbably civilized. On the whole, it seems odd that Tarzan is the one Burroughs' character who has become the one everyone knows about as he is one of the most absurd of all of them, and since Burroughs' books are pure pulp, that's saying a lot. On the other hand, it may be because Tarzan is so over the top that he has become so popular. In any event, while I found this books to be reasonably good, it was not one of my favorite Burroughs' works.
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the red sands of Barsoom, and Julien is a reincarnating individual fighting invaders from our own moon. The problem is that Tarzan is essentially a cartoon of a character. He is apparently the strongest, most agile, handsomest, and most intelligent individual alive - so much so that he almost resembles a Mary Sue character. Tarzan has superhuman strength - apparently all that is needed for that is living in the wild. Wild living also enhances one's agility to superhuman levels, and enhances one's senses to a level that one can track prey by smell and hear whispers spoken miles away. With nothing more than a small collection of books and no assistance at all, Tarzan is able to teach himself how to read despite the fact that he cannot speak English (or any other language other than "Ape").No real explanation is given for Tarzan's incredible gifts. Most people know the basics of Tarzan's story: a foundling raised by apes in the jungles of Africa who rises to the top of his band of primates and has adventures across the whole of the dark continent. In addition to the couple dozen books featuring him, Tarzan has been the subject of numerous movie adaptations, cementing him onto the cultural landscape like few other characters. As most people have come to know Tarzan through these somewhat watered down movies, the brutality and violence of the Tarzan featured in this book will come as something of a shock to some: Tarzan fights and kills a couple apes in bloody, graphic combat, explicit descriptions of hunting and killing prey are in the book, and for a portion of the book Tarzan essentially terrorizes an African village by abducting and killing residents because he thinks it is "funny". (It is apparently okay though, after all, they are only black cannibals, did I mention that the book has some pronounced racist overtones?)
The racism and classism prevalent in the era when the book was written is apparent through the book. All common sailors are presented as little more than criminal rabble kept in line by the firearms carried by their officers. The book gets kind of muddled with respect to Tarzan himself - at turns his brutality is excused as a result of his life in the wild, at others his heritage as the son of an English lord (a lord who is killed when Tarzan is an infant, after which the lord of the apes has no contact with humans until he is an adult) is used to explain his instinctive chivalry and magnanimity. Apparently one's bloodline is what makes you treat women well and rescue wayward French officers from evil cannibalistic natives.
The first part of the book is devoted to telling the story of how Tarzan's parents came to be marooned in the wilds of Africa, and how Tarzan came to be adopted by an Ape. The second portion details Tarzan's life among the Apes as he grows from an infant to a superhuman adult. In the third section of the book, Tarzan's world is turned upside down by the arrival of another band of white castaways (including Jane Porter, the Jane from "me Tarzan, you Jane" fame of the movies). The final section concerns the civilizing of Tarzan, as he is taught French by an officer he rescues, and then travels to Paris and the United States.
Tarzan is, in the end, an entirely unbelievable character. More so even that characters who tramp about on other planets or inside the bowels of the Earth. He is also a contradictory character, at times excusably savage, at other improbably civilized. On the whole, it seems odd that Tarzan is the one Burroughs' character who has become the one everyone knows about as he is one of the most absurd of all of them, and since Burroughs' books are pure pulp, that's saying a lot. On the other hand, it may be because Tarzan is so over the top that he has become so popular. In any event, while I found this books to be reasonably good, it was not one of my favorite Burroughs' works.
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LibraryThing member RachelfromSarasota
Who hasn't heard of Tarzan of the Apes? Ah, but who has actually read the book? At last, as I rapidly approach the half-century mark, I can say that I have. And let me tell you, the book is much better, and much more interesting, than any of the Tarzan films I've seen.
For one thing, Burroughs'
In fact, Jane experiences a vivid sexual awakening when she is clasped in Tarzan's muscular arms -- and Burroughs makes it quite clear just exactly what Jane is feeling when she gazes upon the half naked body of her ape-man. From the period reading I've done, I can't help but feel that this was a revolutionary departure from the norm. Women in those days may have aroused passionate feeling in the breasts of their men, but they didn't admit to having those feelings themselves. Particularly not when they are "nice" women -- refined, elegant, and well-bred.
Burrough's racial attitudes are not the only dated element of his book. His scientific theories verge on the ludicrous, to 21st century readers. The white men who encounter Tarzan, and Tarzan himself, believe that the ape-man is just that -- a cross between a human and a gorilla, or a mutated ape. And Tarzan's remarkable skill in teaching himself to read and write, from a few primers he found amongst his dead parents' belongings, stretches the bounds of credulity.
But to fully enjoy the book, which I did, one has to put aside the 21st century mind-set for a little while, and plunge delightedly into as exciting an adventure as Indiana Jones ever experienced. That's the fun of romps like these -- the real world recedes for a bit, while the reader plays in the jungle.
Definitely worth reading -- if only for the fascinating glimpse into the social attitudes of the early 20th century.
For one thing, Burroughs'
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prose is like entering a time-warp. Though modern sensibilities might be offended at Burroughs' openly expressed belief that the white man was the pinnacle of human evolution, and the darker races still had a way to go on the climb upwards to civilization; his words take us back to a world where life was a clear-cut struggle between good and evil, with few shades of gray to blur the distinction between right and wrong. Yet, oddly enough, his treatment of women is not equally stereotyped -- for although Jane is a true flower of late Victorian femininity, frail and weak, her feelings for Tarzan are not weak at all.In fact, Jane experiences a vivid sexual awakening when she is clasped in Tarzan's muscular arms -- and Burroughs makes it quite clear just exactly what Jane is feeling when she gazes upon the half naked body of her ape-man. From the period reading I've done, I can't help but feel that this was a revolutionary departure from the norm. Women in those days may have aroused passionate feeling in the breasts of their men, but they didn't admit to having those feelings themselves. Particularly not when they are "nice" women -- refined, elegant, and well-bred.
Burrough's racial attitudes are not the only dated element of his book. His scientific theories verge on the ludicrous, to 21st century readers. The white men who encounter Tarzan, and Tarzan himself, believe that the ape-man is just that -- a cross between a human and a gorilla, or a mutated ape. And Tarzan's remarkable skill in teaching himself to read and write, from a few primers he found amongst his dead parents' belongings, stretches the bounds of credulity.
But to fully enjoy the book, which I did, one has to put aside the 21st century mind-set for a little while, and plunge delightedly into as exciting an adventure as Indiana Jones ever experienced. That's the fun of romps like these -- the real world recedes for a bit, while the reader plays in the jungle.
Definitely worth reading -- if only for the fascinating glimpse into the social attitudes of the early 20th century.
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LibraryThing member Venqat65
So wonderful to finally read the book which spawned all of the cartoons and children's versions of the story. This version is much more mature in wording and in subject matter and the story is one which well deserves it's classification of a literary classic.
The story begins with the tale of
Tarzan's story is a remarkable one, as he not only adapts to the life of the apes but also manages to find his own ties back to humanity, all on his own.
I was thrilled that the "Me Tarzan, You Jane" bit was not a part of this, the real story.
The ending, though, was sad. I wish that it had ended in a happier way....I won't give it away though.....
Yet....in the final paragraphs of the book, Tarzan shows that he is more of a civilized, mature man than any other person in the entire tale.
The story begins with the tale of
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Tarzan's parents, who board a ship but never arrive at their intended destination. After their demise, only Tarzan lives and he is taken in by a female ape who has just suffered through the death of her own baby. Tarzan's story is a remarkable one, as he not only adapts to the life of the apes but also manages to find his own ties back to humanity, all on his own.
I was thrilled that the "Me Tarzan, You Jane" bit was not a part of this, the real story.
The ending, though, was sad. I wish that it had ended in a happier way....I won't give it away though.....
Yet....in the final paragraphs of the book, Tarzan shows that he is more of a civilized, mature man than any other person in the entire tale.
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LibraryThing member andyray
this most excellant writer brings a concept to the world rather than quality writing. the concept is primitive man turned civilized. most men like to think they are powerful to protect their women, and most women want to feel they are protected. Maybe not so much now, but I think so.
LibraryThing member Poppy57
Enjoyed the details left out of the movies. Very entertaining
LibraryThing member ChrisConway
OK, so it's racist, and terribly old fashioned... but it's also terribly interesting, with its celebration of physicality and fascinating account of how Tarzan learns about language. I read it as a kid and loved it. Now much of the interest is intellectual and historical. Tarzan is such an iconic
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character... it's great to return to the source to see what was there before all the movies and t.v. shows. Show Less
LibraryThing member cebellol
The trials and tribulations of Tarzan and his friends are, without doubt, interesting. It's actually surprising the story is as short as it is. I'm debating on reading the others, but then again most books in a series pale in comparison to the first book, so I'm still at a bit of a loss there. The
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cast of characters is quite wonderful, and diverse, in a way. I love how the author made Tarzan play on the superstitions of the native tribes. I feel as though it added a sort of authenticity to him somehow, though I truly can't explain why I feel this way.This was a lovely change from your traditional classic novel; it was short, sweet, & to the point. It was, however, mildly disappointing. I suppose that's because I have this lovely Disney image of the story in my head, but I was really hoping, after all the work he went through, that Tarzan would get the girl.
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LibraryThing member VicNoirReader
Tarzan is a classic for a reason. Fun, romantic, exciting, adventurous--But its sequels leave much to be desired, in my opinion. It's a great read, and it's good to read the original version of Tarzan before watching the millions of movies that have come out over the years.
LibraryThing member Nodosaurus
This is a great story, but everyone knows how it goes. There are a few details not portrayed in the movies, more info on Tarzan's parents and how he came to be adopted by the apes, and his early life among the apes.
LibraryThing member twiglet12
Enjoyed the story and the character of Tarzan but found the narrative voices’ racism a bit hard to stomach. A product of its time no doubt.
LibraryThing member wildbill
This is a fast paced action adventure story set in the constant dangers of the jungles of Africa. An orphaned infant is raised as a wild animal by a gorilla and given the name Tarzan. As he grows up he finds the home of his parents and teaches himself to read from the books there. As he matures he
Then civilization comes to Tarzan's jungle. First there are native Africans. They were driven off by Europeans after revolting against their cruelty. Then they set up a village and engage in cannibalism. Tarzan extends his rule over them through guile and his rope which pulls tribe members up into the night sky.
My favorite character is D'Arnton. He is a Frenchman who is first captured and tortured by the natives. He is rescued by Tarzan and nursed back to health. He then becomes a true friend to Tarzan. He is the only European who shows genuine respect and affection for Tarzan.
Tarzan has more depth than I expected as a character. He is the descendant of English lords raised as a wild animal. His superhuman strength and acute senses create a larger than life persona than is one rung below Superman.
Burroughs empasizes the conflict between the uncorrupted primitive a la Rousseau and the evils of civilization as personified in Robert Canler an evil man who tries to use money to obtain the hand of Jane Porter the love interest of three men in the story. The ending was not my favorite part of the story but it did not greatly detract from a book I enjoyed much more than I thought I would.
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becomes the King of the Jungle ruling the otherworldy fantasy world of Numa the Lion and Sabor the leopard.Then civilization comes to Tarzan's jungle. First there are native Africans. They were driven off by Europeans after revolting against their cruelty. Then they set up a village and engage in cannibalism. Tarzan extends his rule over them through guile and his rope which pulls tribe members up into the night sky.
My favorite character is D'Arnton. He is a Frenchman who is first captured and tortured by the natives. He is rescued by Tarzan and nursed back to health. He then becomes a true friend to Tarzan. He is the only European who shows genuine respect and affection for Tarzan.
Tarzan has more depth than I expected as a character. He is the descendant of English lords raised as a wild animal. His superhuman strength and acute senses create a larger than life persona than is one rung below Superman.
Burroughs empasizes the conflict between the uncorrupted primitive a la Rousseau and the evils of civilization as personified in Robert Canler an evil man who tries to use money to obtain the hand of Jane Porter the love interest of three men in the story. The ending was not my favorite part of the story but it did not greatly detract from a book I enjoyed much more than I thought I would.
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Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1914-06
Physical description
288 p.; 6.77 inches
ISBN
0451524233 / 9780451524232
Other editions
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Paperback)