Review of Tarzan of the Apes by ERB

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Complete novel originally published 1914 (serialized starting Oct, 1912 in The All-Story Magazine). I read The Townsend Library edition from 2003, edited and with an afterward by Jonathan Kelley. 303 pages.

I'm almost at retirement age and I finally got around to reading Tarzan of the Apes by ERB. Better late than never. What a great tale - or rather, a series of tales (since this novel was first released in serial installments). As I read in the afterward: "It's hard to find a page of the story that isn't concerned with planning, experiencing, or recovering from an adventure." (Kelly, p 309)

And for 90 percent of the journey, the adventures were a fast-paced thrill-ride. Very enjoyable. Took me back to the days of my youth when I read other adventure books like the Tom Swift series. The last few chapters of Tarzan, however, were a bit of a disappointment. They felt rushed as it seemed Burroughs realized the novel was getting overly long and he had to wrap it up. Still, an unparalleled yarn.

As mentioned, I read the Townsend Press edition which was edited for high school reading, smoothing out some of the dated language, I imagine. Right now I'm reading the original Book 2, The Return of Tarzan, and the wording isn't all that difficult, so I don't think I missed much by reading an edited version. I don't think it was abridged in any way. Plus, like everyone else, I grew up knowing the story, immersed in the Tarzan mythos. Saw plenty of TV episodes and movies featuring our ape-man hero. (I think I recall enjoying the film Greystoke from 1984 starring Christopher Lambert.)

ERB went on to write a total of 24 adventure novels. That itself speaks to the popularity and longevity of this original concept (though I hear some of the later books are a little derivative and repeat basic plot points). As for this initial classic, I'll give it 4.5 Stars despite finding the last 10 percent of the book a bit unbelievable. Yes, yes, I know. A baby raised by an ape and learning to read on his own demands some credulity. But that fantasy was well-staged and developed. When it came to Tarzan learning sophisticated French in a matter of weeks and able to drive a car and adjust to modern life in a period of months, I found my suspension of disbelief stretched a bit thin.

Then there is the surprisingly tragic ending. Maybe not tragic in the Shakespearean sense, but definitely not the happily ever after with Jane I was expecting. Of course, there's more to Tarzan's story to explore, not least of which is his relationship to his English background. And I suppose that will all come out as the series progresses - as well as an eventual renewed relationship with his true love. So I don't fault Burroughs for his ending - it worked in that it brought an emotional response in this reader, at least, that kept me pondering this classic novel for quite a few days.

Conclusion: Recommended reading. Should even be required reading for junior highers or early high schoolers. Don't wait until retirement to enjoy this novel, in other words.