Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you only know “Me Tarzan You Jane” you may be surprised to see how the original novel actually plays out. The earlier chapters focusing on Tarzan’s upbringing are classic pulpy fun and the serialisation of the original publication makes it fast paced and easy to segment.
When the Porters arrive on the shore the plot becomes more focused and great deal of comedy and romance is added.
Tarzan’s characterisation and psychology are why I keep coming back to this book, the story of a man caught between 2 worlds and his struggles with communication are simply timeless.
The Tantor in the room with this book is that it is extremely of its time.. the depictions of the native Africans are off-putting and frankly unnecessary for the actual plot, heed caution if you are expecting something more similar to the Hollywood Tarzan.
When the Porters arrive on the shore the plot becomes more focused and great deal of comedy and romance is added.
Tarzan’s characterisation and psychology are why I keep coming back to this book, the story of a man caught between 2 worlds and his struggles with communication are simply timeless.
The Tantor in the room with this book is that it is extremely of its time.. the depictions of the native Africans are off-putting and frankly unnecessary for the actual plot, heed caution if you are expecting something more similar to the Hollywood Tarzan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Sexual violence, Islamophobia
adventurous
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Great !!! Read !!! Way more action and intrigue than the pop culture version!
My copy has Tarzan of the Apes & The Return of Tarzan. I have read these stories many times and love them.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Actual rating 1.5/5
Bullet review:
+A pretty interesting first third and the plot did keep me pretty engaged throughout.
-Flat, mostly uninteresting characters.
-A poorly written romance between Tarzan and Jane.
-The most interesting part of this book is the first third, the rest becomes less interesting.
-This book is very, very racist.
-Kinda funny in a bad way is how Tarzan spends most of the first part of this book just killing various creatures. Like that's his main thing for a while. Such good way to establish a likable main character /s
Yeah, skip this one.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/2025/02/book-review-tarzan-of-apes-by-edgar.html
Bullet review:
+A pretty interesting first third and the plot did keep me pretty engaged throughout.
-Flat, mostly uninteresting characters.
-A poorly written romance between Tarzan and Jane.
-The most interesting part of this book is the first third, the rest becomes less interesting.
-This book is very, very racist.
-Kinda funny in a bad way is how Tarzan spends most of the first part of this book just killing various creatures. Like that's his main thing for a while. Such good way to establish a likable main character /s
Yeah, skip this one.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/2025/02/book-review-tarzan-of-apes-by-edgar.html
Fun to see the differences between this book and the Disney movie :) I really enjoyed this book!
I don't really know where to start with this one. For a long time I have been a fan of crime pulp fiction and I have decided to branch out into fantasy/ sci fi (e.g Conan, John Carter) and adventure. I approach Tarzan with some trepidation as it is a story every knows the basics of as it has entered pop culture to a lesser extent, and a story I really know very little about.
Positives first. Like all pulp fiction, when this gets going it flies along at breakneck speed. The story is engaging and there are lots of little complexities and details that set it above a lot of that style of fiction. The ending is also nicely subtle and a lot darker than I expected.
The problem that I have with the novel is the blatant racism and misogyny. I know when it was written attitudes were different yada yada and so on. To me that is the worst kind of cop out. Shitty views and attitudes are just that, whenever they were expressed and it doesn't excuse them. Ultimately it left me very torn about this novel and left a fairly sour aftertaste
N
Positives first. Like all pulp fiction, when this gets going it flies along at breakneck speed. The story is engaging and there are lots of little complexities and details that set it above a lot of that style of fiction. The ending is also nicely subtle and a lot darker than I expected.
The problem that I have with the novel is the blatant racism and misogyny. I know when it was written attitudes were different yada yada and so on. To me that is the worst kind of cop out. Shitty views and attitudes are just that, whenever they were expressed and it doesn't excuse them. Ultimately it left me very torn about this novel and left a fairly sour aftertaste
N
This is not the Tarzan from television, but the true Tarzan from the mind of Edgar Rice Burroughs. This is the Tarzan that we should all be exposed to. The warrior; the student; and the adventurer. As long as you can work your way through the writing of the old style from 100 years ago, this is one that you should read. This is the beginning for Lord Greystoke and the Lady Jane.
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No