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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tarzan’s son, Jack (later dubbed “Korak the Killer”), finds his way into the jungle in an attempt to return one of his father’s old friends, a bull ape named Akut, to his homeland.
Korak saves a little French girl, Meriem from the clutches of an abusive, Arab, ivory hunter named Amor ben Khatour, and they live in the jungle for some time.
Then Meriem is taken by men. She is captured and waits for rescue. Then she is taken by another set of men. She is captured and waits for rescue. Then yet another set of men- you get the point. That’s the whole second half of the book!
Calling this one “The Son of Tarzan” is misleading, because a good chunk in the middle of the story completely cuts him out while we focus on Meriem. A third of this is Korak wandering around sadly with a group of elephants while Meriem tries her best to escape from multiple groups before being found by an English couple and learning how to be refined. The contradictions and weird crap drove me so insane that I began to jot down every written sin that was committed.
I can’t say I really cared about any of the characters, because they all either fit the same archetypes that every character in these books seems to fall into, or because the potential they had to be incredibly interesting was dismantled by Edgar’s beliefs about how certain people should be. I personally feel that Meriem was the most wasted given how much time we follow her, and she should’ve been written as a lot more wild and untamed, due to her time growing up in the wilderness alongside Korak. To add to that, I think that Meriem’s part as Korak’s love interest and motivator hampers this book down tremendously, as it leads Korak to go wander in aimless brooding for a while after believing he’d lost her and sparks a whole troop of other men to bow down at her feet and fall instantly in love with her to add more romantic conflict— let’s be honest though, by “fall in love” I mean “lust after”. There are several times where she’s almost raped.
The author constantly breaks his own rules and defies his own logic to progress the story. This kind of writing may have been overshadowed by the fun and ridiculous action in the previous books, but this one is so dry that it shows itself in broad daylight.
To give just one example in a sea of many (spoilers), there is a point where Meriem is led by the husband of the English couple back to his camp. He has to trick her into following him since she’s keen on trying to return to Korak in the jungle, and he doesn’t believe her story about this “ape man”. He very subtly keeps pushing eastward until they “stumble” across his camp and she relents to joining him and his wife. But then, a chapter or two later, it says she practically knew the jungle like the back of her hand. She knows all the watering holes, the lairs of lions, everything along the riverside and anything within its radius.
……how was she tricked, then? Wouldn’t she have recognized they were going the wrong way? This kind of stuff happens over and over and over again, and mainly with her, and I think the simple answer as to why has to do with Burroughs’ need to move the plot forward, or in other cases, as he is vocal about it as well as his other personal biases, he believes in the total superiority of white, English men. It’s just annoying. It’s easier to write it off in the other books as a product of its era, but it’s harder to write off any of his prejudices here. This story is a load of nothing. I am thankfully more hopeful for the next book, but good gosh. I am SO GLAD this one’s over. Sorry to the loads of Tarzan fans— I am frankly amazed at how many good reviews this one got. But to each their own.
Korak saves a little French girl, Meriem from the clutches of an abusive, Arab, ivory hunter named Amor ben Khatour, and they live in the jungle for some time.
Then Meriem is taken by men. She is captured and waits for rescue. Then she is taken by another set of men. She is captured and waits for rescue. Then yet another set of men- you get the point. That’s the whole second half of the book!
Calling this one “The Son of Tarzan” is misleading, because a good chunk in the middle of the story completely cuts him out while we focus on Meriem. A third of this is Korak wandering around sadly with a group of elephants while Meriem tries her best to escape from multiple groups before being found by an English couple and learning how to be refined. The contradictions and weird crap drove me so insane that I began to jot down every written sin that was committed.
I can’t say I really cared about any of the characters, because they all either fit the same archetypes that every character in these books seems to fall into, or because the potential they had to be incredibly interesting was dismantled by Edgar’s beliefs about how certain people should be. I personally feel that Meriem was the most wasted given how much time we follow her, and she should’ve been written as a lot more wild and untamed, due to her time growing up in the wilderness alongside Korak. To add to that, I think that Meriem’s part as Korak’s love interest and motivator hampers this book down tremendously, as it leads Korak to go wander in aimless brooding for a while after believing he’d lost her and sparks a whole troop of other men to bow down at her feet and fall instantly in love with her to add more romantic conflict— let’s be honest though, by “fall in love” I mean “lust after”. There are several times where she’s almost raped.
The author constantly breaks his own rules and defies his own logic to progress the story. This kind of writing may have been overshadowed by the fun and ridiculous action in the previous books, but this one is so dry that it shows itself in broad daylight.
To give just one example in a sea of many (spoilers), there is a point where Meriem is led by the husband of the English couple back to his camp. He has to trick her into following him since she’s keen on trying to return to Korak in the jungle, and he doesn’t believe her story about this “ape man”. He very subtly keeps pushing eastward until they “stumble” across his camp and she relents to joining him and his wife. But then, a chapter or two later, it says she practically knew the jungle like the back of her hand. She knows all the watering holes, the lairs of lions, everything along the riverside and anything within its radius.
……how was she tricked, then? Wouldn’t she have recognized they were going the wrong way? This kind of stuff happens over and over and over again, and mainly with her, and I think the simple answer as to why has to do with Burroughs’ need to move the plot forward, or in other cases, as he is vocal about it as well as his other personal biases, he believes in the total superiority of white, English men. It’s just annoying. It’s easier to write it off in the other books as a product of its era, but it’s harder to write off any of his prejudices here. This story is a load of nothing. I am thankfully more hopeful for the next book, but good gosh. I am SO GLAD this one’s over. Sorry to the loads of Tarzan fans— I am frankly amazed at how many good reviews this one got. But to each their own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Kidnapping, Murder
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
This is the 4th installment of the Tarzan series and was originally published as a 6-part serial in 1915-1916. I tend to be a Burroughs fan in general having read all of the Barsoom series, and the lesser know Venus series and Pellucidar series back in my teens. And now, as an old dude, I like to revisit his material from time to time. Of course I tend to read it with an eye towards forgiveness and overlook all of the amazing coincidences and plot contrivances the Burroughs employs. I think you have to read these books that way and just enjoy the adventure, or else don't even pick them up.
As for this novel, I think it is the best so far in the series. As the title implies, the focus here is on the younger Lord Greystoke (Jack) as he makes the transition to becoming a major character in the form of Korak, a younger version of Tarzan himself. It's easy to see that the book was published in 6 installments as there are definite and distinctive subplots that would work well in serial form.
A nice overall adventure story as long as you take it for what it is. I'll keep reading them.
Note: These books are free in e-book form as they are all in the public domain.
As for this novel, I think it is the best so far in the series. As the title implies, the focus here is on the younger Lord Greystoke (Jack) as he makes the transition to becoming a major character in the form of Korak, a younger version of Tarzan himself. It's easy to see that the book was published in 6 installments as there are definite and distinctive subplots that would work well in serial form.
A nice overall adventure story as long as you take it for what it is. I'll keep reading them.
Note: These books are free in e-book form as they are all in the public domain.
The third of my three favorites of the Tarzan novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Korak, the son of Tarzan, finds himself transported to Africa alone with one of the great apes, where he grows to manhood. Many adventures ensue, and he becomes the equal of his famous father, and is eventually reunited with his parents, Tarzan and Jane.
The son of Tarzan is a great renovation in the series. Baby Tarzan infuses the story with new eyes and new energy, and made this book just as good as the first book.
As I read, I would think I knew where the story was headed, but then Burroughs would throw me for a loop, and go a completely different rout. I loved it.
Boroughs almost has a George R.R. Martin respect for life, in that he kills characters without warning and severely.
My one problem with this book was, what I assume, Burroughs wanted to be the gasping moment (in the first and second books things happened near the end that made me gasp). In this book, I saw the moment coming, and I don't think the character would have acted the way he did throughout the story, because of the moment. When you read it, we can talk about it.
I loved the new characters. I loved the more complex storyline. I loved the villains, multiple, not just one stupid Russian. All and all, one of my favorites.
“In the heart and soul of every son of woman lies the germ of manhood and honor.”
Excerpt From: Edgar Rice Burroughs. “Son of Tarzan.”
Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/N3gND.l
As I read, I would think I knew where the story was headed, but then Burroughs would throw me for a loop, and go a completely different rout. I loved it.
Boroughs almost has a George R.R. Martin respect for life, in that he kills characters without warning and severely.
My one problem with this book was, what I assume, Burroughs wanted to be the gasping moment (in the first and second books things happened near the end that made me gasp). In this book, I saw the moment coming, and I don't think the character would have acted the way he did throughout the story, because of the moment. When you read it, we can talk about it.
I loved the new characters. I loved the more complex storyline. I loved the villains, multiple, not just one stupid Russian. All and all, one of my favorites.
“In the heart and soul of every son of woman lies the germ of manhood and honor.”
Excerpt From: Edgar Rice Burroughs. “Son of Tarzan.”
Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/N3gND.l
I think if I have a child of my own I will send them into the Central African jungle, and according to this story, it will be rough, but it will turn out alright. Learning to speak to the apes and hunt wild game is an easy thing to do for a young Londoner. Though only if you're the son of Tarzan. Overall it's a good adventure story, which is what ERB is good at. The story actually seems to talk more about Meriem, a kidnapped girl who is saved by Korak from an ivory trader and is kidnapped again later to be saved. While I do enjoy the plotlines in these stories, it is clear that ERB has little respect for people who are not white English folk. African natives are always savages or subservient, northern Africans are criminals and mysterious. He doesn't have much love for Swedes and Russians, too. They are usually criminals and the antagonists.
Every time I get halfway through a Tarzan book I think, “alright, this is the last one. I gotta stop reading these”... and then I get to the end and I’m like “okay, just one more”
Novamente, de volta à minha infância e adolescência. Amo!!
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced