Tarzan of the Apes (Dover Thrift) Paperback – April 14, 1997

I also enjoyed and appreciated the more in-depth portrayal of Tarzan aka Lord John Clayton Greystoke. You really see the evolution of the fragile boy to the force of nature that we know Tarzan as. While he didn’t get any formal education, you read how there’s an intelligence lurking beneath the primal animal. You see him use deductive reasoning and his wit to win against his opponents (along with his inhuman strength). I liked how the book gave us a more well-rounded picture of Tarzan as a whole with intelligence, curiosity and honor (and surprisingly a jokester) to go along with the pretty straightforward nature of the wild.As for Jane (who is actually an American), it’s not so clear cut for me. On the one hand, I like that she’s not a complete damsel in distress and has some backbone. But as much as I wanted her to be what a modern leading lady would be, the story was written during a time where there were certain expectations in regard to how a woman should behave so I’m thinking the character is being constrained by this belief. Also, she is younger than I have thought of her to be (she’s 19 in the book) so perhaps her behavior and feelings are reflective of that youth and inexperience. While I don’t completely dislike her, I can’t honestly say that this version of Jane is one that would get behind with.It would be so easy for me to say how pop culture and all its subdivisions have butchered Tarzan. However, I gotta say they pretty much got the core of the story down with some deviations on the characters (which is expected with all the different interpretations/takes on the tale). But the one thing the book has over those movies and books is the overall picture of Tarzan as a person. You would think this book would eventually turn into the love story between a wild man and a proper lady (which is included although the ending leaves A LOT to be desired - you have been warned), it really is about Tarzan’s story and how it subtly points out the strange (?) behavior/qualities of man as compared to the animals. Don’t get wrong. There’s no soapbox to be had here. In the end, this was an entertaining book that read like a fantastical fairytale in a place that seems so far away and so dangerous with a leading man that is as fantastical as any prince in a fairytaleIt’s funny how I’m familiar with the story of Tarzan without having ever read the actual book. But this is probably true for the general population whose knowledge of Tarzan comes from pop culture, movies, TV and (of course) Disney. To actually go ahead and read the book origin was a different experience because having been exposed to the story for so long, there’s a feeling as if you already know what will happen and who the characters are. Well, goes to show what you (or I) know or think we know.As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think that I’m reading a feral sort of fairy tale. Yes, you read that right: fairy tale. Now before you think I’ve had my head knocked in by a bigger, more aggressive version of a gorilla let me elaborate. When I describe the story as a fairy tale, it has more to do with Edgar Rice Burroughs and his writing. He had a way of narrating his story that gave a sense of the fantastical. There’s a sort of wonderment at how events are described as they were unfolding. And in a sense, the legend of Tarzan is a fantastical one. The circumstances of his birth, the events leading him to be “adopted” and raised by his “mother” Kala, how he came to survive amongst a harsh dangerous environment filled with creatures who would sooner kill him than befriend him...how more far-fetched can you get (although the scenes where Tarzan manages to learn to read/write is pushing it)? It’s also hard to not think of “fairy tale” when you read the initial meeting and subsequent scenes between Tarzan and Jane. But with Burroughs’s writing, it makes it okay for you to suspend that belief and get carried away in this tale. In fact, the best parts of the book was when it focused on Tarzan’s youth and the tales of his time within his “family” and how he learned to adapt. It was so easy to get into that aspect of the story since it was an interesting mix of action and suspense. It helps that Burroughs’s writing was both elegant and quick. You get a lot without having the narrative be bogged down with so much details and quick with the transitions so you’re not stuck with a story that spends time in irrelevant details.

Speaking about `Tarzan the Ape Man' Rudyard Kipling was quoted saying that Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote it just so that he could "find out how bad a book he could write and get away with it" In fairness, Kipling may have been bitter that Burroughs book bore so many similarities to his own Jungle Books published several decades earlier. Having read both books I have to give Kipling the nod for producing a superior story about a feral child raised by animals in a jungle. What sets Tarzan apart from the Mowgli stories is how Burroughs adds enough realism and detail that you almost believe a child could be raised by Apes whereas the Jungle Books were clearly fantasy. Burroughs isn't afraid to discuss a human baby breastfeeding from an Ape, Tarzan contemplating eating another human and Tarzan's dead set belief that Kala the Ape is literally his mother. The realism rather falls apart when Tarzan manages to teach himself to read but I'll talk about that later.Ultimately Tarzan the Ape Man rests on the idea that modern life stultifies man rendering him soft and feeble (and it IS specific to the male gender). Only by returning to nature can man unlock his true potential. In Tarzan's case he goes beyond returning to nature as he is literally raised by nature; stripped of all coddling and protection he develops into a super man. The Apes don't just toughen Tarzan he is beaten to the brink of death but emerges tempered to physical perfection. At one point Tarzan swings through the jungle for several hours with Jane in his arm and even this physical feat doesn't cause Tarzan even the slightest weariness. Clearly this is so far beyond human capability that it reaches the level of pure fantasy similar to the kung-fu movies where martial arts masters fly through the air and unleash stone shattering kicks and punches. The reality is that there have been dozens of incidents of feral children including some raised by simians and they were generally much worse for the experience. But Tarzan isn't a documentary; it is a fictional story that plays on the desires of men and the quest to attain the ultimate manliness.Tarzan of the Apes starts off strong but continues to get weaker as it goes along. It was bad enough that Tarzan was able to teach himself to read. I could possibly see him associating words with nouns but how did he teach himself verbs, adverbs, pronouns and definite articles not to mention near flawless syntax. He then ups this by being taught to speak both French and English in what appeared to be a matter or weeks and caps this off by inexplicably learning to drive a car with no explanation as to how he accomplished THAT miracle. Having Tarzan raised by apes in the jungle would believably give him an advantage IN THE JUNGLE but somehow it made him superior in just about every aspect of life and having him assimilate so quickly turns Tarzan from an Ape Man to just a ridiculously athletic man. Like James Bond, Tarzan is very much a male ideal but imagine if Ian Fleming ended a novel with Bond retiring from MI6, giving up alcohol and hosting a cookout with parents from the neighborhood. Tarzan the Ape Man finishes up with Tarzan driving a car in Wisconsin, speaking perfect French and English. Luckily his adventures continue in over a dozen more novels.If you can get past the blatant racism and sexism (which are almost inevitable in the era in which Tarzan was written) and the absurd speed at which Tarzan absorbs knowledge you'll be left with a very entertaining book. The biggest issue for me is that the book continues diminishes in quality right up to the ending which feels rushed and hokey. I have to give credit to the 1984 film Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. It jettisoned nearly all the silliness and racism and balanced the story better. The Disney version was... well... it was Tarzan in just about name alone. If you want to read a story of a feral child raised by wild animals `The Jungle Book' is superior. Kipling is just a flat out better writer but Tarzan is no slouch and its realism in the earlier part of the book definitely sets it apart from Kipling's classic.

I enjoyed this story, and recommend it to all5 starsAnd I am glad to have finally read it

En la edición "English-Spanish Parallel Text Classic Edition", la parte española tiene muchas palabras divididas en dos y separadas por un guión, como si la traducción la hubiesen copiado y pegado directamente de otra edición y no hubiesen tenido en cuenta las palabras que en la edición original quedaban divididas al cambiar de línea.

I really enjoyed while reading (or rather re-reading) that Nice novel. I am just disappointed with the lack of ending.

Liked the way it brings out the uncomplicated thoughts of the animal world in contrast to the human thought process

Beautiful language very funny...I found I had to research a couple of words though! High recommendations. Burroughs has done a great job for this first book.

Ho letto questo libro ai miei bimbi e l'ho trovato semplice e snello. Solo nell'ultima parte ho trovato alcuni capitoli scritti in maniera frettolosa quindi le vicende vengono interrotte un po' bruscamente. Le illustrazioni sono splendide come in tutte le altre edizioni del Beccogiallo . Lo consiglio per chi vuole un'edizione di Tarzan discretamente riassunta in 90 pagine.