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Tarzan of the Apes

Tarzan of the Apes

List Price: $42.00
Your Price: $42.00
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ageless
Review: I read first this book at age of 12 and got a crush for him. Funny thing is that no matter how many years go by, the story hold the magic and charm it had for me back then.

Although everybody must have seen the movies of Tarzan and he has become some kind of cliche, I do recommend wholeheartedly THE BOOK. Rice masterfully develops the most appealing character in the smart, funny, strong, innocent, reliable, courageous man who is brought up by animals and wanders alone in what is practically a paradise. It is a beautiful utopia of what human beings could be in nature, that good is deep in our nature and what makes us human goes far beyond culture, remaining intrinsically in the soul.

We get to see how Tarzan learns everything by himself, the use of tools and even learn to write and think with words all of his own. The freshness of discovering the world through Tarzan's eyes is an adventure in itself!

This first of around 17 books of Tarzan is certainly the best, for the quality of the plot, the characterization, and richness of descriptions of the most lush and exotic settings. It's not too late if you haven't read the book, go grab a copy and you won't regret it no matter what your age be.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great fun, but before you buy it for a child...
Review: ...read it yourself, and think carefully. Although as a rule I think it's silly to judge works from the past by the standards of today, it's hard to get around the fact that TARZAN OF THE APES is racist. Not racist in passing, the way, say, DOCTOR DOLITTLE is. TARZAN is racist--or rather "racialist"--in theme and intent. Take away racialism--the notion that "good breeding" results in superior creatures--and there's not much left but lots of cool action sequences and exotic settings. Mind you, it's no simple white supremist tract. Most of the whites in the book are portrayed, as an earlier reviewer noted, as deceitful, cowardly, and ignorant. (Mind you, there are virtually no flattering portrayals of blacks, either.) But the reason little Lord Greystoke--an orphaned infant alone on the Dark Continent--not only survives but actually climbs to the top of the food chain to become, literally, king of the apes is his superior genes. This isn't just implied, it is argued passionately. There's simply no getting around this aspect of this book. The scary thing about the book is not simply that it is racist, but that the excitement and romance of the book actually make the racist notions attractive. We often like to believe that wrong-headed ideas are obviously wrong to anyone who encounters them, but behind most wrong-headed ideas is something seductively attractive. TARZAN illustrates that dramatically. When I read it, one portion of my brain deconstructs the Victorian colonialist paradigm that lies at its heart, but another portion goes all fuzzy and just revels in precisely that same politically-incorrect paradigm. For an adult who can indulge in that fantasy, and then resurface unscathed (?) at the other end, Tarzan is a wicked delight. But would I give it to my nine-year-old son (who is himself "biracial") without first having a long talk with him about history and so-called "race"? No. On the other hand, a politically correct prep talk might have just the opposite effect I intend. Better to let him discover the book himself when he's grown up and less likely to be seduced by scary notions from a dark past. Then we can talk about it over a beer.
Incidentally, anyone who knows anything about apes may be appalled by the apes in TARZAN. Gorillas are, of course, generally very placid, and chimpanzees, while often violent, are never subject to the kind of murderous frenzies Burroughs' apes are. Note, though, that Burroughs has cleverly dodged zoological nitpicking by making *his* apes of a species unknown to human science, a kind of missing link that bridges the apes we know and ourselves.
Considering all this, I think Disney must be given credit for painstakingly removing the ugly premise of the original while still managing to retain much of what makes the book so thrilling. But that they did so at the expense of Clayton--one of the few decent humans in the book, turned by Disney into a cookie-cutter villian--is a shame.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A "must" for all Tarzan fans!
Review: The story of Tarzan, first told more than 75 years ago, is so familiar that is has become part of the fabric of modern American mythology and literary folklore. A story so unique and successfully received by the public that it spawned an additional twenty-three more Tarzan books, as well as countless comics, radio serials, movies and television programs. What makes this Books On Tape addition of Tarzan Of The Apes stand out for a new generation of listeners is the narration by Walter Costello who does perfect justice to Edgar Rice Burroughs imaginative tale of a young infant being adopted and raised by a tribe of great apes, his boyhood adventures, his transition to manhood, his encounters with other humans, and his discovery of love in the person of Jane. This nine hour, six cassette edition is flawlessly recorded and will prove to be a wonderfully successful and popular addition to any school or library audiobook collection -- and a "must" for all Tarzan fans!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Classic with a Good Introduction
Review: If you have never read this adventure-classic or don't know much about the author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, the informative Introduction makes this edition worth getting.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I cannot believe I waited this long . . . .
Review: Until recently, I read a book only when it was assigned for some class. This book was never assigned or if it was I never completed the assignment. (Sorry Mr. Basillo.)

I'm 33-years old and just recently picked up Mr. Burroughs' masterpiece at the urging of a close friend. I suppose I always associated Tarzan with the assembly-line movie creations I was used to watching on Saturdays as boy. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the movies (I especially liked it when Tarzan dove off the George Washington Bridge to escape would-be-captors). They were entertaining -- good for what they were, just a mindless summer distraction between trips to the public pool or romps after the ice cream man. I'm not sure I ever realized that the Tarzan Legend began with a literary masterpiece, or if I did (once), I'd long since forgotten. (After all, it was never on my assignment list.)

When I picked up the book, I expected that I was just going through the motions to accommodate my friend's urging. And the first 50 pages left me wondering. . . . But at that point, the tale "took off" offering me some of the most terrific entertainment I've come across in books.

Tarzan has come a long way from where he began in 1914. And after reading the book, I'm fairly certain that Johnny Weismuller isn't precisely the image Mr. Burrough's had in mind for his protagonist when he created him. But my reaction as a reader, my amazement at his eloquent depiction of this jungle hero and the sheer joy reading this book brought me, well, that I am sure is more in line with what he had in mind when he penned this masterpiece 90 years ago.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Tarzan of the Apes : Tarzan No. 1
Review: Fantastic start for older children. Collectors will appreciate this book too.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tarzan as it was meant to be told
Review: In a world that demands "fast food", "quick answers", "outlines" and "bullet points", it is refreshing to find a product that emphasizes completeness. This unabridged classic tells you the entire story (word for word) as it was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Shelly Fraiser's reading of Tarzan of the Apes is clear, animated, and energetic. This presentation provides a freshness that will encourage you to want explore the complete Tarzan series of books. Also, Tarzan of the Apes on Compact Disc (CD) provides a clear digital performance (static free) that makes listening to the story all the more pleasurable.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE ALL THE REST
Review: OKAY, I ADMIT IT, I AM AN EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS FAN. I WAS A TARZAN FAN WHEN ALL I KNEW ABOUT TARZAN WAS WHAT I SAW IN THE MOVIES ANDON TV ON SATURDAY MORNINGS. THEN, ONE DAY, I FOUND A COPY OF"MASTERMIND OF MARS" IN A BOOK STORE. THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF AN ADVENTURE I HOPE WILL NEVER END. THANKS TO MR BURROUGHS, I HAVE SHARED ADVENTURES WITH TARZAN, CARSON NAPIER,AND A DOZEN OTHERS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS, OF COURSE, THE IMMORTAL JOHN CARTER, WARLORD OF MARS AND GREATEST LIVING SWORDSMAN. THE WORLD THINKS THEY KNOW TARZAN, BUT MOST ONLY KNOW THE SHALLOW, WATERED-DOWN VERSION SEEN ON THE SCREEN. GO TO THE BOOKS TO SEE THE REAL TARZAN, THEN READ THE ADVENTURES OF BURROUGHS' OTHER CREATIONS. YOU'LL SEE WHERE ALL THE SO-CALLED ADVENTURERS OF TODAY'S FICTION GET THEIR ORIGON.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fiction's most unique creation
Review: Tarzan of the Apes is my favorite fictional character of all time, and this book is truly a masterpiece of imagination and adventure.

Burroughs first book was "A Princess of Mars", wherein his imagination soared to nearly unimaginable heights in creating the world of "Barsoom" (Mars), with heroes and princesses, fliers and sworfighting; honor and love.

That story, like "Tarzan of the Apes", was first published in the pulp magazine, "All-Story". The October, 1912 issue contained the entire story of Tarzan of the Apes, and created an immediate sensation with readers of that magazine.

As Burroughs imagination had turned outward (to another world)in his Barsoom saga, he now turned it inwards, to explore the soul of man. Tarzan of the Apes is our distant ancestor. He is primal man, possessed of marvelous potentials and in this instance thrust into an environment which brings those potentials to levels the rest of us can only imagine.

He was an "anti-hero" long before such terms existed. A man whose values and behaviors are based in rational survival and self-interest in a savage jungle, and who has little use for many of the conformist (and often corrupt) values and behaviors of civilization. With a bit of faith you can accept him, and once accepted he will thrill you. Savage, intelligent, loyal, ruthless, brave, and possessed of wondrous physical skills, Tarzan of the Apes has thrilled millions upon millions.

He is the ultimate individualist, and Burroughs examines and compares his hero (and the jungle itself) to our own values and behaviors throughout the books.

He was not the first feral child in fiction, nor the last; but it is obvious that Edgar Rice Burroughs had created something almost magical when he put down his pen on May 14, 1912, after writing "The End" to this handwritten manuscript. Tarzan of the Apes became a true phenomenon. He speaks to feelings and drives which exist deep within all of us. His world is gone, but it will always reside within these books; and this first story is a unique blend of love and the creation of one of the most famous fictional characters of all time. If you have never met the "real" Tarzan of the Apes, you should do so.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A Staggeringly Mediocre Book
Review: Judging by some of the reviews here, I may get lynched for this...

Despite his longevity and universal appeal, Tarzan got off to a crachingly poor start. His story is interesting-I'll give Burroughs that much-but the writing is unimpressive. Burroughs was not first and foremost a writer, and perhaps he was uncomfortable with the attempt, but this book is verbose and quite honestly inept. It seems to me as if while Burroughs was clunkily setting down his prose, he would leaf through a thesaurus every time an idea was in the least bit sophisticated.

Is Tarzan worth reading? Yes, as a sort of early compendium of the serial hero's requred traits, an insight into adventure and science fiction. You may get an insight into later works, like Star Wars and especially Indiana Jones. But don't expect to be captivated.


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