abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
4.0
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.
3camels's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. The relationships between the characters, both man and beast were all well developed. Great adventure story
mghill40's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
doctor_talos's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.0
ksimons's review against another edition
5.0
Funny, gruesome, and easy to read. The ending left me soo curious, I’m tempted to read the other books in this series if I can get my hands on them!
joyshak's review against another edition
3.0
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Tarzan doesn't get the girl in the end. ***SOB*** You have broken my Disney heart....
Enjoyable read, but I think Hollywood did a much better job with these stories than ERB did.
Tarzan doesn't get the girl in the end. ***SOB*** You have broken my Disney heart....
Enjoyable read, but I think Hollywood did a much better job with these stories than ERB did.
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
4.0
Before I give what I liked and what I didn't, I will admit that yes, this was an almost comically sexist and racist book. Never in my life had I read a book more sexist and racist other than the Elsie Dinsmore series. However, this was published in 1914 - so I have more mercy on Burroughs than I would (obviously) if it were created in today's time.
What I Liked
This is an adventure story. No matter how poor of a writer Burroughs may be, he's a storyteller. He tells us what we want to hear. Tarzan of the Apes wrestling wild beasts and being talented and handsome and exotic... it's entertaining and I turned page after page, delighted in the super hero/fairy tale fantasy.
I loved learning about how intelligent Tarzan was, how he taught himself how to read. Far-fetched, sure, but if an author makes me believe there is the vaguest of possibilities, then I'll accept it. The concept of language for Tarzan was also very interesting. He could read English, but he had no idea of phonics because it had never been taught to him. So if someone wrote him in English, he could understand them perfectly, but if they spoke in English he was at an absolute loss.
What I Didn't Like
Obviously, blatant racism, sexism, and xenophobia are not on my list of things I desire in a read. To a point, I'll let Burroughs off with the ignorance of his time, but the things he writes are extreme at times... and they become distasteful.
The flowery writing is poor. It's no joke - Burroughs was an AWFUL writer, although a lovely storyteller. It's comical and sometimes very cringe-worthy.
What I Liked
This is an adventure story. No matter how poor of a writer Burroughs may be, he's a storyteller. He tells us what we want to hear. Tarzan of the Apes wrestling wild beasts and being talented and handsome and exotic... it's entertaining and I turned page after page, delighted in the super hero/fairy tale fantasy.
I loved learning about how intelligent Tarzan was, how he taught himself how to read. Far-fetched, sure, but if an author makes me believe there is the vaguest of possibilities, then I'll accept it. The concept of language for Tarzan was also very interesting. He could read English, but he had no idea of phonics because it had never been taught to him. So if someone wrote him in English, he could understand them perfectly, but if they spoke in English he was at an absolute loss.
What I Didn't Like
Obviously, blatant racism, sexism, and xenophobia are not on my list of things I desire in a read. To a point, I'll let Burroughs off with the ignorance of his time, but the things he writes are extreme at times... and they become distasteful.
The flowery writing is poor. It's no joke - Burroughs was an AWFUL writer, although a lovely storyteller. It's comical and sometimes very cringe-worthy.