Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes (1912) Arguably the most successful fictional creation of the 20th century, Tarzan first appeared in the pulp magazine All-Story as a serial in 1912.  (The novel was published two years later, in 1914; the first edition cover art is shown to the left.)  Sequels and film adaptations quickly followed, making Burroughs's story of the "ape man" one of the culture's most popular and enduring.  Though Tarzan's pop culture presence had waned following 1984's moderately popular film "Greystoke," we seem to be in the midst of a Tarzan renaissance: witness 1997's surprisingly successful film version of George of the Jungle," 1998's "Tarzan and the Lost City," and of course Disney's summer 1999 feature-length animated "Tarzan" movie.  The Del Rey imprint of Ballantine Books is currently reissuing new volumes of the original novels (there were 24 in all) with updated cover art for the new millennium.

Reading the original novel may in some ways be a different experience from what you expect.  Before reading, jot down your sense of the necessary ingredients for a "Tarzan" story.  Then compare your list to the actual incidents, characterizations, plot developments, of the original text.  What elements meet your expectations?  What, if anything, is particularly surprising?

Other questions you might ask yourself as you're reading:

• In what ways is Burroughs's story similar to Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage?  Could one argue that Tarzan of the Apes is simply a "western" novel transplanted to Africa?

• How, in particular, do the roles of women in Tarzan compare to those in Grey's novel?

• Who do you think the target audience for this story was: adult men?  Young boys?  Would other readers have been attracted to the story?  Which ones, and why?

• What is the function of the novel's comic figures, such as Professor Porter and Mr. Philander?

• How does the novel depict Africans?  Is Tarzan "African," or English?  (Another way to ask this question is: according to the novel, what has the greatest effect on Tarzan's character: his genetic inheritance or his physical upbringing?)

• What do you imagine happens in the sequel?

Assorted Tarzan Links

Tarzan, the e-text (from the UVA e-text center)
Tarzan of the Internet (about all the links you'd ever want...)
Disney.Com: Tarzan's Interactive Adventure
The Official Website of Tarzan and the Lost City
Torgovnick on Tarzan (an excellent academic essay)
Naming your baby "Tarzan"

Pulp Fiction Links

The Pulp Page
Pulp magazine timeline
Fantasy and Science Fiction pulps
Weird Tales - The Unique Magazine
 

Tarzan Posters from Around the World