Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is hilarious. It’s not a comedy, and Burroughs wasn’t a comedy writer, so it’s not funny the way a Christopher Moore or a Douglas Adams is funny, but rather funny in the way all pulp novels are kind of ridiculous. Tarzan is a perfect man, Jane is close to blond bombshell, and everything that happens is over-the-top and, at best, just this side of believe-able.

But it shines for that. It’s easy to see why Tarzan became huge. Burroughs didn’t hold back, he didn’t try to make it deep or turn it into satire, he just simply figured “Here’s a dude who can act like an ape, time for adventure.” The ending felt a bit rushed, but I think it’s easy to let that go.

If you want a nice, easy, over-the-top pulp story with an awesome cover, this is a great way to go.



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