The Son of Tarzan

 

I recently came across a meme on social media which featured characters from the MGM film series of the 1930s and 1940s, Tarzan. This series, starring Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane and Johnny Sheffield as Boy, was a hit with me when the movies were shown on TV in the 1950s. Feeling nostalgic, I tracked down the six MGM films and the six RKO movies with Weissmuller on the ok.ru website.

I had read the first three of Edgar Rice Burroughs novels a few years ago - one in 2011, one in 2012 and # 3 in 2016. Looking for a change in pace from my reading material, I decided to read # 4 in Burroughs' Tarzan books, The Son of Tarzan.

Anyone even vaguely familiar with the Tarzan franchise knows that the books are very different from the films. Never the less, I could not have expected anything like The Son of Tarzan. At the beginning of the novel, we find Lord John Clayton II (AKA Tarzan), his wife Jane née Porter and their son Jack living in England. Due to a series of events, which I won't go into, Jack makes his way to Africa accompanied by an ape named Akut. One thing leads to another, whereupon Jack takes the name Korak and becomes another Tarzan, so to speak. He is unable to return to England. He is lost to Tarzan and Jane.

The story is interesting enough, in that pre-World War I adventure story sort of way. Lots of characters (human and non human) - lots of adventures - twists and turns.

I was a bit taken aback by the amount of killing done by Korak - which it turns out is ape language for "Killer". A hero today couldn't get away with the killing done by the young man.

As I say, the book is interesting and I imagine I will go on to read more in Burroughs' Tarzan series. Just not any time soon.