Tarzan and the Castaways
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
fantasy, adventure
copyright 1965
read in July 2015
rated 7/10: well worth reading
The last of the "real" -- ERB -- adventures of Tarzan ! Still non-stop action, still solid cliche, still a lot of fun :-)
It's actually three stories, three novellas. Or one novella and two short stories. Or... whatever :-)
The first -- Castaways -- is soooo clichéd ! Complete with village of people who have been isolated for centuries. The village is on a tropical island... So Tarzan has to bring his own elephants to ride, lion to kill and great apes -- well, orangutans -- to keep him company in the jungle. Mind you, ERB probably invented this entire set of clichés...
The white woman also, of course, falls in love with Tarzan. In a small nod to more modern attitudes, Tarzan actually notices that the woman loves him... Hmmmm... wonder where Jane had been for the last few books ?!
The second story, much shorter, is interesting. A strong emphasis on the superior "morals" of animals, which do not kill for sport. Even the cannibals are better than the white hunters, since these cannibals only kill humans in order to eat them. Yet there is a thoughtless thug who does realise -- eventually -- that he should not be so keen to slaughter animals.
The final, short, story is a murder mystery, a whodunit. A new direction for Tarzan. Also, a completely new attitude to his life in the jungle... Tarzan admits that he is pleased to have spent some time visiting with some more "civilised" people. In the previous five books he was clearly glad to be "alone" in the jungle.
But still no mention of Jane...
I've just read six Tarzan novels, one after the other. I've enjoyed every one of them ! This last one, though, is just a little bit better...
The clichés are there. The action is still, largely, jumping from frying pan to fire. But the story -- stories, are just a little bit more interesting. The stories are still very old-style. Yet there are minor changes, as the author changes with the times...
Or... perhaps I'm just finding more enjoyment, as I reach the end of the series !
"If your plan is for 1 year, plant rice. If your plan is for 10 years, plant trees. If your plan is for 100 years, educate children." Confucius
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