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The Outlaw of Torn: By the Creator of Tarzan of the Apes
"The Outlaw of Torn" is a historical novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan. It was his second novel (his first being the science fiction work "A Princess of Mars," and his third being "Tarzan of the Apes.") The story is set in 13th century England and concerns the fictitious outlaw Norman of Torn, who purportedly harried the country during the power struggle between King Henry III and Simon de Montfort. Norman is the supposed son of the Frenchman de Vac, once the king's fencing master, who has a grudge against his former employer and raises the boy to be a simple, brutal killing machine with a hatred of all things English. His intentions are partially subverted by a priest who befriends Norman and teaches him his letters and chivalry towards women.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1914
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About the author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
2,910 books2,738 followersEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
November 30, 2018
Here's a rarity: a historical Burroughs novel with medieval knights and no science-fiction or fantasy elements. There's no time travel, no genetic memory, no monsters, no portals, no message in a bottle, and no framing device at all!
In another very real sense, “The Outlaw of Torn” is still very much the stuff of ERB's most celebrated fiction. It contains the familiar ingredients of displaced persons of royal birth, extensive sword play, a mighty hero with the world against him, plotters at court, abduction, rescue, and a seemingly doomed romance. This is only Burroughs' second novel, written immediately after “A Princess of Mars” but published later, and it illustrates the pulp giant still unsure of the formula that would soon launch him to fame and fortune.
The story is set in 13th century England and it concerns a vindictive French sword-master stealing an infant prince and raising him under another name for revenge against the king. The prince grows to be Norman of Torn (aka Outlaw of Torn, aka Devil of Torn, aka Roger de Conde...) who speaks French and live to slaughter all English pig-dogs. England is already ill at ease with the king abusing the rights of his barons and everybody else, so when Torn amasses an army of bandits the timing couldn't be much worse.
Under one of his identities, Torn woos the royal Bertrade de Montfort (what do you call a girl named Bertrade? Bertie?) and this romance meets the usual complications. Although Torn raids and kills and robs with a death sentence hanging over him, he gains a reputation for his chivalry and he is lauded for never lying and never “turning his blade against women”.
According to Richard Lupoff, Burroughs had trouble selling “The Outlaw of Torn” to the magazines, so it didn't appear until 1914. The book has a sort of rocky version of themes that were also present in “A Princess of Mars” and “Tarzan of the Apes”. The only thing really missing is invention.
“The Outlaw of Torn” is not a fully realized Burroughs epic, because it shows Burroughs following rather than leading in the realm of popular fiction. I think this is actually part of what makes this a must-read for Burroughs fans, since it's sort of a lost link in the chain that got ERB started. I know I would have liked it better if it had weird races and lost kingdoms and some oddball pseudo-scientific theme. Somehow I think a more demanding editor might have forced Burroughs to turn this into his grade-A stuff, the kind that got sequels.
In another very real sense, “The Outlaw of Torn” is still very much the stuff of ERB's most celebrated fiction. It contains the familiar ingredients of displaced persons of royal birth, extensive sword play, a mighty hero with the world against him, plotters at court, abduction, rescue, and a seemingly doomed romance. This is only Burroughs' second novel, written immediately after “A Princess of Mars” but published later, and it illustrates the pulp giant still unsure of the formula that would soon launch him to fame and fortune.
The story is set in 13th century England and it concerns a vindictive French sword-master stealing an infant prince and raising him under another name for revenge against the king. The prince grows to be Norman of Torn (aka Outlaw of Torn, aka Devil of Torn, aka Roger de Conde...) who speaks French and live to slaughter all English pig-dogs. England is already ill at ease with the king abusing the rights of his barons and everybody else, so when Torn amasses an army of bandits the timing couldn't be much worse.
Under one of his identities, Torn woos the royal Bertrade de Montfort (what do you call a girl named Bertrade? Bertie?) and this romance meets the usual complications. Although Torn raids and kills and robs with a death sentence hanging over him, he gains a reputation for his chivalry and he is lauded for never lying and never “turning his blade against women”.
According to Richard Lupoff, Burroughs had trouble selling “The Outlaw of Torn” to the magazines, so it didn't appear until 1914. The book has a sort of rocky version of themes that were also present in “A Princess of Mars” and “Tarzan of the Apes”. The only thing really missing is invention.
“The Outlaw of Torn” is not a fully realized Burroughs epic, because it shows Burroughs following rather than leading in the realm of popular fiction. I think this is actually part of what makes this a must-read for Burroughs fans, since it's sort of a lost link in the chain that got ERB started. I know I would have liked it better if it had weird races and lost kingdoms and some oddball pseudo-scientific theme. Somehow I think a more demanding editor might have forced Burroughs to turn this into his grade-A stuff, the kind that got sequels.
October 1, 2018
Tales of knights in armor, largely sanitized to fit into one’s pulp adventure mindset, have been popular for years. With Edgar Rice Burroughs being a master of the pulp genre, it should be no surprise that The Outlaw of Torn, ERB’s saga of a fierce outlaw during the conflict between Henry III and Simon de Montfort, is such a tale as would have delighted me as a boy and intrigued me even as an adult. Confused identities have been a staple of the chivalry or swordplay novel whether Twain’s parody of The Prince and the Pauper or Aramis’ plan to replace an evil king with his imprisoned identical twin in The Man in the Iron Mask. The visor-guised highwayman king of The Outlaw of Torn has just such a mistaken or secret identity, if you will.
Burroughs doesn’t really try to create historical fiction in the sense that some author’s do, but he captures the spirit, sometimes the mean-spirited aspects, and the system we often call chivalry, but which was actually an unjust feudalism. For example, ERB describes the strict class system of the era in a fascinating description. “What a man did in those rough cruel days might be forgotten and forgiven but the sins of his mother or his grandfather in not being of noble blood, no matter how so wickedly attained, he might never overcome or live down.” (p. 193)
The Outlaw of Torn begins with Henry III insulting some of his most loyal supporters. From that insult grows a tale of vengeance, and just as a desire for vengeance easily turns into bitterness within oneself, it can become a matter of cruelty victimizing those not at fault. The instigator of the vengeance must connive and even betray one that he has victimized to gain his revenge. But even as he gains his desired result, he is betrayed by his own plan. Betrayal begets betrayal, but the cost is high in terms of deaths and justice.
Perhaps, that lack of justice is what causes the protagonist to have a less than positive view of God. On one occasion, he tells a priest that he is as hypocritical as the priest’s congregants: “I be willing to leave it in His hands, which seems to be the way of Christians. When one would shirk a responsibility, or explain an error, lo, one shoulders it upon the Lord.” (p. 196) And in that same discussion, he is quite honest about his lack of a relationship with God: “As I take not the Lord in partnership in my successes it seemeth to me to be but of a mean and poor spirit to saddle my sorrows and perplexities on Him.” (pp. 196-197)
Although I believe The Outlaw of Torn to be more pulp adventure than historical fiction, the swordplay and tropes of the former build quite successfully on the flavor of the latter. The Outlaw of Torn won’t teach you the kind of history you’d glean from Sharon K Penman’s or Edith Pargeter’s (Ellis Peters’) fictional accounts, but it will give you some thrills and delights along the way.
Burroughs doesn’t really try to create historical fiction in the sense that some author’s do, but he captures the spirit, sometimes the mean-spirited aspects, and the system we often call chivalry, but which was actually an unjust feudalism. For example, ERB describes the strict class system of the era in a fascinating description. “What a man did in those rough cruel days might be forgotten and forgiven but the sins of his mother or his grandfather in not being of noble blood, no matter how so wickedly attained, he might never overcome or live down.” (p. 193)
The Outlaw of Torn begins with Henry III insulting some of his most loyal supporters. From that insult grows a tale of vengeance, and just as a desire for vengeance easily turns into bitterness within oneself, it can become a matter of cruelty victimizing those not at fault. The instigator of the vengeance must connive and even betray one that he has victimized to gain his revenge. But even as he gains his desired result, he is betrayed by his own plan. Betrayal begets betrayal, but the cost is high in terms of deaths and justice.
Perhaps, that lack of justice is what causes the protagonist to have a less than positive view of God. On one occasion, he tells a priest that he is as hypocritical as the priest’s congregants: “I be willing to leave it in His hands, which seems to be the way of Christians. When one would shirk a responsibility, or explain an error, lo, one shoulders it upon the Lord.” (p. 196) And in that same discussion, he is quite honest about his lack of a relationship with God: “As I take not the Lord in partnership in my successes it seemeth to me to be but of a mean and poor spirit to saddle my sorrows and perplexities on Him.” (pp. 196-197)
Although I believe The Outlaw of Torn to be more pulp adventure than historical fiction, the swordplay and tropes of the former build quite successfully on the flavor of the latter. The Outlaw of Torn won’t teach you the kind of history you’d glean from Sharon K Penman’s or Edith Pargeter’s (Ellis Peters’) fictional accounts, but it will give you some thrills and delights along the way.
May 5, 2017
When I was fifteen, the cover of the current paperback showed a brawny man on a Percheron under a churning sky. He wore a red cape over mail and hid his face under a Norman helmet, and he brandished a sword point forward. Frazetta, I'm sure. Of course I snapped it up. Burroughs delivers action and drama, and this is a great one for that. The good are put to the test and the evil die cowardly deaths. There's a girl. I read it now and again; it's never as good now as it was on whatever hot afternoon I read it then. You have to be a teenager to appreciate melodrama fully. But the image of Norman of Torn, while crossing swords with the bestial antagonist carving his initials in the man's sweating forehead, stays with me. If they ever made a movie of it, I'd have to take a miss. It's all clear in my mind; I wouldn't want to lose that.
January 10, 2014
THE EDUCATION OF AN OUTLAW--THE ULTIMATE REVENGE!
In a welcome departure from ERB’s formulaic plotting and sequels ad nauseum this novel, his 2nd in fact, is relatively unknown but would make wonderful fodder for a Hollywood swashbuckler. Combining both actual history with fantastic fiction the creator of TARZAN and the MARS series has woven a tapestry with threads of hatred and revenge, passion and treachery. Set in the violent 13th century era of King Henry III and Simon de Montfort, this story demonstrates the patience required for ultimate revenge—eclipsing The Count of Monte Cristo’s bitter dreams against his conspirators in a heartbeat.
French master of sword, Sir Jules De Vac, feeling insulted by the English king whose soldiers he instructs and trains, devises the most heinous plan to avenge himself on his royal patron: to kidnap the child prince, raise him in France until the age of 21, then return to invade England with his own band of ruthless cutthroats. For when Norman of Torn, as he will become known, has caused Henry enough grief, the King will put a price on his head; the young man will be captured and exicuted without pity. The day that he swings the manipulative De Vac will emerge from the shadows to reap his overdue recompense: he will proclaim that the King has hanged his own, long-lost son! (A special secret mark on Torn’s body will verify this claim.)
Trained in France the future outlaw is drilled relentlessly in two areas: to wield the sword masterfully, of course, and to despise all things English--although he must learn the hated language in order to fulfill De Vac’s vicious scheme. A true example of pulp fiction this story includes romance—with a lovely English noblewoman, Bertrade de Montfort, who knows him only as Normal of Torn. Since she is the daughter of Henry’s rival De Vac is privately delighted at this unexpected turn of events, but at the end of day young Torn is not destined for love or for the crown--only for the gibbet.
De Vac fails to take into consideration the strength of a noble nature--even if repressed during years of negative nurture. ERB’s wonderful sense of pacing and excellent storytelling skills make this stand-alone novel a real page-turner! The discovery of love versus the overwhelming obsession for revenge on the part of his mentor combat Torn's internal struggle to discover his true idientiy--making the Outlaw of Torn an unforgettable character. A masterpieces of dramatic conflict!
(August 13, 2013)
In a welcome departure from ERB’s formulaic plotting and sequels ad nauseum this novel, his 2nd in fact, is relatively unknown but would make wonderful fodder for a Hollywood swashbuckler. Combining both actual history with fantastic fiction the creator of TARZAN and the MARS series has woven a tapestry with threads of hatred and revenge, passion and treachery. Set in the violent 13th century era of King Henry III and Simon de Montfort, this story demonstrates the patience required for ultimate revenge—eclipsing The Count of Monte Cristo’s bitter dreams against his conspirators in a heartbeat.
French master of sword, Sir Jules De Vac, feeling insulted by the English king whose soldiers he instructs and trains, devises the most heinous plan to avenge himself on his royal patron: to kidnap the child prince, raise him in France until the age of 21, then return to invade England with his own band of ruthless cutthroats. For when Norman of Torn, as he will become known, has caused Henry enough grief, the King will put a price on his head; the young man will be captured and exicuted without pity. The day that he swings the manipulative De Vac will emerge from the shadows to reap his overdue recompense: he will proclaim that the King has hanged his own, long-lost son! (A special secret mark on Torn’s body will verify this claim.)
Trained in France the future outlaw is drilled relentlessly in two areas: to wield the sword masterfully, of course, and to despise all things English--although he must learn the hated language in order to fulfill De Vac’s vicious scheme. A true example of pulp fiction this story includes romance—with a lovely English noblewoman, Bertrade de Montfort, who knows him only as Normal of Torn. Since she is the daughter of Henry’s rival De Vac is privately delighted at this unexpected turn of events, but at the end of day young Torn is not destined for love or for the crown--only for the gibbet.
De Vac fails to take into consideration the strength of a noble nature--even if repressed during years of negative nurture. ERB’s wonderful sense of pacing and excellent storytelling skills make this stand-alone novel a real page-turner! The discovery of love versus the overwhelming obsession for revenge on the part of his mentor combat Torn's internal struggle to discover his true idientiy--making the Outlaw of Torn an unforgettable character. A masterpieces of dramatic conflict!
(August 13, 2013)
May 10, 2013
Had I read this at fourteen, it would've received five stars and favorite status. Ah, timing...
It's a great book still, though one of my favorite characters didn't make it to the end. It's full of knights and ladies, gloomy castles, dark secrets, revenge, deceit and valor. I'd label it a rollicking good tale, a mixture of Robin Hood, From the Valley of the Missing, and The Black Arrow.
It's a great book still, though one of my favorite characters didn't make it to the end. It's full of knights and ladies, gloomy castles, dark secrets, revenge, deceit and valor. I'd label it a rollicking good tale, a mixture of Robin Hood, From the Valley of the Missing, and The Black Arrow.
November 19, 2019
I don't know why I waited so long to re-read this one; I loved it.
March 14, 2021
Exciting, vivid, pulpy. Grand in scale and mythos. And sloppy and rough as hell. It's definitely a very early, unrefined work by fledgling Burroughs, and largely a recycling riff on Robin Hood, King Arthur, and the works of Walter Scott. It has all the punch and iconography it needs, but races through in such a slipshod fashion that it feels like an outline for what could have been a much more gripping and sprawling work. It also falls so far into fate, especially the "true love" mentality that quickly sidelines what could have been a much more compelling triangle, that it's very easy to see where the broad sweeps are coming. Still, on a pure fun adventure level, it's an exciting and breezy read.
September 12, 2008
As a boy, I was enamored of the Martian and Tarzan series' of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Along the way, I found a nearly forgotten novel he wrote, widely panned by critics, but which I really liked. Go figure. The Outlaw of Torn is a fanciful tale of a prince who becomes a highwayman, and then a prince again. Through an unbelievably remarkable set of circumstances (ERB was known for those), he also becomes the greatest swordsman in England.
Being a fan of swordfighting adventures, this was right up my alley. However, what I liked most about it was what I also liked about ERB's other books. Themes of personal honor, respect for womanhood, courage, and other such "outmoded" concerns play out repeatedly in his novels, and appealed strongly to my young heart. It is not well written, the wordsmithing lacks punch, the plot is overwrought, and the characters underdeveloped, but something in it appealed to me anyway.
Being a fan of swordfighting adventures, this was right up my alley. However, what I liked most about it was what I also liked about ERB's other books. Themes of personal honor, respect for womanhood, courage, and other such "outmoded" concerns play out repeatedly in his novels, and appealed strongly to my young heart. It is not well written, the wordsmithing lacks punch, the plot is overwrought, and the characters underdeveloped, but something in it appealed to me anyway.
September 25, 2013
This story is much more believable and in many ways superior to other (more widely known) novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It resembles Men of Iron by Howard Pyle and Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. A man seeks revenge for a serious slight and kidnaps Prince Richard, second son of King Henry III. What greater revenge can be taken on an enemy than turning his own son against him and all Englishmen? The best laid plans often miss the mark and when the love of a woman is involved all bets are off. Burroughs´ knowledge of arms and sword fighting techniques are far from accurate but the story, as a whole, is not only very readable but extremely entertaining. History and fate have put this book behind the author´s Tarzan series and science fiction stories but I think this is Edgar Rice Burroughs´ best work and warmly recommend it to all lovers of action and romance.
January 1, 2019
Oh, this is one of my favorite childhood books and it is in tatters.
Who is Norman of Torn and where did he come from? The answers are hard to believe.
I love the action and the underlying secret. Very good read.
Who is Norman of Torn and where did he come from? The answers are hard to believe.
I love the action and the underlying secret. Very good read.
January 30, 2020
Great Medieval Fiction
I started reading Edgar Rice Burroughs for the John Carter
Novels. Imagine my surprise to find this gem. For one who enjoys science fiction and political thrillers this tale of knights and chivalry was a great bread.
I started reading Edgar Rice Burroughs for the John Carter
Novels. Imagine my surprise to find this gem. For one who enjoys science fiction and political thrillers this tale of knights and chivalry was a great bread.
August 16, 2014
In style on Black Arrow and Ivanhoe book is quite amusing medieval adventure story about boy with a Stockholm syndrome.
January 26, 2022
Another re-read of one of my favorite Burrough's novels. Even though the writing style may seem dated, it is still a very enjoyable read.
March 1, 2023
Edgar Rice Burroughs had some pretty evil guys filling the roles of villains in his various novels. In The Beasts of Tarzan (1914), for instance, the evil Nikolas Rokoff takes revenge on the Ape Man by kidnapping Jane Clayton and her baby son, intending to eventually kill Jane and leave the son to be raised by cannibals.
But my vote for most evil ERB villain would be Jules de Vac, a French fencing master who served in the court of England's Henry III in the 13th Century.
We learn about de Vac in The Outlaw of Torn, which was serialized in New Story Magazine in 1914, then published in book form in 1927. We don't know a lot about de Vac's back story before he came to England, but it must have been an odd story indeed. Because this guy hates Englishmen. He really, really hates Englishmen.
And when Henry III--who is kind of a jerk--slaps him one day, de Vac decides its time to take action. His plan involves kidnapping the king's toddler-aged son Richard and sneaking off with him. He'd claim to be the boy's father, teach him to be a master swordsmen, and set him to work killing as many Englishmen as he can before he's eventually caught and hanged. It's a plan that will take a couple of decades to come to fruition, but de Vac is nothing but not patient. It gives him plenty of time to teach Richard swordsmanship.
Richard, of course, doesn't remember he's Richard. As he grows up, he goes by the name of Norman of Torn (Torn being the old castle de Vac takes him to). And he becomes an outlaw, raiding both castles loyal to King Henry and castles loyal to the nobility that is starting to rebel against Henry's dictatorial rule.
But de Vac's plans are partially spoiled when young Norman befriends a priest named Father Claude, who teaches him to read and write and to show chivalry for women and the down-trodden.
This turns the outlaw into a sort-of Robin Hood, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. Pretty soon, he's got a small army encamped at Torn--with the fractious political situation preventing either the king or the nobility from bringing enough force to bear to beat him in a fight. He and his men kick butt and take names across England.
Norman's chivalry towards women eventually leads him to rescue the beautiful Bertrade de Monfort from a kidnapper. The two fall in love, but she doesn't know he's the so-called "Devil of Torn" and he doesn't see a way out of the life he's living. He doesn't hate the English any more, but Burroughs manages to create quite an interesting moral dilemma. Norman might give up being an outlaw, but his men won't necessarily do so. That would mean they'd be free to rampage across England without his force of will to keep women and the poor safe from their depredations. He seems stuck where he is. Following Norman's character arc (paralleled by Bertrade's arc in her eventually accepting the love of a man she believes to be "low born") makes for a fascinating journey.
It's a great yarn, fast-moving and full of action without sacrificing what are some of the author's best characterizations. And Jules de Vac is a villain you really love to hate. He's a guy who raised Norman as a son with the direct intention of eventually getting Norman killed. And when his plans seem to unravel as the book progresses, he takes ruthless and bloodthirsty steps to get that plan back on track.
The dialogue is fun to read as well. Burroughs has everyone speaking in vaguely Shakespearean English. This isn't even remotely historically accurate (it would have been Middle English) and there are a few instances where the speech is a bit stilted, but for the most part Burroughs skill at picking the right words and sentence structures make it sound "right."
But my vote for most evil ERB villain would be Jules de Vac, a French fencing master who served in the court of England's Henry III in the 13th Century.
We learn about de Vac in The Outlaw of Torn, which was serialized in New Story Magazine in 1914, then published in book form in 1927. We don't know a lot about de Vac's back story before he came to England, but it must have been an odd story indeed. Because this guy hates Englishmen. He really, really hates Englishmen.
And when Henry III--who is kind of a jerk--slaps him one day, de Vac decides its time to take action. His plan involves kidnapping the king's toddler-aged son Richard and sneaking off with him. He'd claim to be the boy's father, teach him to be a master swordsmen, and set him to work killing as many Englishmen as he can before he's eventually caught and hanged. It's a plan that will take a couple of decades to come to fruition, but de Vac is nothing but not patient. It gives him plenty of time to teach Richard swordsmanship.
Richard, of course, doesn't remember he's Richard. As he grows up, he goes by the name of Norman of Torn (Torn being the old castle de Vac takes him to). And he becomes an outlaw, raiding both castles loyal to King Henry and castles loyal to the nobility that is starting to rebel against Henry's dictatorial rule.
But de Vac's plans are partially spoiled when young Norman befriends a priest named Father Claude, who teaches him to read and write and to show chivalry for women and the down-trodden.
This turns the outlaw into a sort-of Robin Hood, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. Pretty soon, he's got a small army encamped at Torn--with the fractious political situation preventing either the king or the nobility from bringing enough force to bear to beat him in a fight. He and his men kick butt and take names across England.
Norman's chivalry towards women eventually leads him to rescue the beautiful Bertrade de Monfort from a kidnapper. The two fall in love, but she doesn't know he's the so-called "Devil of Torn" and he doesn't see a way out of the life he's living. He doesn't hate the English any more, but Burroughs manages to create quite an interesting moral dilemma. Norman might give up being an outlaw, but his men won't necessarily do so. That would mean they'd be free to rampage across England without his force of will to keep women and the poor safe from their depredations. He seems stuck where he is. Following Norman's character arc (paralleled by Bertrade's arc in her eventually accepting the love of a man she believes to be "low born") makes for a fascinating journey.
It's a great yarn, fast-moving and full of action without sacrificing what are some of the author's best characterizations. And Jules de Vac is a villain you really love to hate. He's a guy who raised Norman as a son with the direct intention of eventually getting Norman killed. And when his plans seem to unravel as the book progresses, he takes ruthless and bloodthirsty steps to get that plan back on track.
The dialogue is fun to read as well. Burroughs has everyone speaking in vaguely Shakespearean English. This isn't even remotely historically accurate (it would have been Middle English) and there are a few instances where the speech is a bit stilted, but for the most part Burroughs skill at picking the right words and sentence structures make it sound "right."
January 24, 2018
Earlier this month I read Tarzan of the Apes and was thoroughly unimpressed. I decided to give Burroughs another shot in a genre that didn’t lend itself as easily to product-of-its-era casual racism. Judging from the awkwardly drawn musclebound caped rider on the cover I thought this was something in the swords & sorcery genre, but it turned out to be historical(ish) fiction set during the reign of England’s King Henry III.
The plot features a (completely fictional) prince kidnapped at a very young age and raised as an England-hating outlaw by a vengeance-seeking French swordmaster. As you would expect in adventure pulp, there’s very little actual history as the plot revolves around swashbuckling, chivalry, and romance. Basically it was the cheaper, pulpier version of escapist classics like Scott’s Ivanhoe or Stevenson’s The Black Arrow. Given its genre, it was okay…I probably would have really enjoyed it as a young teenager.
One thing that I found interesting/stupid is that Burroughs repeatedly denigrates the era’s obsession with noble birth, but also weaves in the “blood will tell” trope for our noble-born-but-raised-as-an-outlaw hero. I guess it doesn’t pay to think too hard when it comes to pulp…just sit back and enjoy the hokey action if you can.
The plot features a (completely fictional) prince kidnapped at a very young age and raised as an England-hating outlaw by a vengeance-seeking French swordmaster. As you would expect in adventure pulp, there’s very little actual history as the plot revolves around swashbuckling, chivalry, and romance. Basically it was the cheaper, pulpier version of escapist classics like Scott’s Ivanhoe or Stevenson’s The Black Arrow. Given its genre, it was okay…I probably would have really enjoyed it as a young teenager.
One thing that I found interesting/stupid is that Burroughs repeatedly denigrates the era’s obsession with noble birth, but also weaves in the “blood will tell” trope for our noble-born-but-raised-as-an-outlaw hero. I guess it doesn’t pay to think too hard when it comes to pulp…just sit back and enjoy the hokey action if you can.
June 23, 2020
A king insults his swordsmanship teacher, and how does the teacher get revenge? By kidnapping the king’s young son and training him up to hate everything British, especially the king. And by training him to use a sword really well, and to become an outlaw. The idea is that eventually the son will be hanged by the crown, and then the king can be told that he has killed his own son. At least that’s the plan. And it almost happens. The author of this tale is Edgar Rice Burroughs, better known as the creator of Tarzan. But sword fights can be at least as exciting as swinging through trees, as he shows here.
October 6, 2018
I read this book when I was 12 or 13, and I think it contributed to how I grew up. (I hope I absorbed the good parts, and left the bad parts behind.) I finally got around to rereading this, decades later. It wasn't as outstanding and flawless as I had romanticized it to being, but it was still quite good.
Except for the gaping hole at the very end of the book. A gaping hole which had been alluded to a couple chapters from the end, during Norman's final conversation with Father Claude.
It's very much a Burroughs book. If you like ERB, you'll love this. If you don't, you won't.
Except for the gaping hole at the very end of the book. A gaping hole which had been alluded to a couple chapters from the end, during Norman's final conversation with Father Claude.
It's very much a Burroughs book. If you like ERB, you'll love this. If you don't, you won't.
June 23, 2021
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an amazing writer! This cannot be contested. From Tarzan to his Barsoom or the John Carter of Mars series, he had the swashbuckling novel down pat from his fingertips. The Outlaw of Torn is no different. It gripped me from page one to the last page. 100 years have passed since this author wrote the book and its words still jump from the page cling to you until the last. Such a great story and I highly recommend it to all.
January 12, 2026
This is a medieval fantasy war story, about a young prince from England, who got kidnapped at such a young age, that should be enough for you to consider to read this, it would be a 5 star for me, if the pacing was a little quicker and there was a little romance story in the end and i’m not big on romance at all so without those two things it would be almost perfect to me, the writing style was also not the greatest at some points, but that’s what you can expect with this old of a book!
June 11, 2023
eponymous sentence:
p47: Within the great enclosure thrived a fair sized town, for, with his ten hundred fighting-men, the Outlaw of Torn required many squires, lackeys, cooks, scullions, armorers, smithies, farriers, hostlers and the like to care for the wants of his little army.
Such a classic tale. If a contemporary book it would be labeled cliché. And he got the girl in the end, too.
p47: Within the great enclosure thrived a fair sized town, for, with his ten hundred fighting-men, the Outlaw of Torn required many squires, lackeys, cooks, scullions, armorers, smithies, farriers, hostlers and the like to care for the wants of his little army.
Such a classic tale. If a contemporary book it would be labeled cliché. And he got the girl in the end, too.
September 24, 2020
Adventure and Romance
A fun, exciting, medieval adventure and romance. Old style; the hero is brave and noble and the heroine virtuous, brave and beautiful. The author jabs at class distinctions and make the improbable seem almost natural. Lots of fun!
A fun, exciting, medieval adventure and romance. Old style; the hero is brave and noble and the heroine virtuous, brave and beautiful. The author jabs at class distinctions and make the improbable seem almost natural. Lots of fun!
June 9, 2017
If ERB hadn't written it, would have remained obscure. Nice pre-Tarzan appearance of a Greystoke, though.
April 3, 2019
Interesting story with an abrupt ending.
November 5, 2019
The outlaw of Torn
I read the entire book in a 24 hour period. Great read. I could not put the book down except to sleep. Burroughs was a great writer.
I read the entire book in a 24 hour period. Great read. I could not put the book down except to sleep. Burroughs was a great writer.
December 9, 2019
This is good action packed story of betrayal, love and towing the line between whats right and wrong, enjoyable.
December 25, 2020
An exciting story based in England in the middle ages. This book is worth reading.
June 29, 2021
It was a good story. It had elements of a mystery and was a kind of Robin Hood story. I have a very old copy that I got in a used bookstore somewhere.
May 7, 2022
My mom read this book aloud to my sisters and I many years ago, but I can still remember it. Riveting story!
July 20, 2022
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GOOD BOOK
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GOOD BOOK
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews