Tarzan, gospodar džungle

Tarzan #11

by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lela Canić (translator), Julio Radilović – Jules (illustrator)

Kao gospodar džungle Tarzan razrješava razne suprotnosti između onih koji su ili kao lovci ili kao avanturisti upali u njegovo područje.

Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Pulp, Action, Science Fiction

199 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 1928

About the author

Edgar 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.

Reviews

[A.E. Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had interesting events, characters that inspired strong feelings, and a fast pace. It was not a book about Tarzan, though. If anything, he felt like a guest star, there to garner an audience for a book about other characters – which is unfortunate, because this was an enjoyable book. Not Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle so much as James Blake and the Lost City of Crusaders. A fun read, despite glaring inaccuracies like “a suit of chainmail,” which is an utterly nonsensical term, and the crusader civilization being terrified of the inexplicable magic of a firing rifle when they would have been exceedingly familiar with the concept of cannons.

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the risk of being redundant, it's difficult being objective when I read all these books in my youth and loved them. I know that the plot is really following well-established tropes (finding a new world, helping people he meets in the thoroughfares of the jungle, and those new characters taking over the middle portion of the narrative). Essentially, Tarzan is the co-star to the novel, and it becomes even more evident in this Book #11 in the 24-book series. The previous book, the Tarzan Twins, is a two- novella compilation written for children and is not included as part of the larger series.

Here, Tarzan stumbles into a lost / hidden / forbidden valley of British knights and crusaders from the Middle Ages attempting to rescue a photographer and another less worthy hunter of African fauna. (It's amazing how many "lost/hidden/forbidden valleys there seem to be in the jungle. Also, it's amazing how many people are traveling in Africa, that get lost.) The lost individuals get involved in complex situations, and really get the bulk of the harrowing issues and Tarzan gets appended in almost an ancillary way at the end.

The stories are interesting, but they are redundant. What is interesting is that I started the John Carter stories fully intending to read them all. I got through the first seven and couldn't continue because John Carter stopped being a member of the cast. Essentially the Mars books would begin with a different lead every book. This series is starting to feel very much like John Carter.

Overall, despite the redundancy, I fully intend to read all 24 books before the end of the year. I want to read only horror in October, but we will see how that goes. The Tarzan books still have a way of taking me back to my childhood, when I originally owned all 24 paperbacks, smelling faintly of age and mildew. Mom would have to come into my room, turn off my desk lamp, and tell me to go to bed. Sometimes she would kiss me and suggest that if she saw me turn my light back on that she would knock me. She never did. God rest her soul. At 59, there are so few things that remind me of childhood. Is it any wonder I can't be objective when it comes to Tarzan?

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 5 out of 5]

"and then a strange thing happened. Having more wealth than he possibly could use he wanted more. No, not so strange after all, for Ibn Jad was human."

11th Book of the Tarzan Series is a completely new story, with little to no ties to previous story but I found it quite entertaining. Meeting Knights is not too odd, as we have already met Dinosaurs and Ant Men. Also, the story is very engaging, with little to no detours or over-detailed segments, not to mention another epic ending that is inherent to the series.

"Man, who holds the unique distinction among created things of making war on all living creatures, even to his own kind."

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another from what I regard as Tarzan's golden period (not least because these were the ones that I was reading back when I was 10 or whatever).

This uses a template that we've probably seen before and will definitely see again -- a nice American or European (in this case, one James Blake) is part of a safari in the Heart of Darkest Africa(tm) and, through no fault of his own (more or less) gets lost/gets into trouble, and Tarzan sets out to find him.

In this specific case, the lost/trouble involves finding his way to the Valley of Nimmr, which is inhabited by the descendants of a group of Crusaders who got lost on their way to the Holy Land centuries ago (something something left turn at Albuquerque) and have set up two mostly-warring cities (one descended from the Crusaders who said, "Eh, this looks like the Holy Land to me, now let's go home," and the other descended from the Crusaders who said, "What, are you stupid? No, it's clearly not!", and never the twain shall meet). So in addition to the usual jungle shenanigans and overuse of the word "spoor", we get to see knights jousting in highly anachronistic but very cinematic style, and castles and beautiful princesses and all of that great stuff.

Most of which, TBH, is happening to James Blake while Tarzan is still tracking his spoor, until he shows up at the end and saves the day because, well, Tarzan.

Ridiculous but fast-moving and engaging.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the first Tarzan book I ever read, very long ago. I still have a soft spot for it, but also it was just incredibly imaginative. Really one of the strongest offerings in the series.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another good Tarzan novel.

It starts out great, with a hunting party lead by two men moving through Africa. One is an evil hunter, the other a man that just wants to take photographs. There's also an evil group of slave traders moving through the jungle. It's very easy to follow at this point. However, Tarzan novels have to be a little complicated.

As I've started in prior reviews, in Tarzan's Africa you can't throw a stick without hitting a long lost undiscovered civilization. In this novel, it's a group of British knights who've been lost in Africa since the crusades. So we end up with another plot twist.

Overall, Tarzan really had a small part in this novel, which was surprising. It focused more on the somewhat large ensemble cast of characters. But if you enjoy Tarzan novels, you'll like this one.

[Ed Wyrd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mistakenly read this out of sequence, but didn't ruin anything. ERB should have named this An American On Safari in King Arthur's Court. Tarzan is almost secondary to the Jim Blake character who gets lost in the jungle and ends up in a valley occupied by Crusading Knights lost for 750 years. Still, the story is filled with ERB's patented action and adventure and obligatory beautiful princess the hero falls for, loses, and et cetera. A fun read.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only Edgar Rice Burroughs could put this crazy story together, and be able to wrap it up in 190 pages. Lots of fun.

[Austin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really losing my enthusiasm for the Tarzan series.
My love for the first book, and for some of the sequels (books 3, 5, and 6, to be specific) have driven me to continue the series, but these last few entries have been a chore to get through. After Book #6, Jungle Tales, there seemed to be a sharp decline in the quality of the storytelling and Lord Of the Jungle is no deviation from that.

We have another formulaic story with a plot almost as silly as The Ant Men from the previous entry, this one involving a hidden kingdom with medieval style knights living in the african jungle.
Most of the book isn't even told from Tarzan's POV, instead following side characters I didn't care one iota about. Even Tarzan himself felt like a hollow shell in this one.
These books are just increasingly mediocre and boring with repetitive plot points and predictable outcomes, even with the inclusion of ridiculous scenarios such as the Templar Knights living in Africa.
Overall, not quite as bad as The Ant Men, but still bad, and I think I need a break from this series after this one.

2⭐

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

They may not be high art, but the deeper I go into the Tarzan series, the more I am enjoying them. Burroughs was a product of his time, a time when Africa was a mysterious place to most of the world. The lack of knowledge about Africa enabled Burroughs to people the continent with any number of strange creatures and unknown civilizations.

In this volume he creates a medieval society descended from Crusaders that were shipwrecked over 700 years ago. So we have knights in armor, living in castles and carrying on tournaments, still awaiting the battle with the Saracens that they believe to be just outside the valley in which they live.

Burroughs deftly juggles a myriad of characters with Shakespearean ease. Brilliant!

[Qt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was better than the last Tarzan I read (#10) but not as good as some of the others. I started losing interest about halfway through. Still a fun adventure though.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zabavno

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 11th novel in the Tarzan series was serialized in Blue Book Magazine from December 1927 through May 1928, and first published as a novel in a hardcover edition from A. C. McClurg in September 1928.

Most of the mid to late Tarzan novels feature a lost civilization of one kind or another. This 11th book is no exception. But in an interesting turn, the lost civilization this time around is from the age of the crusades. Seems a group of Templar Knights was shipwrecked off the coast of Africa over 730 years ago during the time of the third crusade. They’ve continued to live in the same fashion through the centuries, afraid to try to leave, believing themselves to be outnumbered by Saracens.

That’s just one aspect of the novel which also includes a group of slave traders from the northern desert territories as well as a pair of Americans on safari. Tarzan is almost a secondary character throughout the novel, as the focus tends to be on James Blake, an American who is intent on photographing wildlife deep in the jungles of Africa and who finds himself in love with a princess of the realm, fighting for her honor in jousts and sword fights. All the action and adventure that one expects from an ERB novel is here and a fun ride it is. Tarzan is forced into being the true Lord of the Jungle by keeping order and protecting the wildlife. In an interesting play on words, he also is hailed as an actual “Lord” when he reveals himself to the medieval knights as a viscount in England.

Another fine Tarzan adventure.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edgar Rice Burroughsin "Tarzan, viidakon herra" (Karisto, 1945) on niitä kirjoja, jotka olen lukenut viimeksi joskus neljännesvuosisata sitten, mutta lukiessani tajusin muistavani tapahtumat edelleen varsin hyvin. Ja miksipä en olisi muistanut, tässähän olivat mukana kaikki ne ainekset, jotka tekevät seikkailuromaanista seikkailuromaanin, ja jotka kutittivat mukavasti kymmenvuotiaan mielikuvitusta.

Seikkailun keskiössä on nyt seitsemänsataa vuotta kadoksissa ollut kaupunki, jossa eletään edelleen keskiaikaa. Se tarkoittaa tietenkin turnajaisia, jaloja ritareita ja kauniita neitoja. Lisäksi pakettiin on sotkettu vielä kierojen arabialaisten orjakauppiaiden juonitteluja, sekä hyviä että pahoja valkoisia metsästäjiä ja roppakaupalla erilaisia villieläimiä.

Burroughs on varsin taloudellinen kirjailija, sillä tämä kaikki mahdutetaan noin 250 sivuun.

Ei kai tämä poliittisesti korrekteinta nuortenkirjallisuutta ole, eikä ollut silloin kuin kirjaan ensimmäisen kerran tartuin, mutta eipä tuosta tainnut kamalasti huonoja vaikutteita tarttua. Kai sitä pikemminkin toivoi, että voisi olla jonakin päivänä samanlainen kuin kirjan päähenkilöt: nähdä maailmaa, kokea hurjia seikkailuja, tehdä sankarillisia tekoja ja voittaa kauniin tytön sydän omakseen.

No, sitten minusta tuli kirjastovirkailija. Kai se sekin on osittain tämän kirjan ansiota!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we have the continuing story of “Tarzan”, and, let’s face it, it is all about Tarzan, the centre of life as we know it, the centre of everything in Africa, the white man “Lord” of the animals and Africans alike.

Here we have a rather better story compared to previous Tarzan novels, a story with themes and a plot. Not JUST A PLOT, a plausible one too. On one stream we have the return of “The Arabs”, coming to capture African Villagers to sell for profit. A theme Burroughs has touched upon before.

Then, we get on another side, two Americans, two very different and opposing Americans. Stimbol the racist, the White American who is MASTER OF ALL, that Africans are subservient to him and Africa itself is his play ground to shoot and kill for fun. Blake the romantic, the individual who cares who opposes and hates every part of Stimbol.

As the story progresses they go their separate ways. Blake falls upon an unknown hidden civilisation (SHOCKING, I know), untouched in 700 years from the time of the crusades.

Despite some of the repetitive themes, a rather enjoyable story. However, as per the previous books, you feel and think this story should be a two parter, yet, within the space of two chapters everything is resolved. Burroughs DOES NOT know how to conclude a story. He spends far too long on the start and middle of the story and not the end.

[Frank McGirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been my night time no-thought book lately. I had read many of his John Carter of Mars books as a kid, but this was my first Tarzan. Fairly well written. Fun book, and I'll definitely pick up another during my thrifts.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint about this one is that there wasn't nearly enough Tarzan, otherwise this was a great turnaround from the mess of the last book. I'm bumping its rating up to five stars just because it's that much better than #10.

[Leaflet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ods bodikins! Tarzan goes medieval! Anachronisms abound but the Lord of the Jungle is as always equal to the occasion. Cameo appearance in the nick of time by Jad-bal-ja the Golden Lion, with capable back-up from Tarzan's famous Waziri warriors.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a hidden valley, we discover a medieval society of English knights, descendants of shipwrecked crusaders. There are two Americans who get involved with the plot. A story only Edgar Rice Burroughs could pull off.

[Nickolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Очень понравился сюжет: смесь диких джунглей, арабского Востока и средневековой Англии. Не понравилось то, что Тарзан, хоть далеко и не главный герой, в итоге всё равно «пришел, увидел, победил», тем самым как бы уменьшая героизм других персонажей.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though the Tarzan stories are over 60 years old they remain timeless. These books are fantastic reading. These books make all the movies and cartoons seem meaningless. Highly recommended

[Kiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Tarzan book, and I feel like I should go back and read the first couple to get some of the background. Tarzan here is a fully formed adult, and he seems to have reached a level of prowess such that he's no longer the main character, but rather a benevolent entity that intervenes to help out the good guys when needed (he is referred to as a "demigod" in a few places). The plot is pretty out there: a group of Arabs looking for treasure, two Americans on safari, and a hidden enclave of _medieval knights_ all get mixed together and exhibit various levels of greed, swagger, betrayal, and honor according to stereotypes. Read today, the portrayal of "blacks" is consistently, gratingly condescending and insulting. (This book was written in 1927.)

One aspect I really enjoyed is the background mythology, which portrays each animal species as having a collective identity that manifests in individual animals - so the book will refer to Tantor the elephant, but if that elephant died, Tantor would be present in the next elephant, and the next. Also, Ara the lightning is a bolt from Pand's bow, and Meeta the rain is blood falling from the wounds of Usha the wind, which is why the wind blows and hurries along, trying to escape the attacks.

Also, Burroughs's use of language is interesting; the Arabs use "thee" and "thou" in their conversation with each other (and verb forms like "mayst" and "doth") which feels rather Shakespearean, while the native blacks speak a typical modern kind of English. I'm curious about this choice and whether it's used throughout the Tarzan books.

Quotes:
* "Having more wealth than he could possibly use he wanted more. No, not so strange after all, for Ibn Jad was human."

[Sj n · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is a weaker novels of the series. The books of the series have progressively gotten goofier and more ridiculous. This addition in the Tarzan saga does that on paper but doesn't commit its zany premise. In the far burrows of the African jungle there is a lost civilization of crusading knights, that talk like they are from the medieval times. That sounds like a recipe for at least an entertaining read, but it feels like Burroughs' was trying to integrate too much and doesn't flesh out any of it. The Knights and the land of nimmr were the most interesting. Tarzan himself, is a secondary character. That's a weird thing to do, but the character of Blake is fun enough for his portion of the books.

[John Reis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blake and Stimbol are traveling in Africa-Blake to photograph it, Stimbol to kill big game-when they run into Tarzan. Tarzan allows Blake to go on his way, but he orders Stimbol to leave his country. Ibn Jad is an Arab slaver who is looking for the lost City of Nimmr.

Blake runs into strange people dressed in Medieval armor; they are the people of Nimmr.

Tarzan worries about Blake and goes in search of him. In the meantime, Ibn Jad has found the hidden valley of Nimmr and attacks it.

This is quite an enjoyable story filled with adventure and some comedy. No mention of Jane nor the need to rescue her.

[Suzy Espersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't quite live up to the comic books and movies of my childhood, though the reader of the audio book did his best - to the point of annoyance! - to enthrall the listener. The bits about the crusade "leftovers" were fun though.

I was also amused by the part of the afterword, where it was described how an editor tried to persuade Burroughs to come up with more stories about Tarzan instead of nonsense stories set on Mars, that included such outlandish and unrealistic practices as organ transplants! 😀

[Brett Plaxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which Tarzan takes the back seat and is more of the secondary character. A lost sect of knights are hanging in the jungle and there’s a medieval tournament.

[Major B · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are still just a lot of fun! I liked the characters in this one.

[Tigerlily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less Tarzan than a lot of the other books, but the Knights are a fun lot, so I didn't mind too much.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay, and with a slightly less-unbelievable plot than the previous entry in this series: Tarzan and the Ant Men. But only slightly, because the premise here is that there's a hidden valley somewhere in Africa (roughly Ethiopia, I assume) where English Knights from the Third (?) Crusade established a little kingdom where their descendants have been existing for seven centuries. They've also managed to separate into two factions -- one which wishes to press on to the Holy Land, the other which wishes to return to England. This stalemate is how they ended up stuck in place for 700 years. These two sides regularly meet on the field of tournament to get their fix of battle (and -- literally -- win fair ladies).

Wait a second, you say, isn't this a Tarzan novel? Well, yeah, but he's practically a minor character in his own series. You get the sense that ERB wanted to write a book about medieval England and knights and the crusades and castles and princesses and jousts and tournaments and all the trappings of that era, and his editor said "But Tarzan is a better seller." So this whole scenario gets contrived.

Most of the novel focuses on the trials of James Blake -- an American in Africa on a photo safari -- and another American, Stimbol, who's just a jerk. Tarzan encounters them both early in the novel, and plays the role of GOD in deciding who's naughty (Stimbol) and who's nice (Blake) and then orders them toward their separate fates. Blake eventually falls in with the Knights, while Stimbol falls in with a group of Arabs who are seeking legendary treasure -- and a GIRL! -- from a legendary city that just so happens to be the secret valley of our Knights of the Third Crusade.

There are the usual Tarzan-patented capture/escape/capture/escape scenes, and various girls who various characters fall in love with and/or try to kidnap against their wills. A lot of characters come at the reader early in the novel, and it takes a bit to sort them out.

Tarzan himself disappears for a large portion of the novel in the second half, only to reappear just in time to aid Blake in his pursuit of a kidnapped princess. He even gets to wear knightly armor and assert that he is, in fact, an English Lord (which explains the somewhat generic title!). The armor doesn't last long.

As I say, it's better than Tarzan and the Ant Men because that story is just ridiculous. But Tarzan is basically Deus Ex Ape Man in this one, and his character remains fairly two-dimensional throughout. He exists entirely to assist the good characters, smite the bad characters, and make sure that everyone achieves a deserved resolution at the end.

Which is abrupt. Like this review.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was about eight. Now I am eighty and I have always looked forward to rereading it. What I loved about it as a child was the multiple story-lines. I was continuously frustrated that Burroughs would leave one set of characters in a desperate situation and then blandly start the next chapter with another set of characters who had been previously abandoned in equally desperate straits. My child mind would mutter, "oh, I don't care about these people so much," and then of course I would get caught up in their activities and difficulties to the point of feeling abandonded when in the next chapter he would move on to a third set of characters and their problems. Even as an eight-year-old I recognized that this was a skillful practice on the part of the author and applauded him for it. So all these years, I was wondering if I would be as easily manipulated as I had been once. And, yes, I have to hand it to Burroughs, I was just as frustrated as I had been before when he shifted from one set of characters to another, but now of course I fully understood the technique.

That aside, the plot is a creaker with all sort of coincidences and dei ex machinae (usually Tarzan himself) with completely improbable situations and developments. Nevertheless, some of the characters are attractive and some are wholly despicable so the reader is compelled to wish success for the good and disaster for the evil - all of which wishes come true of course.

Some curious facts about the book. Jane is completely absent as is any life of Tarzan outside Africa. The word Greystoke is used once and Tarzan only refers to his title on a single occasion without explaining it. Although his jungle was originally on the west coast of Africa, his jungle now seems to be on the eastern coast of Africa. The black Africans who were treated savagely in Tarzan of the Apes are now seen largely sympathetically whereas the north African Arabs are largely portrayed as villains who routinely swear falsely by Allah. The only admirable Arabs are a young couple who fulfill the usual star-crossed lover roles and who escape the dreadful fate of thier tribe. And Burroughs is a startling advocate of curtailing big game hunting. One wonders at his changes of heart.