Tarzan and the Forbidden City

Tarzan #20

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan cared little for the fate of adventurer Brian Gregory, drawn to the legendary city of Ashair by the rumor of the Father of Diamonds, the world's hugest gem. But to the ape-man the tie of friendship was unbreakable, and Paul d'Arnot's pleas moved him to agree to guide the expedition Gregory's father and sister organized for his rescue. The enigmatic Atan Thome was also obsessed with the Father of Diamonds, and planted agents in the Gregory safari to spy out its route and sabotage its efforts. Both parties reached their goal, remote Ashair . . . as prisoners of its priests, doomed to die in loathsome rites.

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

690 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 1938

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

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Curiosity is often a fatal poison,"

Paul d'Arnot returns to Tarzan again and the reader is once again invited to a captivating story that is fully packed of action. The plot is very fast moving compared to other books of the series.

There was little repetitions and the story was very engaging. However, to me, it felt like the ending was dragged on more than necessary, making it a bit tiring. Almost through the last five chapters, it felt that the ending is almost at hand, but it kept being dragged on, a little too much in my opinion.

"Death! Man's last refuge when hope is gone, his last friend, his life's ultimate goal."

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

Tarzan and the Forbidden City is book #20 of the 24-book Tarzan series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs (aka ERB). It was originally published in serialized form in one of the weekly pulps, Argosy Magazine, in 1938 originally titled the Red Star of Tarzan.

The general plot is that when a young man disappeared in Africa while searching for one of the largest diamonds in the world, called the Father of Diamonds, Paul Darnot, one of Tarzan's best friends, asks him to join the rescue team. Brian Gregory's father and sister have not heard from him for months and are concerned. When they meet Tarzan, he learns that Brian and he could be twins, they look so much alike.

In the investigation, it is disclosed that saboteurs were part of Gregory's group trying to impede his pursuit of riches. The Forbidden City is an all-too-frequently used trope with warring factions: Ashair and Thobos. There are numerous encounters where Tarzan demonstrates his physical and mental prowess with a particular emphasis on a unicorn seahorse.

One of the few unique story elements involves underwater breathing apparatus essential to the plot. It gives the tale a more science fiction feel, along with the seahorse unicorn. I loved the adventure and the consequence. Good read.

[Borgia Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minus one star for being basically the same as all later John Carter and Tarzan novels, four stars because that’s hard as fuck and the apes are more powerful than you could ever believe

[LadyCalico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one contains the usual generic plots but with the bonus of Tarzan taking the action underwater, which was a really creative touch, but with the demerit of not having Little Nkima. I would not have found this one to be one of my favorites except for the bittersweet knowledge that I have read my last Tarzan, and thus I savored every word of it, like that last slice of pizza before starting a diet. This series has been quite a wild ride and I am heartbroken to have to leave the jungle and the noble apeman. *sob*

[Dch3jac1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Late Tarzan.
Started off well - adventuring through the jungle, wrestling lions and apes etc - the usual Tarzan stuff.
Eventually we get to the forbidden city (cities - there are two) and it slowly turned into farce. People kept getting captured, escaping, running around a bit, getting captured again by someone else, escaping, running around abit..... By the last few pages I'd lost track of who was where and just wanted it to be finished.
I think E.R.B. had run out of ideas or just didn't care.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarzan cared little for the fate of adventurer Brian Gregory, drawn to the legendary city of Ashair by the rumor of the Father of Diamonds, the world's hugest gem. But to the ape-man the tie of friendship was unbreakable, and Paul d'Arnot's pleas moved him to agree to guide the expedition Gregory's father and sister organized for his rescue.

[Rob Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great Tarzan novel with various groups of people moving in all directions, and Tarzan intervening at just the right moment to save the day in virtually every chapter. This book also offers a surprise ending, though easily guessed. An ideal book to read when you just want to relax and get a way.

[Ric Croxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story

I was very impressed by the book. I am a big fan of his books. I will read all of them.

[Kevin Dumcum · Rating 2 out of 5]

The under water temple is pretty imaginative, but otherwise, this story is a mess. Time and again, one or more of the party wanders off (or is dragged off) to be captured, imprisoned, and/or tortured, to have Tarzan come to the rescue almost nonchalantly, always in the nick of time. Burroughs really seemed to have lost his motivation with Tarzan. The last five pages were so rushed I almost got whiplash reading them.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the time I read this edition, a birthday present from my grandmother, I would have rated this a 5. However, this is a typical later Tarzan book written formulaically with two opposing cities at war with each other most of the time. And this time there is a guy to be rescued and bad guys seeking the Father of Diamonds. A great Tarzan adventure nevertheless.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good adventure story with an ironic ending. This would most likely appeal to teenage boys and young men. While the number of troubles Tarzan and his group go through left me saying "enough already" at times, I still was interested in how it would all play out in the end.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a terrible book. Tarzan decides to help a friend find their lost son and ventures off to a 'forbidden city' which is host to a macguffin known as the 'father of diamonds.' There's a strange lark where it is insinuated that he's a dead ringer for the lost son, and so he gets threatened by the bad guys, who want the lost son's map to the forbidden city. Anyway, they go on a road trip and Tarzan slaughters a few dozen lions, men, and sharks. Women are hostaged and rescued, they put on scuba suits to visit an underwater temple, they free the son, and it's never mentioned that they look alike ever again. The bad guys die, the true home of the 'father of diamond's is found, and then it's all over.

It is hard to understand how Tarzan ever became as popular as he was. Burroughs prose style is turgid, his dialog tin, and his plotting borders on hallucinatory. Throw in the racism, sexist attitudes, and general ignorance, and let's face it: Tarzan is objectively terrible entertainment. But for an era when we want simple heroes, dumb villains, scary creatures and unbridled imaginings of underwater temples and talking gorillas, sure, Tarzan makes a lot of sense.

As Tarzan put it himself in the last line of the book: "Men are strange beasts."

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Another plane crash. The originality is amazing. This time it’s with Tarzan (Jane’s disappeared from the storyline again)

The good guys are trying to find their son and brother: Brian Gregory (who amazingly looks like Tarzan: again). While the bad guys are after the Father of Diamonds in the lost city which (supposingly) Brian had a map to. Atan Thome may be a bad guy but I like him. He has such a subtle, intelligent sense of humor, until the end that is. Greed does that.

And this is the third story where the unknown race has two factions at war with each other. I’m starting to be glad there’s only a few of books left of this series so I can get it over with. Though the underwater elements are original.

Footnote: 1) “I’ll get you and your dirty monkey-man, too’. Reminds me of the wicked witch in Wizard of Oz. “I’ll get you and your little dog too’. Wonder if the writer of the movie read this book?

2) The Father of Diamonds should have been the Mother of Diamonds and the volcano the father.

Fave scenes: Helen rescued from the village, the great ape dum-dum, Tarzan fighting the sea serpent and flooding the temple.

[Jerimy Stoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of action and adventure. This story starts out fast and keeps a fast pace throughout the entire book. Tarzan is introduced in the beginning and is present through the entire tale. There are of course damsels of tough character, Islamists, priests, savage tribesman, plenty of vicious animals, kings, and more. I would recommend this story to anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, action, general fiction, other Edgar Rice Burroughs books, or pulp fiction.

Lessons learned in this book:

1. The bad guys always get theirs in the end (probably not true to real life).
2. If one becomes over reliant on one person, they might forget how to trust in themselves.
3. If one over fixates on something it will eventually drive them mad.
4. Greed often leads to violence. This is actually a biblical concept where it is stated that the love of money is the root of all evil.

I hope you have fun reading this story. If nothing else, it is entertaining. It is no falser than the US government, or the news these days. Fiction makes good non-fiction.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the series goes on the books definitely get better. Here we see Tarzan hired by the Gregory Family to look for their son/ brother Brian. In the process they get divided, Tarzan comes to the rescue, all whilst looking for “The father of Diamonds”.

Above all the story works really well, however, it is worthy of note the following: After th3 GLORIOUS RETURN of Jane in the previous book, she has now been written out. Yet again, like with other works by Burroughs, this is a rehash, two cities mortal enemies, with a common ancestry. By now, you get the realisation that all these cities are “White Cities, advanced with black slaves” and above all, Burroughs in effect summed up and concluded this book in one paragraph.

[C2 Winston]

Tarzan of the apes is a truly unique character. He has the ability to think straight and remain calm in the worst of times and devise a plan. Tarzan is also quite resilient and he does what needs to be done. This is shown in the story when Tarzan battles the warrior, defeats the two lions, and still manages to retrieve the diamond even when it was claimed to be impossible. He does this even when odds are going against him when his friends keep getting lost.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story, there are actually a couple of forbidden cities, and once again, a giant diamond is involved. Burroughs has employed the same plot devices consistently in this series, with slight variations and combinations to generate a fresh narrative. Still, he remains entertaining, and the character of Tarzan is always fascinating.

[Shea Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unimaginative Plot

Someone who looks so much like Tarzan that people confuse the two. Done several times already.

A secluded civilization with two warring cities. Done several times before.

Abducted women. Done in almost every book.

Racism. Ditto.

[Norman Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one checks all the boxes:
Pointless war between cities? Check!
Tarzan leading a rescue party? Check!
Tribe of Mangani to assist and sow chaos? Check!
Climactic battle? Check!
Romantic subplot? Check!

This would have made a great serial.

[Mike Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so good ! Long and tedious . I dont believe it was written by Edgar. Also the water scenes were overdone and complex.. Anyhow I got through it with some enjoyment and will go to his ,earlier works ,

Mike Brooke

[Brett Plaxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Tarzan finds himself in a hidden valley where 2 cities are at war and fights a giant seahorse underwater. He’s recruited by friends of Captain D’Arnot to find a man missing in Africa looking for a lost diamond.

[Jeff Mayo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tarzan is the doppelganger of a diamond hunter who went missing. If that weren’t enough idiocy, Tarzan fights a unicorn seahorse the size of a man. I read this many years ago, and it is only memorable for how bad it is.

[Dan Blackley]

Ashair, the city in this story, number 20 in the series holds the "Father of Diamonds". This large gem is said to be the biggest in the world. With Paul's request, Tarzan goes to find this gem.

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

#20 in the Tarzan series. Tarzan leads a search for a hidden city and the “Father of All Diamonds”. Great twist at the end.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one, but two forbidden cities. Tarzan kills a lion, an undersea monster, and a T-Rex!

[Phillip Fitzsimmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recommend this book because I enjoyed it. Though it is both over the top and pretty silly.

[Angie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a mixed bag. I enjoyed all the jungle scenes and thought the Mangani apes were very entertaining. The times Tarzan got into a fight with a weird animal were fun. He took on a mini t-rex (that was cool), some weird horsefish sea monsters, talking apes and all that good stuff. It slowed to a grind when Tarzan and his pals found the hidden civilizations and were promptly captured. It was so tedious. They'd take turns escaping and being recaptured. The evil kings, queens and priests simply weren't interesting. Fortunately, the Mangani showed up again and things picked up once more. Though I think by that time Burroughs had run out of ideas because he quickly resolved everything in a few pages and ended the book.

[Nickolai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сама по себе книга интересная и легко читается. Но как двадцатая в ряду абсолютно похожих друг на другу, вызвала преимущественно утомление и желание,чтобы побыстрее всё закончилось.

[John Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane is never mentioned and the lead female character has a crush on Tarzan. Think we can read between the lines!

[Major B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun adventure! There are definitely a lot of repeated themes here, but the underwater parts were very cool. There were lots of captures and escapes, and never a dull moment!