Tarzan and the Golden Lion (Volume 9)

Tarzan #9

by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ben Dooley (Narrator)

Tarzan and the Golden Lion (Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library)
 
Book 9 of the Tarzan Series - Special Edition Authorized by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
 
Betrayed by a band of international conspirators, Tarzan is drugged and left to die in the jungle. But then a quirk of fate delivers him into the hands of the frightful priests of Opar, the last bastion of lost Atlantis. La, High Priestess of the Flaming God, spares his life once again, driven by her hopeless love for the ape-man, only to find her act rewarded by the betrayal of her own people. To save her, Tarzan flees with La into the legendary Valley of Diamonds, while Jad-bal-ja, his faithful golden lion, follows. Ahead lies a land where sentient gorillas rule over servile humans. And behind, Esteban Miranda—who looks exactly like Tarzan—plots further treachery

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

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1923

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

[Game0ftomes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This installment in the Tarzan series feels repetitive and uninspired. The plot, centered around lost treasure and amnesia, lacks originality, and the characters don't show much growth. The pacing drags in parts, and the writing sometimes feels dated and overly dramatic. While longtime fans might find some enjoyment, newcomers may struggle to stay interested.

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We can die but once," replied Tarzan, "and that once we must die. To be always fearing, then, would not avert it, and would make life miserable."

Unlike most in the series, the story starts completely connected with the last book, where the three were returning home. Nice of ERB to start with a less hazy beginning for a change.

Loved the story as always, and pleasantly surprised to see it didn't went over much details about Jane's abduction this time around, which, to be honest, is getting a little too old.

Main plot with Opar and Diamond Palace Valley were very entertaining and in much congruence with the underlying nature of the series, which I missed during 7th and 8th Books.

"Well, Jad-bal-ja, once again we turn away from home - but no, where she is is home."

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book popped up at Project Gutenberg a week or so ago and the cover caught my eye. I was sent back immediately to my long-ago daydreams of having a lion friend (or an elephant, or a giraffe, or a horse....anything cool that would go with me everywhere and share adventures) so I put it on my special ASAP list.

I was surprised to see that this book is number nine in the Tarzan series. I've read all of the John Carter Mars books by Burroughs but other than the very first Tarzan book and a few comic books I had never really read about the ape man. I knew there were many of them, but i'm not sure how I managed to avoid them all these years!

The first couple of chapters are cool. Tarzan finds the lion cub right at the time it was orphaned. He takes it home and trains it carefully in a somewhat bizarre manner which turned out to be useful even if it did make even Jane wonder at the time.

But at a certain point Tarzan decides he needs more gold to run his estates and off he goes, leaving the now adult lion at home in a cage. Did I mention Tarzan's son was supposed to be in charge of the cat while Tarzan was gone? But then Jane learned that her father in England was ill so she and the son leave and one day while the lion's cage is being cleaned the gate is not fastened correctly and off he runs into the jungle. We don't see him again for many chapters and even though I tried t keep interested in the adventures going on, I was annoyed that 'my' lion was nowhere in sight for such a big chunk of the story.

There are greedy people trying to steal treasure, a plot involving mistaken identities, an old acquaintance turning up again and hoping for true love: it was very imaginative, but I still wanted to play in the jungle with the lion.

Although when he finally did reappear, he made the wait worthwhile!

But I couldn't keep myself truly interested and I will readily admit it is mostly my own fault for deciding ahead of time what to expect. I had thought of going back and reading some of the series between #1 and #9 but there were racial slurs and attitudes here that were annoying to say the least, so I doubt I will ever go find out when Tarzan's son Korak showed up. He seemed to be nearly an adult here, and very much the Proper British Gentleman even if he was also at home in the jungle.

[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

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

One thing I've learned about the Tarzan series: the plots are all over the place. In this volume Tarzan gets a pet lion, but there's also another plotline about a race of intelligent gorillas worshiping a lion in a lost city. There sure are a lot of lost cities in Tarzan stories! There's like a new lost city every volume. However, in a way that's very interesting, as when when these books were written in the early twentieth century, lost cities in Africa were probably a very possible thing.


We have another plotline where Tarzan's former maid is leading an expedition of shady Europeans through Africa in order to loot the fabled city of Opar, where Tarzan gets his gold. She had overhead him talking about it while in his employ. She even hires an actor who looks very similar to Tarzan to impersonate him in case they run into trouble with the African natives. This becomes a pivotal plot point, as even people close to Tarzan have issues telling the true Tarzan from the imposter.

This was an action packed novel, but it seems like the plots are all the same now. Tarzan finds a lost city inhabited by a lost tribe, he has to find his way through the city to either rescue someone or escape, there's a big battle, etc. That being said, it's still entertaining.

If you like adventure novels, Tarzan is always an enjoyable read.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good one! Received this for Christmas in 1960 when I was 10. Read a couple of times.

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how fast these Tarzan stories wind down. Struggles all thru the story, and then wham, it be done. Good guys win....Ha

I have read the first 8 Tarzan novels but since I have a collected edition with 23+ stories I figured I would slowly get back to reading them.

Are they dated? Oh heck yes. But these stories were written about 100 years ago or so. They reflected the unknown world of deep Africa. Politically correct? Not even close. Look beyond those factors into the character/soul of the figures in the story, such as Tarzan, Jane, and so on.

[Holmlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarzan, in his spare time, takes up the task of taming and training an orphaned lion. Having a lion on one's side can be a very useful thing to one who frequently, to the dismay of his wife, traverses the treacherous jungles of Africa. Tarzan has come to the realization he's going to need more money, if he's to keep his estates and continue to live the mostly civilized life he's become accustomed to. So it's back to Opar to once again raid its spectacular treasure vaults. Of course, this is a Tarzan story and things seldom work out as planned. Doppelgangers, lost civilizations, and a former lady's maid all have it out for him this time.

Another page turning adventure from the mind of Burroughs. It could be said, if you're that dreary cup half empty kind of chap, that if you've read one of his books, you've read all of his books. Luckily, for me, I find his one book a highly enjoyable one and very much worth a reread, even if it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the previous trip through.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarzan adopts a wounded lion, or the lion adopts Tarzan, depending on your point of view.
This turns out to be a good move, after he his captured, drugged and sent to the lost city of Opar to be a sacrifice.
With only the lion, a pretty annoying comic relief monkey and the babelicious high priestess, La, who is now a prisoner in her own city, his only hope for escape.

It's the usual Tarzan story, but the relationship between Tarzan and the lion is well down, Opar is a cool locale, and the frustrated love La has for Tarzan is a nice touch that is handled much better than it could have been and there is of course a ton of action.

I always liked that women are always throwing themselves at Tarzan and he is always like 'Sorry, I'm married'. Of course, he says it in a cooler, Tarzan way, but he and Jane were one of the rare happily married literary couples, despite all the kidnappings.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one that I remembered fondly from my younger days that, rereading it now for the first time in about 30 years, actually held up reasonably well.

This picks up in the immediate aftermath of Tarzan the Terrible -- Tarzan, Jane & Korak, making their way home from Pal-ul-Don, come across an orphaned lion cub whom Tarzan promptly adopts, names Jad-Bal-Ja (literally "The Golden Lion" in Pal-ul-Donese) and trains up much like a hunting dog, including tying pieces of steak to human-shaped straw dummies and teaching Jad-Bal-Ja that he can only have some tasty steak when Tarzan says, "Kill."

I see no possible way in which this could go wrong.

Actually, because this is Burroughs and because Tarzan's the one doing the training, it does not, in fact, go wrong.

Fast forward a bit, and while all & sundry have returned to the Greystoke estate, which is being rebuilt after being burned by the Perfidious Hun(tm) in the Great War in the previous books, Tarzan is again skint, so he decides to once again head to the Lost City of Opar, which he treats as his own, personal ATM machine.

Simultaneously, in London, we meet one Flora Hawkes who is in the process of recruiting an athletic young Spaniard named Esteban Miranda to join her rag-tag team of ethnically-stereotyped investors (several of whom speak with incredibly grating phonetically-spelled accents; kids: Don't do this!) for their own trip to Opar. See, Flora used to work for the Greystokes as Jane's lady's maid, so she knows all about the lost city and especially its forgotten storerooms full of abandoned gold, so why should Tarzan get all the fun? (And Señor Esteban has been recruited to the cause specifically because of his remarkable resemblance to one John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, although it rapidly becomes apparent that the resemblance in no way stretches to include Tarzan's intelligence, courage or nobility of character).

Oh, and just to complicate matters even more, La, High Priestess of Opar, is having her own troubles with her would-be betrothed, Cadj, High Priest of Opar, who thinks that really, he should probably just be in charge of everything.

So there we have all of the pieces on the board, which the auctorial hand will push about as needed to create the usual fast-paced adventure with plenty of action, double- and triple-crosses, exciting encounters with wildlife, and an even loster valley than Opar, the Valley of the Palace of the Diamonds, which, well, is pretty much what it says on the tin.

Oh, and while Jad-Bal-Ja is offscreen for a surprisingly large part of the book, when he does bound onstage, he proves to be a Very Good Boy indeed.

[Benjamin Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pulpy fun.

Tarzan raises an orphaned lion and trains it to heel, fetch, and kill. By the book's title, one might think that was the book's entire premise, but it's not. The book also includes a visit to the ancient Atlantean colony of Opar; a lost city of intelligent, diamond-mining gorilla men; evil priests; a band of craven European treasure hunters; a Tarzan impersonator; tribes of cannibals and slavers; and the disappearance of Jane. You get the impression that ERB was cramming every idea he could muster into the story. And he juggled it all well, actually. The denouement is a little hasty and there are a few moments where one wonders why ERB decided to cut off certain threads before they grew into interesting ideas, but I suppose there must be a return to the status quo come book's end.

On a personal note, this was especially fun to read because I decided to read one of the older books in my collection instead of an electronic copy. It was a red cloth Grosset & Dunlap from the 1920s. When I devoured ERB during my adolescence, I read entirely from used books, either copies I inherited from family or found in used book shops, these red G&Ds and the Ace paperbacks being my favorite editions. It was fun to smell the must of the thing, feel the coarseness of the paper, note foxing and stains on the pages and spots where the printing was imperfect (a little triangle of black often appeared above the lower case d where the type was over-inked). I almost gave the book 4 stars based on the pleasure I had in reading the thing. It was so nice to lie on a bed on a quiet afternoon, the window open, gentle breeze and birdsong leaking through it, and just plow through a book like I used to 30 years ago.

[Jane Cathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m still hooked on this series.

[Austin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some things about this entry in the Tarzan series;
Tarzan taming a lion and having the trusted animal at his disposal; Tarzan once again meeting La, the High Preistess, this time in aid of eachother as the rebellious High Priest and his inbred tribe threaten to sacrifice them - and plenty of jungle action and survival, as always.

Where this one falters a bit is in its odd pacing and multiple plot lines that run together a bit clumsily. I didn't much care for the Tarzan impersonator subplot, and it was utterly ridiculous that the Waziri tribe (and Jane, of all people) should be fooled by a villain disguised as our titular hero.

Overall this is a fine, average entry in the series.
2.5⭐ rounded up.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this book, amazing! 9 books down, 17 to go!

[Captain Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely a dull moment in this series. I especially like it when Tarzan visits the lost city of Opar.

[Eero Korpinen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tarzan ja kultaleijona on ensimmäinen koskaan lukemani romaani. Luin sen ensimmäisen kerran joskus ala-asteen ensimmäisellä tai toisella luokalla koulun lukutunneilla, ja pelastin sen luettavakseni kirjaston poistomyynnistä puhtaasti tämän nostalgian vuoksi, vaikken muistanutkaan kirjan tapahtumista yhtää mitään. Jos olisin muistanut, niin lukematta olisi jäänyt.

Kultaleijona on suoraa jatkoa sarjan kahdeksannelle osalle, Kauhealle Tarzanille, ja alkaa kun Tarzan, Jane ja heidän poikansa Korak palaavat kotiin edellisestä seikkailustaan ja löytävät orvoksi jääneen leijonanpennun, josta Tarzan sitten kasvattaa Jad-bal-jan, edellä mainitun kultaleijonan. Kotopuolessa Tarzan tulee siihen tulokseen että hänellä voisi olla enemmänkin rahaa, ja päättää lähteä uskollisten waziriensa kanssa hakemaan täydennystä Oparin aarrekammioista. Oparin rikkaudet ovat kuitenkin mielessä muillakin, sillä Greystokejen entinen sisäkkö on lyöttäytynyt yhteen saksalaisen rahamiehen, kahden englantilaisen nyrkkeilijän, venäläisen balettitanssijan ja espanjalaisen näyttelijän kanssa, ja heillä on kiero suunnitelma...

Hätäisempi lukija voisi kuvitella kirjan kertovan Tarzanin ja ahneiden eurooppalaisten välienselvittelystä, mutta käytännössä kirja on jaettu kahteen tarinaan, jotka risteävät keskenään vain ohimennen. Leijonanosa (hehee) Tarzanin ajasta menee setviessä erinäisten kadonneiden valtakuntien asioita kultavarkaiden mellastaessa keskenään. Vasta lopussa puolikkaista yritetään solmia kunnolla kokonaisuus, mikä epäonnistuu surkeasti. Kumpainenkin kertomus toimisi itsekseen, mutta yhdessä ne vievät vain tilaa toisiltaan. Epäsuhtaa ainoastaan vahvistaa puoliskojen epätasaisuus: Tarzanin seikkailut yltyvät välillä lähes mielenkiintoisiksi, mutta yleiseurooppalaisen salaliiton touhut taantuvat nopeasti täydelliseksi farssiksi petosten, väärinkäsitysten ja uskomattomien sattumien seuratessa toinen toistaan.

Juonen lisäksi itse teksti ja hahmot jättivät minut kovin kylmäksi. Suurin osa kertojan ajasta menee metsien uroon sijasta todellista kartanoa tiluksineen ja alkuasukasalustalaisineen hallitsevaksi siirtomaaherraksi paljastuvan Tarzanin kykyjen ja vartalon ihannoimiseksi itsensä tai muiden hahmojen puolesta. Suoranaiseksi henkilönpalvonnaksi yltyvä ylistys alkaa tympäistä hyvin äkkiä. Tarzan on täysin erehtymätön, vailla yhtäkään heikkoutta, ja tavattoman tylsä. Jäljelle jäävä tila käytetään siihen että kerran selitettyjä asioita toistetaan moneen kertaan. Osaltaan kertaus selittyy sillä että tarina on julkaistu alunperin jatkokertomuksena, mutta jankutusta harrastetaan monesti myös samassa kohtauksessa. Ei satu yhtä tai kahta kertaa kun kertoja selittää Tarzanin keksineen jotain, Tarzan selittää asian seurassaan olevalle henkilölle ja sitten vielä toiselle. Tarzan ei myöskään ole erityisen mieltäylentävä sankari. Ilmeisesti tarkoituksena olisi antaa kuva jalosta villistä, valtakuntansa herrasta, mutta ainakin minulle hän näyttäytyi jäykkäniskaisena, omasta arvovallastaan liiankin tietoisena öykkärinä, joka mitä ilmeisimmin nauttii koko Afrikan kyläpoliisin toimestaan uhkaillessaan vähän jokaista tappamisella.

Petyin Tarzaniin ja kultaleijonaan raskaasti. Tämä harmittaa erityisesti siksi koska tarinassa on ainesta, jopa kultavarkaissa. Tarzanin puuhat ovat mielenkiintoisia, mutta ainoastaan niinä harvoina hetkinä kun hän ei pullistele vallallaan ja kertoja malttaa kuvat ainoastaan tapahtumia eikä unohdu ihannoimaan sankariaan. Kokonaisuudella on puutteensa, mutta ennen kaikkea se on tylsä. Ehkäpä annan joskus myöhemmin mahdollisuuden sarjan aiemmille osille, joissa kaikki on vielä uutta ja tuoretta, mutta Kultaleijonaan en enää kolmatta kertaa kajoa.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this ninth book in the Tarzan series, Tarzan, Jane, and son Korak are returning home from their previous adventure (as told in the book, “Tarzan the Terrible”) and come across an orphan lion cub which Tarzan decides to take back home and train as a hunting companion. About two years pass and the lion grows strong and loyal but just wild enough to be able to kill on Tarzan’s command. Also, over this time, Tarzan and Jane must re-build their African plantation after the Nazi’s destroyed it two books ago. But funds are running low so Tarzan decides to risk another trip to Opar to replenish the coffers. Meanwhile, Flora Hawkes, a former maid in the Greystoke home in London has put together a plan based on stories she has heard from her employers. She plans to become rich by stealing gold from Opar so she forms a safari-like team of associates including a Tarzan look-alike as a way to infiltrate Opar and take the gold.

A number of subplots are woven through the book as well, including another lost culture of gorilla-like people who control a large slave population, near Opar. And of course, we can't have an Opar adventure without the beautiful La, and this time, she has been betrayed and ousted by her evil and corrupt high priest. Tarzan must navigate his way through all of these threats.

Another enjoyable Tarzan adventure novel with plenty of action and adventure. For me, this one was especially nostalgic because it was my very first Tarzan novel, one that I first read way back when I was about 10 years old. I remember very little about that experience other than a feeling of disappointment, no doubt due to the fact that I was really too young to read it. My Tarzan experiences and expectations up to that point were based solely on cartoons, the funny pages, and perhaps a clip or two from a Johnny Weissmuller film, none of which depicted Tarzan as Lord Greystoke, an intelligent and forward thinking being.

This has been my “year of Tarzan”, a decision I embarked on back in January when I discovered this year (2018) was the 100th anniversary of the first Tarzan movie, a silent movie produced and released in 1918. Consequently I have watched about 20 of the classic era movies through this year, including that first silent movie, all of Weissmuller’s films, and the five Les Barker flicks. I am currently making my way through the 6 Gordon Scott pictures and plan to continue the film history of Tarzan into next year as well. I’ve only read five Tarzan books this year, four of them by Edgar Rice Burroughs and one by Will Murray. That’s OK. The Tarzan books are best read spread out over several years so that each one remains fresh.

[John Reis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tarzan rescues a lion cub and begins to train it.

Tarzan and Jane are running out of funds, so he decides to take a trip to Opar to steal more gold. Before he arrives, he is waylaid and left for dead. He is captured by Cadj the High Priest of Opar. La, the Opar Queen, who is in love with Tarzan helps him escape. They are captured by sentient gorillas.

Flora Hawks, a former maid of Lady Jane, has put together a team to steal the gold from Opar. This leads to a separate trail of tribulations and deaths.

Tarzan is hit on the head several times along the way. Jane decides to go after Tarzan when he is gone too long. She then is captured.

This is the most problematic Tarzan I’ve read so far. The print copy I read replaces the n-word with the word native. The n-word is used throughout the audio book. There is a Jewish character in this story. Various characters, as well as the narrator, use various racial epithets to describe him.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read during Covid19 stay at home time. What struck me was how much ERB included antisemitic and prejudicial language in his writing. The book reflects where we were as a society with racism when it was written (1922). Glad to say that the Tarzan of the 1970's with Russ Manning art moved us toward a more inclusive view. Brothers of the Spear - a back up story in Tarzan comics was part of that effort.

[David Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

ERB was a master of jumping among two or three sets of characters and locales, slowly drawing them together for suspense and maximum impact. A fun entry in the series that includes a Tarzan impostor who fools everyone and complicates everything. In "Brady Bunch" terms, he's like Cousin Oliver, but evil!

[Angela Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarzan is my guilty pleasure. He is at once the big, strong hero as well as the simpleton who falls prey to the pitfalls of other people's greed, hatred, and other perilous sins. In this one he raises a lion from a cub to become the great Numa. I love the Wiziri tribe who support Tarzan and his family. The Tarzan stories became more interesting to me this time because I realized that these were written at a time when pro-ceding the Origin of the Species. Tarzan finds all sorts of humanoid creatures as he travels, primarily, through the Congo. The ideas for the evolutionary indulgences Burroughs in the human realm is very interesting.

[Theophilus (Theo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good clean adventure, taking into account the racist slant of Euro-society in the author's day. Extreme danger over which the hero prevails. Clear division between the good guys and the bad guys, and they are not divided by color. All of the bad guys are not Africans, in fact the most evil of the bad guys are European. And the good guys come in all hues. Burroughs has a message in here, "the good guys always win." Maybe not always true in real life, but fun to read about. Tarzan and his family return to Africa to rebuild their devastated estate, but find his friends and allies the Waziri have already started the rebuilding process. Tarzan finds and adopts an orphaned lion cub and trains him as a feline military animal. Tarzan goes off to get some gold from the lost Atlantean enclave in Africa. While he is gone his treacherous former maid, along with some very unsavory henchmen, attempts to do the same thing, based upon information she acquired while working in the Greystoke household. Lots of battle action as their paths cross. Nothing really too gory by today's standards and of couse no sex. Good young male reading.

[Adrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tarzan and the Golden Lion: A wild ride through absurdity and colonial imagination

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan and the Golden Lion takes readers on yet another fantastical adventure with the lord of the jungle, blending outlandish plotlines with Burroughs' characteristic pulp charm. However, the book also exemplifies the era's prejudices and outdated pseudoscientific notions, making it a curious relic of early 20th-century adventure fiction.

Woke or revisionist readers, who may lack a sense of historical context, might want to steer clear of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ works altogether, as they are undeniably steeped in the prejudices and stereotypes of their era.

1. The Golden Lion: more mascot than hero

The story begins with Tarzan and his family adopting an orphaned lion cub, who grows into the titular "Golden Lion." While one might expect the lion to play a central role, its presence feels largely ornamental for much of the narrative. However, to be fair, the lion does come into its own during the climactic moments. Not only does it save Tarzan's life, but it also plays a key role as part of Tarzan's "liberation army" during the final showdown in Gorilland. While its contributions are impactful, they remain concentrated at the end, leaving much of the book without the kind of ongoing integration one might expect from a title character.

2. Flora Hawkes and her thugs

One of the more bizarre subplots involves Flora Hawkes, a former Greystoke chambermaid turned schemer, who gathers an ensemble of accomplices to steal from Tarzan. Among her recruits are Esteban Miranda, a con artist actor who happens to be Tarzan's doppelgänger, and a financier described as a "German Jew," which reeks of the anti-Semitic stereotypes pervasive in literature of the time. The crew’s dynamics are rife with betrayals: Flora and her accomplices repeatedly deceive one another, with shifting alliances and double-crosses creating an almost farcical level of intrigue. These betrayals add some drama but also underscore how loosely this group is held together, making the conspiracy feel more like chaotic opportunism than a cohesive plot.


3. Tarzan’s financial troubles and a return to the Opar ATM

In a surprising twist, we find Tarzan facing financial difficulties, prompting him to revisit Opar, the lost city he has looted before, to replenish his coffers from its fabled treasures. This subplot reintroduces La, the high priestess of the assassin sun-worshipping Oparians, infamous for their grisly rituals of human sacrifice to their sun deity. The Oparians, as Burroughs reveals, are direct descendants of the drowned Atlanteans, now reduced to a brutish and degenerate state over millennia. Despite her high station, La is tragically condemned to live among these primitives, her unrequited love for Tarzan adding a tragic dimension to her character. Meanwhile, Cadj, a scheming minor arch-villain, works to undermine La’s position, his machinations stirring further conflict within Opar. This return to Opar combines nostalgia with macabre melodrama, blending elements of lost-world fantasy and pulp adventure.


4. The quasi-smart Bolgani civilization and its mysteries

One of the book's most intriguing—and baffling—elements is the discovery of a "lost civilization" of intelligent Bolgani (gorillas). These semi-civilized apes have established a hierarchical society, complete with enslaved Gomangani (local African humans), who are treated with maximum disdain. This setup reflects the orthogenetic evolution theory pervasive in Burroughs’ time, where whites are portrayed as the pinnacle of advancement.

Adding to the oddity is the presence of an unexplained "old man," a white figure who, through Tarzan's conquests, ends up crowned as the king of Gorilland. While his rise to power underscores the narrative's racial biases, it also feels narratively unearned, with little explanation of his backstory or his relationship to the Bolgani.

Equally strange is the figure of Numa, the old and decrepit lion worshipped as the god of Gorilland. In the Mangani language, "Numa" refers to any lion, not a proper name, which highlights the Bolgani's reverence for a symbol of power now reduced to weakness. Despite his apparent significance to their religious practices, this particular Numa plays no meaningful role in the story. He is dispatched quickly and unceremoniously, his presence amounting to little more than an afterthought in the chaotic tapestry of subplots.

Even by Burroughs’ pulp standards, the Bolgani civilization strains credulity, blending elements of adventure, pseudoscience, and colonialist ideology into a tale as wild as it is problematic.


Overall impressions

While Tarzan and the Golden Lion delivers the over-the-top action and pulp thrills fans of the series expect, its wild plotlines often lack coherence and strain credibility. The novel reflects not just Burroughs' imagination but also the colonialist and racial prejudices of its time, which are glaringly present in its depiction of non-European characters and civilizations.

For fans of Tarzan, this installment offers moments of intrigue and adventure, but it also exemplifies the need to engage critically with classic literature. Modern readers should approach it as both entertainment and a window into the cultural attitudes of its period, for better or worse.

[Janith Pathirage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This's a very exiting Tarzan adventure which I like so much. It's full of adventure and lot of close bare-hand combats with wild beasts. Adding to that, there're no boring lost civilizations. And this's the book where we fist encounter Jad-bal-ja, the most fierce ally Tarzan ever had besides his Waziri friends. First few Tarzan books're always entertaining to read

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

love these books wish i could sit down and read in one sitting instead of pages at a time then fall asleep lol!!

[Johnny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven’t read Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar, a story that comes ahead of Tarzan and the Golden Lion. Yet, I think from looking at the title that it must have something to do with Tarzan both protecting the “Jewels of Opar” from western fortune-hunters and receiving some of the bounty as his reward. One reason I think that is because Tarzan returns to the Valley of Opar because his funds are getting low. He intends to get some gold there and bring it back to do what must be done.

Meanwhile, Tarzan isn’t the only one after that gold; western opportunists have invested in an expedition based on a map provided by Tarzan’s former housekeeper. This housekeeper comes up with a confidence scheme to shield the expedition’s way when they go into the valley. The confidence scheme depends on a stolen identity, but there are times when the confidence man cons himself. In this case, some strange psychological stuff happens after the identity is stolen. I won’t tell you lest it act as a spoiler, but you’ll see it coming as surely as you know what will happen with the golden lion.

Despite the roaring lion on the cover of my old paperback copy of the novel, I wondered if “golden lion” referred to some sacred idol that was worth a fortune. Even when Tarzan adopts a young lion cub and trains him from his youth, one can’t be positive that this is the eponymous golden lion. In fact, one might suspect as I did that the lion would break free of Tarzan’s control and run back to nature to participate in the wild, natural life in which he had been born. One can even smirk smugly to oneself when the lion escapes his cage and charges into the forest. But, if that ended the story, the golden lion probably wouldn’t be in the title.

What happens to the lion is one of those fortuitous events which happens often in pulp literature. At one point, the lion ends up being worshipped as a god by a primitive tribe. It’s hard not to be in awe of a fierce creature when he’s just devoured some of your elite guard. There is also Burroughs’ requisite unrequited love. Tarzan’s unwillingness to surrender to a high priestess’ infatuation with him just might be fatal—for both of them. But despite the pulpy tropes, there is action and poetic justice enough for any fan of the genre.

Tarzan and the Golden Lion isn’t the best Burroughs tale I’ve read, not even the best Tarzan novel I’ve read. I was able to set the book down easily and didn’t find myself overly focused on getting back to the story. There were a couple of interesting twists in the story, but all-in-all, it won’t have me seeking out Tarzan novels for a while. I think I like my pulp adventures more in the classic vein of The Spider and The Shadow when supposedly set on our earth, and space fantasy like John Carter of Mars and Carson of Venus when set in some space.

[Anu Korpinen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ensimmäinen koskaan lukemani Tarzan. Olen suunnitellut lukevani Edgar Rice Burroughsilta jotain jo pitemmän aikaa, lähinnä Mars-kirjoja, mutta kun tämä Tarzan nyt sattui olemaan hyllyssä, niin tartuimme miehen kanssa siihen. Luimme sen toisillemme ääneen iltalukemiseksi. Kuittaan tällä kirjalla Porin lukuhaasteen kohdan 9, eli "olen ennenkin suunnitellut lukevani kyseisen kirjan tai kirjailijan muun teoksen, mutten ole saanut syystä tai toisesta luetuksi."

Kirja oli melko tavalla sellainen kuin oletinkin, seikkailukirja jossa on uljas, ylevä ja ruumiinrakenteeltaan jumalainen sankari (tätä Tarzanin hyvännäköisyyttä painotettiin jopa häiritsevän usein). Afrikka on merkillinen manner, täynnä kadonneita laaksoja, unohdettuja kulttuureja, apinoiden kanssa risteytyviä outoja heimoja, ihmissyöjiä sekä barbaarisia aarteita joita länsimaiset pitkäkyntiset havittelevat.

Tarzan ja paha rosvojoukko ovat samaan aikaan matkalla ryöstämään Oparin aarrekammioita. Rosvot ovat jopa nähneet niin paljon vaivaa että ovat etsineet joukkoonsa Tarzanin kaksoisolennon, ilmeisesti alkuasukkaiden hämäämiseksi (mitään varsinaista virkaa aarteen hankkimisessa tällä pahalla tuplatarzanilla ei tuntunut olevan). Tarzan, hänen kaksoisolentonsa, rosvot, Oparin ylipapitar La, Jane sekä lukuisat alkuasukasheimot viilettävät siis ympäri viidakkoa toisiinsa törmäillen ja sekaannuksia sattuu. Kultaa ja jalokiviä ryöstetään, kätketään ja löydetään, ja siinä sivussa vapautetaan muutama onneton alkuasukas sorron ikeestä. Lopussa paha saa palkkansa ja jotkut rosvoista jopa ymmärtävät pahuutensa, katuvat ja anovat Tarzanilta anteeksiantoa.

Juoni oli melkoisen sekava ja asioita selitettiin moneen kertaan, tämä jankkaaminen johtunee siitä että juttu on alun perin ilmestynyt jatkokertomuksena. Ei tosiaan mitenkään mieleenpainuva tarina, mutta jonkun verran kiinnostaisi lukea sarjan aikaisempiakin osia.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, compared to previous Burroughs books, what a real gem this story was. This is a story of greed, cunning, intrigue, plots and double crossing. The things people will do for money, in this case gold. The story revolves around a group of people lead by a former maid of they Greystoke’s hatches a 0lan for wealth and fortune. This involves a cunning plot of a fake Tarzan nonetheless. Within itself this story was a gem to read.


Now, being nit picky about the story. Jack (Kodak) finally makes an appearance after a five book absence to then be seemingly written out. On top of this, Tarzan and Jane seemingly have spent ALL THEIR MONEY AGAIN. Boy they have no concept of ‘managing your finances’. THEN, beyond disbelief, Tarzan decides to rectify their financial situation............ By going to Opar!!!!! Hasn’t he learnt from his first two visits? No good can come from this, and, it didn’t. Mix3d in with this story, Jane apparently dies again and the ‘local natives’ can’t seem to differentiate between Tarzan and Fake Tarzan.

Don’t worry though, if you have read the previous works by Burroughs, the last chapter won’t come as too much of a surprise.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarzan, Jane and their son Jack head home after the adventures in Pal-ul-don recorded in the previous book to find their African estate restored but their fortune diminished due to the war. So

Tarzan heads out on another trip to his ‘bank’: Opar. But there’s another group of fortune hunters out to get the gold of Opar and they are not as honorable as Tarzan.

Boy, this story was all over the place with at least seven different groups running around, splitting up and merging with others and back again. Each person had their own agenda and plans, some worked and others were changed to fit new circumstances. There’s even a Tarzan impersonator. It was confusingly hard to keep up sometimes.

Footnote: 1) I love the idea of the lion that Tarzan raised. That would be so cool.

Fave scenes: Tarzan & Korak’s bet, Miranda meeting Tarzan’s Waziri, Tarzan’s instructions to the old man and the four Londoners arguing over which way is west and east.

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a former employee of the Clayton family steals information regarding the whereabouts of the ancient city of Opar, she decides to hatch a plot with the help of some questionable personages who will front her the money needed to raid the city for its riches, taking advantage of one Esteban Miranda, a Spanish actor who looks just like Lord Greystoke.

Meanwhile, the Claytons make their way back home after the events of the previous novel and Tarzan decides to adopt an orphaned lion cub of the exotic variety found in the lost lands of his last adventure and raise it much like a pet dog.

Getting back to their African estate, Tarzan decides to venture back to Opar in order to get some much-needed wealth to rebuild after the Great War, and runs into treachery at the hands of the party seeking to plunder the city.

What he doesn't know is that his faithful lion has escaped from home and is making his way to his master.

Though I'm sad that Wasimbu is in fact dead (I kept hoping he'd be brought back), many of the Waziri are back in this novel, and Jack/Korak is also a supporting character after his exploits from the last book.

This one had a bit more racism thrown in, with several disparaging comments regarding the black people of Africa and frequent use of the n-word by some of the Europeans (not Tarzan and his family, though). Also, there's a healthy dose of racism towards Jewish people through a German Jew character who's part of the group of bad guys and is a walking pile of negative Jewish stereotypes.