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    The Return of Tarzan
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    The Return of Tarzan
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    The Return of Tarzan
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Return of Tarzan

    Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    Narrated by Jeff Harding

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

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    About this audiobook

    In this second addition to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ epic adventures of Tarzan, listeners will find the jungle man leaving America to visit old friends in Europe. Through spirals of action, disaster, and shipwreck, we find Tarzan and a group of travelers, including his first love Jane and his new archenemy Rokoff, back in the jungle where he was raised. Encountering even more hardship in the harsh jungle, Tarzan again fights wild animals and savage tribes in the ultimate search for secret buried treasure. This sequel to Tarzan of the Apes sheds even more light on the beloved jungle hero’s life, loves, and struggles fitting into human society.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateJun 14, 2016
    ISBN9781520008059
    Author

    Edgar Rice Burroughs

    American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875 - 1950) worked many odd jobs before professionally writing. Burroughs did not start writing until he was in his late 30s while working at a pencil-sharpener wholesaler. But after following his call to writing, Burroughs created one of America's most enduring adventure heroes: Tarzan. Along with his novels about Tarzan, Burroughs wrote the notable Barsoom series, which follows the Mars adventurer John Carter.

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    Reviews for The Return of Tarzan

    3.5/5

    306 ratings16 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The Return of Tarzan starts up where Tarzan of the Apes left off. Having concealed his true indentity so as to allow Jane Porter to marry the wealthy Lord William Clayton as opposed to the destitute not-Lord William Clayton, Tarzan sails for France. On the way, the wheels of adventure begin to turn. He comes to the aid of a gentleman cheated at cards, and Olga de Coude a beautiful woman accosted by miscreants (who turn out to be husband and wife), incurring the wrath of Rokloff, their tormentor. Back in Paris, he becomes Rokloff's target, and de Coude's close friend. A complicated plot of Rokloff's results in Olga's reputation being potentially compromised, but Tarzan is such an honorable individual that Olga's husband becomes his friend and ally (apparently having a noble bloodline gives one a fully developed sense of honor and propriety without the benefit of any kind of education in such matters).Tarzan, despite his incredible physical talents and seemingly genius level intellect has been unable to secure employment in Paris, and when de Coude offers him a job working as a spy for France he accepts and travels to Algeria to spy on an army lieutenent suspected of passing secrets. It turns out that the lieutenant's contact is none other than Rokloff, who once again tries to take revenge on Tarzan. On the way, Tarzan rescues a beautiful arab princess, becomes friends with her sheikh father, and evades Rokloff's attempts on his life. He is abruptly called away to carry some papers for the government, and when he arrives on his ship, none other than Rokloff is there to steal them from him and toss him overboard.And we haven't even gotten to the part where Tarzan swims to shore, finds himself near the cabin he was born in, becomes king of a tribe of Africans, defeats a gang of slavers who attack his village, journeys to the fabled city of Opar, gets captured, escapes, and then rescues Jane.(In a parallel storyline, Jane has been sailing about with Clayton, her father, her best friend, and, of course, Rokloff. They are shipwrecked right off the coast where Tarzan's cabin is, and wind up right under his nose. Clayton turns out to have known all along that Tarzan was actually Lord Greystoke, and proves to be less than successful at braving the wilds, causing Jane to finally tell him she doesn't want to marry him. Clayton then gets sick right after Jane is captured by the simian inhabitants of Opar, and eventually dies.)Most of the book is simply an excuse to move Tarzan from place to place so he can foil Rokloff in a variety of settings, or otherwise show how smart, strong, and brave he is. Every beautiful woman who crosses his path is smitten with him, and of course, he chivalrously declines them all pining for Jane (who for all but the last ten pages of the book he believes is going to marry Clayton) because, apparently, fidelity is something that is instinctual for those of noble birth (or maybe he learned it during the years he was living with the apes). For a man who lived in the wilds until he was twenty-three or so, by twenty-four Tarzan is improbably well-spoken and cultured: sipping absinthe, smoking cigars and spending his nights at the opera. The most hilarious episode takes place in Opar, where he has a detailed and poetic conversation with La, the high-priestess of the human-ape hybrids that inhabit the city - all in the language of the apes.The adventures in the book are all, individually decent enough, but the book as a whole is disjointed and there is simply too much serendipity for the overall story to hold up at all. Tarzan's character is simply too much of a Mary Sue wish-fulfillment vehicle to really be taken seriously, and Jane is too dimwitted through most of the book to believe she could be the object to Tarzan's undying devotion. Even when regarded as nothing more than a pulp adventure, it never rises much above average in quality.
    • 4/5
      Many people probably do not know (and I had forgotten until I started rereading this) that the original Tarzan of the Apes ends up with Tarzan nobly renouncing the hand of Jane (and his title of Lord Greystoke) in favor of a more civilized man he believes will make her a more suitable husband. Naturally, the story could not end there, and in this volume Tarzan sets out to return to his wild life in Africa and becomes involved in shipboard intrigues and eventually much African adventures, including near-human sacrifice, while Jane also returns to Africa and finds herself wishes for the support of Tarzan instead of the alternative lover who is unable to protect her from the villains.
    • 4/5
      I read the first Tarzan novel 6 or 7 years ago and generally enjoyed it. It was a fun and interesting adventure novel with some dated "sexism" and "racism" but with some intriguing insights and contemplation about morality and the nature of what it means to be human. It was filled with wild adventures through the African jungles with exciting surprises and events.(Minor plot Spoilers in the form of basic synopsis for the next 4 paragraphs)This second novel started out similar but also wildly different than its predecessor. We find that Jane is engaged but not yet married to William Clayton and that she seems to be continually postponing the marriage for 'some' reason. Dismayed at the loss of Jane, Tarzan travels to Europe. On the boat, he stumbles on a dangerous situation and helps both a Count and a Countess but earns the anger of a shady villain. Once in France, Tarzan entrenches himself into the life of a high class citizen. In spite of this new life being opened to him, he bored with wandering the streets, dining at clubs and visiting the theatre. He seeks opportunities to "stretch his legs" in the city and wanders again into troublesome situations where he finds himself torn between the vicious yet simple laws of the jungle and the rigid laws of man and justice.Eventually, Tarzan's actions and connections earn him the job as an agent to the ministry of war. Essentially he has become a courier and a spy. He travels across the deserts of northern Africa, finding and helping people in various forms of trouble. He still has a very basic sense of right-and-wrong and tries to impose his will with the same impulsive tactics that worked back in the jungle. His strength and speed help him out of many situations but he continues finds himself conflicted between the laws of men and his own moral code. He also encounters villains who, although they are men, fight with sneaky underhanded means that make Tarzan despise them.Tarzan's adventures in espionage continue to make him more and more disillusioned about the human race and the more he thinks about Jane, the more he decides that there may be nothing worthwhile for him in this new life he's discovered. A coincidental twist of fate gives Tarzan the opportunity to forsake his human world when he finds himself flung overboard and manages to make it to the shore of Africa and find his way into the jungle where he sheds the constraints of humanity and begins life as the ape man once again.Back in the jungles of Africa, Tarzan has numerous other crazy adventures. Not only does he face off against wild animals but he also comes to the aid of a tribe (the Waziri) of natives being attacked by a group of ivory raiders. Seeking adventure and learning of a city of treasure, Tarzan goes with the Waziri in search of a lost city. Once there, he has other dangerous adventures and chances to use his strength and cunning. Interacting with the Waziri and the inhabitants of the lost city of Opar, he once again questions the nature of humanity. Meanwhile, the author brings in a parallel story of Jane, Clayton and other friends as they take a cruise around Africa only to meet with disaster that shipwrecks them near the jungle. Numerous coincidences occur and Tarzan must choose whether to return to Jane or remain the ape man in the jungle.(end of minor spoilers)From a plot standpoint, the novel works a little bit like two novellas strung together. First we have the adventures of Tarzan in France and as an agent for the war ministry in Northern Africa. Then we have the adventures of Tarzan as he returns to the jungles of Africa. The interlude between these two adventures would have served as a sort of cliffhanger had the book truly been split into two but it could make a nice break point for a reader. However, the two stories work well together and serve as a good exploration of human nature as we see Tarzan struggling to come to grips with the life of civilized man versus the life of the ape man in the jungle. While some of the mindsets are a bit outdated (especially in terms of the role of women and blacks), many of the insights that Tarzan explores are intriguing and relevant today. The main idea that plagues Tarzan is that "civilized" mankind can act with such malice and depravity while uncivilized humans or animals can act with some sense of nobility and propriety. And yet, behind all of these more "noble" concerns about humanity, Tarzan's main reason for wanting to shun the civilized world is because he cannot have the object of his affection, Jane Porter. So in the end, this adventure novel is also a love story and it shows the driving force that love (and other emotions) can be in the actions of man.Overall I felt like I enjoyed this novel more than the first one but at the same time it's difficult to compare the two because they are quite different in terms of tone and the way the story works out. I really had fun with both of them. I'm still not sure how much farther I'll go through the 24 Tarzan novels, but if they continue with the trend of this second book, it looks like the series will continue with good quality.****3.5 out of 5 stars
    • 3/5
      This book is still jam-packed with Edgar Rice Burroughs signature cliches and still fun. But, the coincidences pile up, and Tarzan is more than a bit dense at times. His chivalry is grotesque. There are ever so many scenes of implied but not actually spelled out attempted rape. Women are sure useful for keeping the plot moving.
    • 4/5
      Very good follow-up of the first Tarzan novel. It brings Tarzan to the Western world and society, and he meets some intersting adventures there.
    • 3/5
      Had I read this in my childhood I would've probably given it 4 stars, but as an adult I'm sometimes left with a furrowed brow. There is a lot left to chance and coincidence. Whilst I can suspend belief regarding a baby being raised by apes, it's harder to accept that, after 20 years of Tarzan only being able to communicate in the anthropoid tongue, he can become fluent in French in a couple of years, after which English comes almost as naturally, and in this sequel he's quick to pick up Arabic and learn the language of the Waziri tribe."The Return of Tarzan" mirrors the previous book in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series in that this time Tarzan begins the tale in the civilized world and ends it in the jungle. I thought the opening chapters were good, regarding Tarzan's relationship with the countess and his repeated efforts to thwart Rokoff.The middle of the book did not appeal so much to me. Somehow having the ape-man acting as a secret agent doesn't work for me anymore than the king of the jungle wearing suits and drinking absynth. I guess the majority of film makers felt the same way, as with the exception of "Greystoke", few adaptations resemble the books.Once Tarzan returns to the jungle the narrative improves again. It's further enhanced when the alluring Jane Porter arrives. The scenes with her and the few men drifting at sea are particularly well written.As with the first Tarzan novel, this one was worth reading, though I wouldn't read it again.
    • 4/5
      This second book in the Tarzan series takes more liberty with reality than the first book. Tarzan beat a great ape in combat (right!), and always kills what he aims fo. The biggest faux pas, however, is the wild man speaking as well as an Exeter Don just two years after he is introduced to English
    • 4/5
      Tarzan gets the girl, and the fortune, and acclaim. Not bad for a superhero. But poor Clayton.... He just can't live up to the man whose place he had taken through no fault of his own.
    • 4/5
      This book resumes the story from the first, following Tarzan and Jane separately through most of the book. We Tarzan fall from his height of a sophisticated European back to the jungle animal. He maintains his morals and manages to return to his heights. All the loose ends are tied up this time, but it still leaves some expectations for the next volume. Tarzan seems too much of a superhero than the myth from comic and TV lore. He is both a cultured European with fluency in several languages, and the ultimate savage speaking with apes and many primitive tribes. He is unerring with spear and bow, tracker, spy, and what else? But it is still very enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      Tarzan is simply a white SuperCaptainCoolMan. That's all there is to it. With sinewy arms of steel forged in the leafy shadows of the darkest jungles--you get the picture. The silliest theme in the book is Tarzan's de-evolution from a gentleman in Paris to the ape-man rampaging through the jungle with his primate brethren. The not-so-subtle social Darwinism featured in all the Tarzan books is annoying if you can't get past the stupid ideas of previous generations--maybe in 75 years people will be put off by the murky postmodernism of the early 21st century. Burroughs was still way ahead of his time in his ability to create a predictable comic book hero about whom he could churn out multiple titles. Of course, that whole genre depends heavily on remarkable coincidences. I'm still bewildered about how most of the characters in this book end up at Tarzan's boyhood cabin on the west coast of Africa at some point or another when I can't even find the closest Target without a GPS. I'm still giving the improbable plot four stars because it's fun to read, with shipwrecks, political scandals, militant pygmies covered in bling, diabolical villains, and gentle ladies throughout (although Tarzan only wants to be "bully chums" with the non-European females he meets, even if he does call Arabs "white men"). Despite his embarrassing habit of being randomly heroic, I think Tarzan would be a good friend to play video games with--not any complex board games though, he's not evolved enough for that.
    • 3/5
      Humans-as-companion animals. Charley, a "Mount," is uncomfortably complicit in his own slavery. Interesting idea--the resolution and much of the plot left me wanting, but I did like that Emshwiller refused to talk about freedom and power in easy or traditional ways.
    • 4/5
      What science fiction should be. A story to make you question which chains you choose in your life, and what it means to be human.
    • 4/5
      A creepy little story about how in the future humans have been taken over by aliens who ride us like horses...and we like it.
    • 5/5
      When I finished this book, I picked up another to read, and just couldn't do it. The "message" in this book is really strong and it takes a bit to digest. Even better, I don't think there is a single message. This short book was written brilliantly, so you can see whatever you want in the relationships.

      This story takes place in some future or alternate timeline. Through whatever means, there are aliens living on earth. Emshwiller did a fantastic job describing, not so much what they look like (she did use some descriptors, but except for some fuzzy descriptions, you are left entirely to your own devices to imagine what you would like) as their relationships with and actions towards humans, who have (through, again, whatever means that is not described) become their "mounts" or servants.

      I loved that Emshwiller did not bother with details about how they came to Earth, how long ago they did it or how it is they have actually tamed and selectively bred the human species. Clearly, it must have been generations, because the characters in the story were unaware of a lot of these details, and many people have been bred into distinct lines (Seattles, Tennessees). I've read a lot of books slamming her for leaving out these details, but I think it's not the focus, or even remotely important to the book.

      This specific story is mostly about a young adolescent named Charley, who has been selected because of his superb breeding and conformation to be the mount for the next ruler. They both start off young to be trained to be the best mount and rider they can be. Charley is rescued by his father, Heron, and is taken to a village in the mountains where Heron is leading be beginnings of a revolution of people, which Charley objects to, but cannot fight. Eventually Charley and the future ruler of all get back to "civilization", changed and in a changed world and begin something new.

      This novel lands itself squarely in the "speculative fiction" arena, and it's not so much fantasy or sci-fi, and anyone looking for fantasy/scifi will be very disappointed. The writing is as tight and fantastic as any I have read in a VERY long time. The story isn't plot driven and there is plenty of plot to keep anyone from getting bored. It's about characters and relationships, and this author has packed more relationships into a short book than most could put into an entire series, and the psychology in this book is amazing.

      The themes of this book are strong, and consistent: slave/master relationships, slavery and individualism, adolescence and "finding" ones-self, and the struggle between parent and child. Reading the book, I kept thinking of the brainwashing/raising that Charley went through, and how it reminds me of the justifications and Stockholm Syndrome-like behavior of victims who always justify their abusers. Charlie is a pre-teen/early teenager in the book, and he does go through conflicting emotions, thought processes, and behaviors, which might seem inconsistent, but I read it as a conflicted and confusing boy trying to rationalize what was going on and find his place with what little he had to work with.

      My biggest quibble with a book is the immensely unrealistic ending, but it's not terrible, it was just a little unbelievable, even though it did leave some questions and unresolved issues.

      I really wish Goodreads had a half star system, because I think this book is stronger than four stars, but not quite five stars. Because I really did find it amazing and interesting, I figured I would push it to five stars.
    • 3/5
      My reviews are about my personal reaction to books, and although I recognise that this is a well written book, it just never rose above "liked it" for me. Which is what three stars means, so after dithering for a bit, three stars it gets. The dithering is that I think I've probably given four to things that weren't as well written as this. And there are many four and five star reviews of this on Goodreads and I agree with a lot of what's been said in those reviews. And yet...I still just liked it. So there you go.

      If you've read some of the many other reviews you know what this one is about. I think the conceit (literary conceit, not character flaw) is clever, telling the story through the eyes of a not particularly thoughtful tween slave. Its a hard discipline, writing the story through the eyes of a blinkered character. I can admire the craft with which Emshwiller sticks to and works through that choice. I even enjoy it at times because the particular perspective gives access to some interesting insights.

      But it also closes off access to others. We don't ever really get a chance to understand how the alien society or the society of the runaway humans functions because Charlie doesn't understand, or even really pay much attention to that. We don't really get to know or understand most of the other characters all that well because Charlie mostly cares about how things affect Charlie and is only barely beginning to emerge from that as the novel ends.

      There's an odd flatness and distance for me in seeing that world through Charlie's perceptions. I feel shut out. Maybe that's a very clever way of putting the reader in the position of a Mount, only able to look at what Charlie is permitted to look at. But in the end it pushed me away from the story too much.

      The clearest evidence of that is when I sat down to read this for one of my book clubs a couple of weeks ago, I got ten pages in and realized I had read it before. So even though I recognise the craft here, I ended up feeling so disengaged that I apparently forgot all about it within a couple years of reading it.

      But many people really liked it, so I say pick it up judge for yourself.
    • 5/5
      Usually, novels that present themselves as allegories in an explicit way do not appeal to me. The Mount, though, has a careful, acerbic, magnanimous wit that transcends the limitations of that particular mode. It is one of the goofiest, but gravest, examinations of power and power dynamics I've read.