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Tarzan #6
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Glorious tales of Tarzan’s early growth to manhood in the forest...
Tarzan, the heart of primeval Africa, escapes death on the horn of Buto the rhinoceros, saves the life of Tantor the elephant, sends the witchdoctor Bukawai to a terrible death, battle victoriously with his arch-enemy Numa the Lion, and slowly but surely fights his way to a mastery of his savage, unforgiving jungle.
Tarzan, the heart of primeval Africa, escapes death on the horn of Buto the rhinoceros, saves the life of Tantor the elephant, sends the witchdoctor Bukawai to a terrible death, battle victoriously with his arch-enemy Numa the Lion, and slowly but surely fights his way to a mastery of his savage, unforgiving jungle.
191 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1919
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About the author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
2,849 books2,736 followersEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
October 7, 2024
A set of short Tarzan stories from his days among the apes, before he met anybody from the western world or knew his heritage. Tarzan is a killing machine as usual, a trickster, and endlessly curious to understand the world and his place.
Burroughs skill in describing Tarzan’s introspective side is an underrated strength, alongside his obvious talent with adventure fiction.
Jungle Tarzan is the best Tarzan, at least up to book six. This world is wildly inventive and I never expected jungle tales to have such depth.
Burroughs skill in describing Tarzan’s introspective side is an underrated strength, alongside his obvious talent with adventure fiction.
Jungle Tarzan is the best Tarzan, at least up to book six. This world is wildly inventive and I never expected jungle tales to have such depth.
May 7, 2020
"Tantor," he said, "it is good to be alive. It is good to lie in the cool shadows. It is good to look upon the green trees and the bright colors of the flowers"
Jungle Tales of Tarzan, the sixth of the series, takes you back to his childhood days, and describes some of the experiences he had before encountering Jane and others.
This explains how and why Tarzan came by certain skills, beliefs and practices. In my opinion, book adds a nice variety to the usual concentrated plots which the books had up to this point by providing a series of small tales. In comparison to the last book,
"Real an apparent dangers are less disconcerting than those which we imagine."
"Thus may peace and prosperity undermine the safety of the most primitive community even as it does that of the most cultured."
"but to Tibo she was mamma, the personification of that one great love which knows no selfishness and which does not consume itself in its own fires."
"but of such things apes do not speak - their vocabulary, for the finer instincts, consisting more of action than words."
Jungle Tales of Tarzan, the sixth of the series, takes you back to his childhood days, and describes some of the experiences he had before encountering Jane and others.
This explains how and why Tarzan came by certain skills, beliefs and practices. In my opinion, book adds a nice variety to the usual concentrated plots which the books had up to this point by providing a series of small tales. In comparison to the last book,
"Real an apparent dangers are less disconcerting than those which we imagine."
"Thus may peace and prosperity undermine the safety of the most primitive community even as it does that of the most cultured."
"but to Tibo she was mamma, the personification of that one great love which knows no selfishness and which does not consume itself in its own fires."
"but of such things apes do not speak - their vocabulary, for the finer instincts, consisting more of action than words."
December 24, 2015
I imagine that someday I will look back at JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN as Edgar Rice Burroughs' masterpiece. The stories it contains are startlingly effective--not just as Tarzan stories, but as adventure stories period. Each one is impeccably written, exciting, and way more philosophical than I would've ever expected.
When reading the original classic TARZAN novel, I was struck by how much more interesting the story was before Tarzan left the jungle. I remember wishing he'd just stayed there for the duration. Well, with JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN, I feel as though I finally got my wish.
And after not even bothering to finish the utterly terrible RETURN OF TARZAN, I couldn't be more surprised to have my enthusiasm for this series renewed.
Speaking of RETURN OF TARZAN, what I most disliked about that book (apart from the laziness with which it was written) was how childish it all seemed. Such is not the case with JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN. Parents, don't read this to your kids before bed unless you want to give them nightmares. This is not your Disney-fied version of Tarzan; this is a Tarzan who eats animals raw, murders the natives for sport, and gets a kick out of watching people get mauled by lions. It's all pretty grisly, though of course Tarzan simply doesn't know any better.
The best stories are the ones in which he tries to grow as a person, despite the fact that he lacks any human guidance or role models to show him what to do. In one instance, he tries to take a mate from among the ape tribe, only to experience his first feelings of heartbreak. In another, he kidnaps a young African boy, intending to raise him like a son. And in yet another, he attempts to deduce the meaning of the word "God" and winds up on a misguided spiritual quest of sorts.
If there's anything to complain about regarding this book, it's the casual racism that occasionally seeps through its pages as the result of Burroughs' belief in macro-evolution and the idea that certain ethnicities are more highly evolved than others. Burroughs tells us that, in addition to giving him a boost in natural intelligence, Tarzan's European ancestry bestowed him with an inherent sense of honor and fair-play that is alien to the native tribes of Africa. Personally, I don't mind when Burroughs refers to the jungle residents as "savages" (sorry, I'm no cultural relativist); however, I have a big problem with the notion that their savagery is more attributable to nature rather than nurture.
Other than that, this is a near-perfect collection of stories written by an author not generally known for his artistry.
When reading the original classic TARZAN novel, I was struck by how much more interesting the story was before Tarzan left the jungle. I remember wishing he'd just stayed there for the duration. Well, with JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN, I feel as though I finally got my wish.
And after not even bothering to finish the utterly terrible RETURN OF TARZAN, I couldn't be more surprised to have my enthusiasm for this series renewed.
Speaking of RETURN OF TARZAN, what I most disliked about that book (apart from the laziness with which it was written) was how childish it all seemed. Such is not the case with JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN. Parents, don't read this to your kids before bed unless you want to give them nightmares. This is not your Disney-fied version of Tarzan; this is a Tarzan who eats animals raw, murders the natives for sport, and gets a kick out of watching people get mauled by lions. It's all pretty grisly, though of course Tarzan simply doesn't know any better.
The best stories are the ones in which he tries to grow as a person, despite the fact that he lacks any human guidance or role models to show him what to do. In one instance, he tries to take a mate from among the ape tribe, only to experience his first feelings of heartbreak. In another, he kidnaps a young African boy, intending to raise him like a son. And in yet another, he attempts to deduce the meaning of the word "God" and winds up on a misguided spiritual quest of sorts.
If there's anything to complain about regarding this book, it's the casual racism that occasionally seeps through its pages as the result of Burroughs' belief in macro-evolution and the idea that certain ethnicities are more highly evolved than others. Burroughs tells us that, in addition to giving him a boost in natural intelligence, Tarzan's European ancestry bestowed him with an inherent sense of honor and fair-play that is alien to the native tribes of Africa. Personally, I don't mind when Burroughs refers to the jungle residents as "savages" (sorry, I'm no cultural relativist); however, I have a big problem with the notion that their savagery is more attributable to nature rather than nurture.
Other than that, this is a near-perfect collection of stories written by an author not generally known for his artistry.
July 15, 2021
Months ago I decided to revisit the novel that started me on my path to becoming a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs--Tarzan and the Golden Lion; it'd been many years since I'd visited the ape-man in his jungle haunts. After finishing reading Golden Lion I was encouraged to reread my favorite novel of the series, Tarzan the Terrible. After completing both of these, I thought, what the hay, I may as well read the entire series.
When I got to Jungle Tales I couldn't recall a whole lot about it. Sure, I remembered the story where Tarzan falls in love with Teeka (thank goodness that didn't work out). And of course, I recalled the story where Tarzan Rescues the Moon (I actually painted a scene from the story in oils a couple of years ago--what the heck, I'll post it below so you can see for yourselves). But I'd forgotten about Bukawai, and Go-bu-balu (little Tibo, the boy whom Tarzan kidnaps because the ape-man wished a balu of his own on which to lavish his affection).
After I got into it, I realized I'd actually forgotten much of it, but was also fascinated with how much came back to me, even what the next sentence would say would occasionally pop into my head, nearly word for word.
I won't bore anyone with a detailed rundown on the plot of each story (there's plenty of that out there already). The tales (there are a dozen) dive into little details, nuance, and minutia of Tarzan's adolescence, his coming of age, between the years after he slew Kulonga (the warrior who killed Tarzan's ape mother, Kala), and when he first met whites.
To be fair, there are examples of bigotry in the text that we of today find unacceptable. If that bothers one overly much in these older writings, you might skip this one as there are multiple examples in Jungle Tales. When I read these novels as a kid, I read the diluted versions (Ballantine paperbacks) where much of this had been edited out or reworded so I never knew of it until much later. The audiobook versions I'm currently listening to are the original, unedited book versions. I'll post a link to the free Librivox version to which I listened (I love Ralph Snellson's Tarzan readings).
Despite these dated racial views, these are still yet strong, powerfully strong, stories. Just because these are short stories, loosely connected some of them, don't worry that they might not be as good as the full-length novels; they are just as good, IMO. But, as they say, your mileage may vary.
https://youtu.be/3-S7-Np42ps
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/106/1...
My Tarzan Rescues the Moon painting.
Note: this is an oft-painted scene. However, rather than going for a regular white moon, I chose to depict the lunar eclipse in the story as a Blood Moon which I feel is much more visually striking.
When I got to Jungle Tales I couldn't recall a whole lot about it. Sure, I remembered the story where Tarzan falls in love with Teeka (thank goodness that didn't work out). And of course, I recalled the story where Tarzan Rescues the Moon (I actually painted a scene from the story in oils a couple of years ago--what the heck, I'll post it below so you can see for yourselves). But I'd forgotten about Bukawai, and Go-bu-balu (little Tibo, the boy whom Tarzan kidnaps because the ape-man wished a balu of his own on which to lavish his affection).
After I got into it, I realized I'd actually forgotten much of it, but was also fascinated with how much came back to me, even what the next sentence would say would occasionally pop into my head, nearly word for word.
I won't bore anyone with a detailed rundown on the plot of each story (there's plenty of that out there already). The tales (there are a dozen) dive into little details, nuance, and minutia of Tarzan's adolescence, his coming of age, between the years after he slew Kulonga (the warrior who killed Tarzan's ape mother, Kala), and when he first met whites.
To be fair, there are examples of bigotry in the text that we of today find unacceptable. If that bothers one overly much in these older writings, you might skip this one as there are multiple examples in Jungle Tales. When I read these novels as a kid, I read the diluted versions (Ballantine paperbacks) where much of this had been edited out or reworded so I never knew of it until much later. The audiobook versions I'm currently listening to are the original, unedited book versions. I'll post a link to the free Librivox version to which I listened (I love Ralph Snellson's Tarzan readings).
Despite these dated racial views, these are still yet strong, powerfully strong, stories. Just because these are short stories, loosely connected some of them, don't worry that they might not be as good as the full-length novels; they are just as good, IMO. But, as they say, your mileage may vary.
https://youtu.be/3-S7-Np42ps
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/106/1...
My Tarzan Rescues the Moon painting.
Note: this is an oft-painted scene. However, rather than going for a regular white moon, I chose to depict the lunar eclipse in the story as a Blood Moon which I feel is much more visually striking.
January 25, 2022
This one was ... um ...
So apparently, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar underperformed when it was first published, and for that reason (and also because he was dealing with physiological issues from spending too much time hunched over his typewriter), instead of contracting for a single novel, Burroughs contracted for a series of 12 stories that would appear on a monthly basis in Blue Book magazine. And rather than moving the ape-man's story forward, Burroughs let loose his inner Rudyard Kipling (any resemblances to The Jungle Book or Just So Stories are likely far from coincidental) by going back to tell a series of loosely-connected episodes from when Tarzan was still an adolescent, living with the apes of Kerchak and (about which more anon) spending much of his free time tormenting the inhabitants of the village of Mbonga (father of the native who had slain Kala, Tarzan's adoptive ape mother). Most of the stories involve Tarzan learning some kind of lesson -- in the opening story, e.g., he is temporarily smitten with Teeka, a young female ape, but eventually realizes she would not be an appropriate romantic partner; and in another, he has serious questions regarding the existence of God. And some are more straightforward adventure stories.
And I have to admit that even when I was reading the Tarzan books in my (very distant) childhood, this particular book was never my favorite; mostly because it was, as per the title, made up entirely of jungle tales with no lost cities or valleys full of dinosaurs or whatever.
And revisiting it now, unfortunately I find that it's aged very poorly, even relative to other Tarzan novels, specifically in its portrayal of the native villagers and the joy Tarzan takes in tormenting them; at least in the other books you have those lost cities or safaris of rich asshole European big game hunters or what have you to provide something else for Tarzan to play off of. And I don't think it was malicious, necessarily -- it was just Burroughs writing to the market, using the same nasty stereotypes that everybody else used -- but in this the Year of Our Lord 2022 it can actually make for some pretty unpleasant reading, which is a shame because Burroughs is generally an extremely readable author who knows how to construct fast-paced, adventurous books.
So: Reader beware, I guess?
So apparently, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar underperformed when it was first published, and for that reason (and also because he was dealing with physiological issues from spending too much time hunched over his typewriter), instead of contracting for a single novel, Burroughs contracted for a series of 12 stories that would appear on a monthly basis in Blue Book magazine. And rather than moving the ape-man's story forward, Burroughs let loose his inner Rudyard Kipling (any resemblances to The Jungle Book or Just So Stories are likely far from coincidental) by going back to tell a series of loosely-connected episodes from when Tarzan was still an adolescent, living with the apes of Kerchak and (about which more anon) spending much of his free time tormenting the inhabitants of the village of Mbonga (father of the native who had slain Kala, Tarzan's adoptive ape mother). Most of the stories involve Tarzan learning some kind of lesson -- in the opening story, e.g., he is temporarily smitten with Teeka, a young female ape, but eventually realizes she would not be an appropriate romantic partner; and in another, he has serious questions regarding the existence of God. And some are more straightforward adventure stories.
And I have to admit that even when I was reading the Tarzan books in my (very distant) childhood, this particular book was never my favorite; mostly because it was, as per the title, made up entirely of jungle tales with no lost cities or valleys full of dinosaurs or whatever.
And revisiting it now, unfortunately I find that it's aged very poorly, even relative to other Tarzan novels, specifically in its portrayal of the native villagers and the joy Tarzan takes in tormenting them; at least in the other books you have those lost cities or safaris of rich asshole European big game hunters or what have you to provide something else for Tarzan to play off of. And I don't think it was malicious, necessarily -- it was just Burroughs writing to the market, using the same nasty stereotypes that everybody else used -- but in this the Year of Our Lord 2022 it can actually make for some pretty unpleasant reading, which is a shame because Burroughs is generally an extremely readable author who knows how to construct fast-paced, adventurous books.
So: Reader beware, I guess?
January 27, 2018
This is a collection of loosely-connected short stories in the life of Tarzan while he was still growing into young adulthood. Events in some stories are mentioned in later stories so it is best to read them all in order. The entirety of the twelve stories actually fit chronologically within chapter 11 of Tarzan of the Apes, after Tarzan avenges the death of his foster-ape mother, Kala.
Several themes run throughout this collection of stories. Chief among them is Tarzan’s growing knowledge that he is different than the members of his ape tribe as well as an understanding that he is alone and without a companion. Because of this he becomes more independent and allows his superior (human) intellect to lead him to greater and greater discoveries about himself and how the world around him works. Other themes include his insatiable thirst for knowledge as well as displaying a certain penchant for practical jokes.
These stories were originally published monthly in Blue Book magazine, September 1916 through August 1917 before being published in book form in 1919. This year, 2018 marks the centennial of the first Tarzan on film, a silent film made in 1918, starring Elmo Lincoln (and Gordon Griffith as the young Tarzan). I’m planning on seeing many Tarzan films over the course of this year as well as reading quite a few of the novels that have so far escaped my net. Let it be my “Year of Tarzan”.
Several themes run throughout this collection of stories. Chief among them is Tarzan’s growing knowledge that he is different than the members of his ape tribe as well as an understanding that he is alone and without a companion. Because of this he becomes more independent and allows his superior (human) intellect to lead him to greater and greater discoveries about himself and how the world around him works. Other themes include his insatiable thirst for knowledge as well as displaying a certain penchant for practical jokes.
These stories were originally published monthly in Blue Book magazine, September 1916 through August 1917 before being published in book form in 1919. This year, 2018 marks the centennial of the first Tarzan on film, a silent film made in 1918, starring Elmo Lincoln (and Gordon Griffith as the young Tarzan). I’m planning on seeing many Tarzan films over the course of this year as well as reading quite a few of the novels that have so far escaped my net. Let it be my “Year of Tarzan”.
May 22, 2015
This was a collection of short stories set when Tarzan was a youth. Overall, it was quite enjoyable. There wasn't a whole lot to them as far as things that are crucial to the mythos, but still a fun read.
If you enjoyed the first Tarzan novel, Tarzan of the Apes, you'll probably really like this one as the stories seem closer in tone to the early part of that novel.
If you enjoyed the first Tarzan novel, Tarzan of the Apes, you'll probably really like this one as the stories seem closer in tone to the early part of that novel.
July 9, 2024
I know Mr. Burroughs it’s been a hot minute since you’ve died, but thanks for writing a pretty good Tarzan book, because the last two were some stinkers. Crazy that Disney left out the part where Tarzan was in love with one of the apes and kidnapped a small black child. 0/5 spice.
January 22, 2015
I enjoyed this addition to the series. I found it interesting that in book 6 Burroughs decides to explore how Tarzan's mind works, how he differs from the apes and how he feels about being different--for that matter how the apes feel about him being so different!
Burroughs explores the idea of God in the mind of a primitive. He explores the idea that when your primary activity each day is finding sufficient food and avoiding becoming someone else's food, you simply do not have time to develop higher thinking. In other words, "animals" can't contemplate God. Only Man, who has the luxury of leisure has time to contemplate God.
He explains a bit of Tarzan's extraordinary intelligence--the fact that he taught himself to read the books in his parents cabin by creating his own interpretation of the alphabet. He assigned the letters sounds that he was familiar with from his ape language. That was very interesting.
He also explores mythology and myth building. What would the primitive mind have come up with when looking at the moon and its phases? How would this uneducated ape man interpret the moon and the stars. How would he explain them?
I for one am glad that Burroughs took the time to tell us more about Tarzan--something besides his strength and adventures. It made him a much more interesting character.
Burroughs explores the idea of God in the mind of a primitive. He explores the idea that when your primary activity each day is finding sufficient food and avoiding becoming someone else's food, you simply do not have time to develop higher thinking. In other words, "animals" can't contemplate God. Only Man, who has the luxury of leisure has time to contemplate God.
He explains a bit of Tarzan's extraordinary intelligence--the fact that he taught himself to read the books in his parents cabin by creating his own interpretation of the alphabet. He assigned the letters sounds that he was familiar with from his ape language. That was very interesting.
He also explores mythology and myth building. What would the primitive mind have come up with when looking at the moon and its phases? How would this uneducated ape man interpret the moon and the stars. How would he explain them?
I for one am glad that Burroughs took the time to tell us more about Tarzan--something besides his strength and adventures. It made him a much more interesting character.
September 18, 2014
I've always been, and always will be a fan of Tarzan. Might be a bit campy and pulp fictionish, but I love it!
March 14, 2019
"Jungle Tales of Tarzan" is a short story collection of adventures Tarzan had growing up. This includes fights with mighty foes, falling in love and overall just discovering one's self in many ways. While I liked the concept of these stories, some of them didn't do it for me. Most resulted in the same kind of battles and for some I didn't really see the point. I also think, since a lot of the stories were connected, it would have worked better as a novel, focusing on the arks with Teeka and Bukawai, with maybe the other adventures happening as it goes.
However, I really liked the writing style, reading like a classic but with more of a sense of excitement and danger. The themes of Tarzan looking for a family and establishing himself as a valuable member of his ape tribe were done well and interesting.
However, I really liked the writing style, reading like a classic but with more of a sense of excitement and danger. The themes of Tarzan looking for a family and establishing himself as a valuable member of his ape tribe were done well and interesting.
October 1, 2020
While I really like most of ERBs non-Tarzan work, I think I am just done with the Tarzan books. Mainly, it’s the racist tropes about “savages” in Africa, but the fact that Tarzan himself is just a basic dick. He’s a total douchebag whose personal code seems to be “I rule!” and I would really enjoy reading stories about him just getting his ass kicked by every jungle animal he meets, with his final thought just being “How can this be?”
When I was a kid and liked these books, I think it must have been because of all the lead paint.
When I was a kid and liked these books, I think it must have been because of all the lead paint.
February 23, 2025
Well-written short stories about the Lord of the Jungle before he was introduced to civilization.
October 7, 2017
You can tell this book is a product of its time. Very pompous writing and some pretty racist things said about the African tribe he lives near. I took all this with the grain of salt knowing that Burroughs wrote in the time of the Great White Ideal and just had fun reading it. There were times it was just ridiculous.
November 27, 2024
In which Tarzan learns about love, religion, spirituality, FAFO and the facts of life through his formative years in a series of short stories.
January 30, 2022
This is Burroughs‘ attempt to turn Young Tarzan into Mowgli. Fun-loving trickster, yes. But none of the Mangani ever try to teach Tarzan anything. Nor would he have listened had they tried.
And Tarzan never learned Akela’s most important lesson: seven times, never kill Man!
We (editorial We, and reader in early 20th century America) excuse Tarzan’s murders, because they’re only blacks, cannibals in fact, and of the tribe which killed Kala. And besides, he was only an ape at the time.
In this book, Tarzan is not a hero. And this is one of the most racist books in his history.
And Tarzan never learned Akela’s most important lesson: seven times, never kill Man!
We (editorial We, and reader in early 20th century America) excuse Tarzan’s murders, because they’re only blacks, cannibals in fact, and of the tribe which killed Kala. And besides, he was only an ape at the time.
In this book, Tarzan is not a hero. And this is one of the most racist books in his history.
October 5, 2016
I should have loved Jungle Tales, but I didn't. Mostly because it was like a collection of short stories, but it also wasn't. It wanted to be a collection of short stories, but also tried to have a story line throughout. I wish it would have picked one and stuck to it. All the tales take place between when Tarzan's mama ape is killed and when he becomes king of the jungle. It should have been a great period of Tarzan's life to write stories about, but he didn't learn cool things about survival in the jungle and he didn't come across new foes.
Jungle tales did deal with Tarzan's struggle with Bestiality and interracial breeding and had an in depth essay on the nature of God that I would like to discuss with my Lit. of Religion Professor. It was still an enjoyable read, but nothing special.
Jungle tales did deal with Tarzan's struggle with Bestiality and interracial breeding and had an in depth essay on the nature of God that I would like to discuss with my Lit. of Religion Professor. It was still an enjoyable read, but nothing special.
September 12, 2018
I remembered this favorite from my dad, and read it to my 3rd, 6th, and 9th graders. I didn't remember the violence in some of it, and so I ended up skipping some of it with them. The 6th grader thought that this book should be for 5th grade and above, because of the violence. That sounds reasonable to me.
Even so, there is a great deal of humor and excitement in the book, and even the youngest (3rd grade) did like the story and wants to read more. The favorite chapter of all seems to be the one in which Tarzan tries to kidnap a "baby." I also thought the chapter about Tarzan's search for God was funny. They roared at that one.
Even so, there is a great deal of humor and excitement in the book, and even the youngest (3rd grade) did like the story and wants to read more. The favorite chapter of all seems to be the one in which Tarzan tries to kidnap a "baby." I also thought the chapter about Tarzan's search for God was funny. They roared at that one.
November 23, 2017
I wanted to like this installment of the Tarzan story more than I did. Burroughs' editorializing on the humanity of black people was just disgusting, and unfortunately, it ruined the entire book for me. Tarzan himself is often the mouthpiece for horrifyingly racist comments, even for a soon-to-be century old book. I enjoyed the actual adventure pieces, though even those got repetitive. The formula is, to the 21st century reader, unforgivably cliched, and the science of a century ago is often gratingly incorrect, but taken for what it is, it's not the least-fun book I've ever read.
Want to read
December 20, 2019As I added his novel I made one mistake instead of adding the right date of publication I put down 2019 instead of 1919 which was the release of this collection of short stories that are not a continuation of the linear Tarzans tales but a refelection back upon the days when Tarzan lived with his great apes in the jungle unaware of any "civilization" that would call him Lord Greystoke.
The review will folow......
The review will folow......
March 30, 2016
This book was a little campy. It felt dated and hard to really believe. I had to work at it.
February 24, 2018
Entertaining but more than a little racist.
September 1, 2018
আবারো জঙ্গলে টারজান। দেখা হল ছেলেবেলাকার সাথী টিকার সাথে। এদিকে টগ পছন্দ করে টিকাকে। এ নিয়ে বিরোধে জড়ায় টগ ও টারজান।
May 4, 2022
It was a little bit boring. I also got confused at one point. Tarzan killed the leopard Sheeta when she threatened a mother gorilla's Balu (baby). He killed it then the gorillas proceeded to rend the body to pieces. Yet, two chapter or so later, it said Sheeta was alive! Tarzan saw that she had cubs. I don't know if maybe since this series was possibly a serial that the author lost track of the characters, or that Sheeta is somehow a magic respawning leopard. This also happened in the first book. Tarzan killed Numa in the first book yet Numa is still alive or mentioned in present tense in almost every book I've read thus far, including this one. Maybe the stories are out of order but this isn't likely the case. I don't really get that and it kind of tripped me up when I read the story. I went back to the chapter to see if I made a mistake or misread something. Tarzan is also still not a likable character either and experienced no character growth. He even feels a sense of pleasure when one of his gorilla members, Taug, is captured by an African tribe. This is over a female gorilla, Teeka, but Tarzan wants the female gorilla too. Despite his ignorance of how messed up that is, he goes back on his decision not out of goodwill or morals, but because Teeka does not want to be with him. Another chapter goes onto poorly explained concept of God and morals.It's not that I don't like those kind of things in books, it's just that how Tarzan discovers it and then comes to a conclusion is too hasty. It would've been better if the author didn't delve into that part of the book at all because Tarzan doesn't think about or bring the topic up ever again. He doesn't think of if it's morally right to look down on black people as savages and ugly even though they're people too. Or just killing or tormenting animals out of sport or boredom. He just think that God is something he can defeat but fails to seek out his quarry. Then he comes to the sudden realization out of nowhere that God is good and that he made all the animals and provides for them. That's a nice statement, it's just that how Tarzan got to it is a little bit rushed. Nor does it awaken in him a sense of love, kindness, or caring. I understand he's a jungle man, but if he really were then the topic of religion didn't need to be brought up since 1. Tarzan wouldn't be able to figure out how to read. 2. Not even get a concept of a higher being, just be prone to his primitive, animalistic instincts. Tarzan doesn't learn anything from it and for a complex concept to be brought up and not impact the character in the future does the topic a disservice. It doesn't impact him in any way, especially when he kidnaps a black child from his mother in order to have his own kid. Yeah....I was taken aback by that too. He mostly does it for an ego boost in being a 'parent' but eventually (and thankfully) returns the kid. I just felt the book was very boring sometimes, especially around the end. Then some voodoo witch doctor pops up as if he were the whole villain of the book and Tarzan easily beats him. Then the witch doctor gets killed by an animal (I think it was Numa). I wanted to read all 20+ Tarzan books but I don't think I'll be able to make it. Really, I don't remember the previous ones at all and the books are not very memorable. Just because a book series was published a long time ago, doesn't make it a 'classic'.So I can kind of see why these books faded into obscurity, until Disney made a movie out of it. Even then people weren't really interested to read the books after Tarzan's entrance into mainstream pop culture.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2021
This “book” is actually a loosely connected collection of 12 short stories. The first couple aren’t great, but it definitely gets better towards the middle and end.
Tarzan is a bad guy. ERB tries to redeem him in the last short story, but no. Teenage Tarzan (and sometimes even older “civilized” Tarzan) is a straight up murderer, casual racist, and borderline sociopath.
mild spoilers below
Every teenage boy enjoys a good practical joke, Tarzan is like the Jeffery Dahmer of practical jokesters. He plays a “joke” on the villagers by killing their medicine man and putting him in the Lion trap as bait. He plays another “joke” by killing a villager and putting his dead body into the stew pot. Tarzan almost gets himself killed by his own tribe when he skins a lion and wears its corpse (Buffalo bob-style) to scare his friends… Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) mentions on multiple occasions that Tarzan’s ape friends don’t understand his humor because they aren’t humans, when in reality, they don’t understand his humor because they aren’t psychopaths.
He does have a few redeeming moments and these stories did a good job of expanding on Tarzan’s early years, his thoughts on God, and his understanding of the natural world.
Tarzan is a bad guy. ERB tries to redeem him in the last short story, but no. Teenage Tarzan (and sometimes even older “civilized” Tarzan) is a straight up murderer, casual racist, and borderline sociopath.
mild spoilers below
Every teenage boy enjoys a good practical joke, Tarzan is like the Jeffery Dahmer of practical jokesters. He plays a “joke” on the villagers by killing their medicine man and putting him in the Lion trap as bait. He plays another “joke” by killing a villager and putting his dead body into the stew pot. Tarzan almost gets himself killed by his own tribe when he skins a lion and wears its corpse (Buffalo bob-style) to scare his friends… Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) mentions on multiple occasions that Tarzan’s ape friends don’t understand his humor because they aren’t humans, when in reality, they don’t understand his humor because they aren’t psychopaths.
He does have a few redeeming moments and these stories did a good job of expanding on Tarzan’s early years, his thoughts on God, and his understanding of the natural world.
March 23, 2022
So these are the "short stories" of Tarzan and they all connect to form one tale, sort of. If you prefer Tarzan as a youth, running around the jungle, then this is a book for you. There is over no overarching tale with a main antagonist or anything like that. Theoretically, you can read the short stories in any order, but there is a chronological order to the short stories and each one builds off an event in the previous short story. So while you don't NEED to read it in order, it just doesn't make sense to do so.
Honestly, this feels like a newspaper or periodical hit up ERB for some short stories of young Tarzan and they were just collected into this book.
All in all, I'm "meh" on this book. If you need a set antagonist, don't pick this one up, but if you prefer short stories with no real connection to a greater thread, this one is for you. It was a fast read and the kind of book I can read through on a flight.
Honestly, this feels like a newspaper or periodical hit up ERB for some short stories of young Tarzan and they were just collected into this book.
All in all, I'm "meh" on this book. If you need a set antagonist, don't pick this one up, but if you prefer short stories with no real connection to a greater thread, this one is for you. It was a fast read and the kind of book I can read through on a flight.
February 4, 2023
My favorite in the Tarzan series so far! In Jungle Tales of Tarzan, the sixth book in the Tarzan series, Edgar Rice Burroughs does not merely take the reader to Tarzan’s next big pulp fiction adventure. Instead, the author takes us back to Tarzan’s adolescence in 12 short stories where he struggles with coming of age issues. He grapples with his emerging awareness that, though raised by his ape parents and living with his ape tribe, he feels different from them and so begins to feel like an outsider from within his own. In another story, he experiences his first love—-and his first heartbreak. In yet another story, he gets introspective and reflects on his appreciation for life.
As much as I can get into a good adventure story, and Jungle Tales is loaded with adventure, this offers much more than that. I got a glimpse into the humanity of the Ape-Man, which I personally found even more satisfying.
5 of 5 stars
As much as I can get into a good adventure story, and Jungle Tales is loaded with adventure, this offers much more than that. I got a glimpse into the humanity of the Ape-Man, which I personally found even more satisfying.
5 of 5 stars
July 31, 2025
The Worst Tarzan Book Yet
This book is more of an anthology of stories before Tarzan is found by Jane and Co.
The most uninteresting thing about Tarzan, in my opinion, is him running through the forest hunting and battling other jungle denizens. The draw for Tarzan will always be his juxtaposition between the wild man that he is and the civilization he's born from. These stories lack any real threat, save maybe one, where Tarzan is ever really challenged by something he's never encountered before. There is no Evil Russian who has to outwit Tarzan or strange new customs of an entirely new people for him to discern. Just Numa the lion, The Apes, and Mbonga's tribe all which were done very well in the first book.
This book was short, but it was the hardest to read. I would suggest skipping it.
This book is more of an anthology of stories before Tarzan is found by Jane and Co.
The most uninteresting thing about Tarzan, in my opinion, is him running through the forest hunting and battling other jungle denizens. The draw for Tarzan will always be his juxtaposition between the wild man that he is and the civilization he's born from. These stories lack any real threat, save maybe one, where Tarzan is ever really challenged by something he's never encountered before. There is no Evil Russian who has to outwit Tarzan or strange new customs of an entirely new people for him to discern. Just Numa the lion, The Apes, and Mbonga's tribe all which were done very well in the first book.
This book was short, but it was the hardest to read. I would suggest skipping it.
February 23, 2020
Otro magnífico número de las aventuras de Tarzan. En esta ocasión, el autor nos presenta varias historias de la juventud del personaje, antes de que tuviera contacto con la civilización.
El personaje protagoniza algunas crueldades que impactan, en especial contra la tribu de los negros, pero es que no se pretende edulcorar la historia. También vemos a Tarzan filosofar a su manera sencilla y desinformada y tener más de una inquietud por sentirse diferente al resto de animales.
Hay algo en la forma de escribir de Burroughs que me atrapa, la sencillez con que describe los sentimientos del protagonista, las dramáticas batallas... Sin duda estamos ante un clásico que cualquier aficionado a la novela de aventuras debería leer.
El personaje protagoniza algunas crueldades que impactan, en especial contra la tribu de los negros, pero es que no se pretende edulcorar la historia. También vemos a Tarzan filosofar a su manera sencilla y desinformada y tener más de una inquietud por sentirse diferente al resto de animales.
Hay algo en la forma de escribir de Burroughs que me atrapa, la sencillez con que describe los sentimientos del protagonista, las dramáticas batallas... Sin duda estamos ante un clásico que cualquier aficionado a la novela de aventuras debería leer.
November 10, 2020
This is the next saga of Tarzan. Well, it’s meant to be. No Jane, No Jack. Here we have a set of short stories, many of which are, within themselves not bad, or, pretty good. HOWEVER, the issue with this book is, without word or warning, Tarzan is a young man again. These are tales of his ‘jungle life’ pre meeting a European. The book is out of place here. It does NOT belong in sequence. IF Tarzan was reflecting on his life from a London Office, transcribing a story for newspaper article, or even telling Jack about his early life, then, perfect. BUT, with no explanation, you, the reader have gone back and not forward in the chronology of the Tarzan Series.
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