You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
A review by topdragon
Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs
4.0
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.
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.