Audible Book Review - The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

I wasn't planning on getting this any time soon. This wasn't because I didn't like the first book, but rather because I recently finished three books that were all start of their respective trilogies (see last three book reviews). However, there were a number of factors that influenced me to get The Return of Tarzan from Edgar Rice Burroughs. First, two of the trilogies I got from the library and I didn't want to own the audio versions of the later books without having the first book. Second, in regards to the series I listened to Angel already bought the second book (and today the third) so I didn't have to. Third, as I won't make it to the library until Saturday, I wanted to start something right away, but needed to put some space between the last book and the 2nd in the trilogy. Fourth, a good friend recommended that I listen to book two of Tarzan as it wraps up Tarzan's undecided love story with Jane. So, all in all, I got The Return of Tarzan and now am ready to dive back into the other trilogies. Here is the link to the Audible's page for the book. It was narrated by Robert Whitefield and was a much better production then my copy of the first Tarzan.

Plot: Tarzan has left America and is intent on returning first to Paris and then, ultimately to his jungle Africa. While on the boat however, he interferes in the affairs of a man who will come to plague Tarzan. Rokoff, a Russian spy stationed in Paris, is as devious and sinister as Tarzan is noble. In Paris, Tarzan meets and becomes friends with others that help him secure his first job, a special agent for the Ministry of War. His mission takes him to North Africa to ferret out a spy. Next he is sent to Cape Town, but is caught by surprise and is tossed overboard, only to wind up at his original cabin, built by his own father. In a search for weapons to arm himself (there were none left at the cabin and he had none on him when he was thrown overboard), he meets and befriends a wild tribe, the Waziri. Helping to save the village from slavers and cannibals endears him to them and they elect him their king. While with the Waziri Tarzan hears of a land of gold to the south and leads a group of warriors there to try and claim some. Tarzan is captured by the misshapen inhabitants, but is able to escape and with the warriors returns laden with gold ingots. At this same time, Jane Porter, the only woman Tarzan has ever loved is on a cruse around Africa with her fiance and some friends when they are shipwrecked not far from where they originally met Tarzan. But Rokoff is among them and how will they survive without Jane's "Jungle God" to watch over them?  From the journey across the Atlantic to Paris, to North Africa, and ultimately back to his cabin by the sea Tarzan meets this villain and strives to foil his plots both as they threaten others and Tarzan himself.

My personal favorites: This book moved faster than the first Tarzan. There was lots of action and Tarzan was either kicking trash or facing dangerous peril. I was surprised on the occasions that Tarzan made mistakes or was caught off guard. It made him a little more human. Although, like most good adventure stories he rallied and came back stronger for it. I found it entertaining how Burroughs would phrase many of Tarzan's inner thoughts as "Tarzan soliloquized." Tarzan working as a special agent for the war department (in essence a spy) made sense and was a fun twist on his story. The character of Rokoff was suitably despicable and made a good adversary for Tarzan, balancing strength for cunning. Not to say that Tarzan was stupid, but that Rokoff was good at coming at him in ways he didn't expect. It was also interesting to read of Tarzan's comparisons between "civilized man" and the savage jungle.

Consideration: Like the first, this book has some early 20th century opinions and some may find offense with comments made about women or people of color. I didn't think the Burroughs was unfair to women, as a whole, but there were times that a comment made would make me shake my head. Tarzan is just as superhuman as ever and "has the devil's own luck." The whole idea that a man was thrown overboard on one day should land on a beach that two months later should house shipwrecked mariners was rather far fetched, as were some of the things that assisted Tarzan. But again, these troupes are common in the adventure genre and should be taken with a grain of salt.

All in all, I enjoyed the book immensely and found it hard to put down. There is a lot that happens over the course of the book and it had both the surprising and the inevitable. It was a very good distraction. The totol length was nine hours.