Was that what you meant? As he set a cardboard box on the table, my husband asked me: “Twenty-three Tarzan Paperback Books?” “Twenty-three?” I repeated. He nodded. He should not have been so surprised. He was sure to have stumbled upon a yard sale, and couldn’t resist the temptation of looking through books in containers.
He used to tell me that was how I became a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs books. I was curious how I managed to escape my childhood and not read the Tarzan books. I was shocked when my father dumped all the books on the kitchen table. I grabbed one and started reading it. I continued reading. It was a daunting task to try to read Tarzan books every chance that I had, and I didn’t even get through half of them. I was amazed at the way his words could hold the reader’s attention. The way he managed to keep multiple situations moving at once was something I loved the most.
He was a master at keeping the reader guessing. Every chapter ended with Tarzan facing doom. The next chapter was about another group of characters who were in similar peril. I found myself reading endlessly, even though I meant to only cover a few chapters. I decided to put the book down and continue on until the next time.
I was intrigued by his writing. Burroughs was who? What was his family background like? Burroughs was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1875. He began writing in 1910. According to one Tarzan and the Apes edition published by Ballentine Books’ preface, he was the son of wealthy parents and ended up poor and jobless as a teenager. His jobs ranged from cowpuncher to clerk, to policeman. Each job he tried failed. He was unemployed and read a lot. Many believe that he may have been inspired by a book on Mars which could have helped him launch his Martian Series. He claimed that he wrote Tarzan of the Apes for his wife and their two children.
His books were not for everyone. Some people thought his writing was poor. He replied that he wrote the books to escape and entertain. Although the books are clean, Tarzan’s first encounter with raw meat raised some eyebrows. There is violence, as he described violent, cruel and greedy men.
As I delved into these scenes, I came to the conclusion, if Tarzan likes me, then you are his friend. If he doesn’t like you and you get offended, be careful.
After I had devoured the Tarzan books, my curiosity was piqued to read Burrough’s Martian Series. Because I was so absorbed in Tarzan and his Castaways, it took me a while to return to the jungle to check how he was doing.
Of those twenty-three, one is still mine every now and again.
The post Revisiting series that keeps you hanging was originally published on The AndalusiaStar-News.
