The Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to
100 Years of Tarzan
Sean Egan
Telos
31 August 2012/ ISBN 9781845830670
Non-Fiction/Book and Film Tie-In
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Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
I vividly remember
the days leading up to Christmas 1976 when school was out and was
waiting for the big day. At a loose end, I turned on the TV one
morning to confront the first of a whole season of Tarzan films.
I was hooked, and still regard those days with a rosy glow. Here
was everything I looked for in entertainment – an exotic historical
setting, fantastic adventures, and a gutsy protagonist. For over
a hundred years other people have been enjoying it all too, and
continue to do so. Find out some of the reasons why in this book.
I always like these “unofficial and unauthorized” guides
produced by Telos, but this has to be my favorite to date. It gives
an in-depth look at all Tarzan’s appearances since his creation
in 1912 whether in print, films, TV, stage, radio, games and comic
strips. It particularly focuses on the films of which there are
a great many, and all the actors who have played him. Like all the
Telos books, this one is a gem of social history, charting the very
different ways the ape-man has been served up over the years, chopped
and shaped to cater for changing public tastes. It depicts the world
in which he was created and whether he faces an uncertain future,
when you think of what he stood for, and altering attitudes to Africa,
wildlife, and race relations. There are interviews with Burroughs’
grandson, with the oldest surviving screen Tarzan, and with various
fantasy and SF writers to add even more color to the richly realized
tapestry that is the Tarzan oeuvre. Are there any pictures? No,
but I think the best ones are maybe in your mind this time. Essential
reading for any Tarzan fans.
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