The Tarzan Twins

Rating:
Summary: A couple of juvenile ERB novellas about the Tarzan Twins
Review: Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote twenty-four novels about Tarzan of the Apes, but "Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins" is not included on that list because it was written by ERB specifically for a juvenile audience. Actually, this is a pair of novellas, "The Tarzan Twins" and "The Tarzan Twins with Jad-Bal-Ja, The Golden Lion." The title twins are Dick, who was born in England and has black hair, which is why he is called Tarzan-go; Doc, born in America, is blond-haired and called Tarzan-tar. The twins are introduced in a story where the boys encounter Chief Galla Galla and his Bagalla cannibals, including the evil witch doctor Intamo. Fortunately, Tarzan and his friendly Waziri warriors are around to help save the day. The second story features not only Tarzan's friend the Golden Lion buy the fun gang back in Opar, ERB's favorite lost African city. Actually the key character here is Gretchen von Harben, the daughter of a missionary, who is taken by the denizens of Opar and named Kla (i.e, the "new La" of Opar).

Both stories are relatively tame, especially when compared to the stories of the young Tarzan or his son Korak the Killer. Of course, today there is nothing really objectionable in the Tarzan novels that make them in appropriate for children (remember the furor when some librarian mixed up the movies with the novels and pulled the Tarzan books form the shelves because Tarzan and Jane were not married?). These are minor efforts, but for young kids who might light the idea of being out there in the jungle trying to make like Tarzan, they might find these of some interest. For adults working their way through the ERB library these will be a couple of super quick reads and you do get an appearance by Jad-bal-ja, which are always worth while. If at all possible try to find a copy of "Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins" with the illustrations by Roy G. Krenkel.