French Literature Reviews - 2026
C. Aziza, Me Tarzan, You Fan
Novel and Narrative Prose
Claude Aziza, Me Tarzan, You Fan
Paris: Klincksieck, coll. "50 questions", 2012.
168 p.
EAN 9782252038628
19.00 EUR
Publisher's overview:
If you think Tarzan is a half-naked guy jumping from vine to vine in a cheap imitation jungle, you are dead wrong. If you imagine Tarzan with the—somewhat exotic—features of Johnny Weissmuller or the—somewhat dimwitted—ones of Christopher Lambert, you are still dead wrong. If you picture Tarzan in full color and comic strips, you are completely and utterly wrong again. So, what is Tarzan, really? First and foremost, a robust centenarian born in 1912 from the imaginative pen of a certain Edgar Rice Burroughs. In short, he is a literary character.
That he has become a myth is beyond doubt. That cinema and comic books made him famous worldwide is a certainty. But some kinds of fame can be fatal! People have forgotten the hero of some forty novels and short stories. In this little book, we will attempt to explore this hero's life, adventures, romances, and character. In short, for a few pages, we will set aside the famous yell and the cinematic dialogue that was never actually written. Here, only the one and true Tarzan will take center stage.
Table of Contents:
Stances and propositions
1. Tarzan? Ah yes! The half-naked guy who jumps from vine to vine…
2. A novel character? News to me. Are you sure?
3. But who on earth is this Edgar Rice Burroughs?
4. Did he write any novels other than Tarzan?
5. I see. Where does this Tarzan come from?
6. I think I get it. But let's get back to Tarzan, if you don't mind.
7. But what about the feral children?
8. Mythology, Kipling, got it. But aren't there other influences?
9. Let me count: mythology, Kipling, pulp fiction. Are we at the end of the list?
10. Tell me, was it common back then to tell monkey tales?
11. And science fiction—did that already exist?
12. Let's summarize. What was the literary and cinematic world like when Tarzan was born?
13. Fair enough. But let's start at the beginning. What actually is this beginning?
14. But why didn't ERB stop there? Just how far did he go?
15. A sequel? How did Burroughs get rid of this cumbersome character?
16. Come again? So many novels and short stories in thirty years? You could practically write a biography of Tarzan… Could you do it?
17. I understand and somewhat share your emotion. But let's go back and pick up the thread of the story: a baby raised by apes, fine. But what kind of apes?
18. Well, he grew up. Didn't he notice he was different?
19. Let's talk about his peers. When was his first contact, and with whom? Savages or civilized people?
20. Oh! So the first white woman he meets is love at first sight—or rather, a blow to the head?
21. A classic love story with a happy ending: a tender wife, screaming toddlers, a cozy home, etc., etc. Commute, work, sleep?
22. By the way, what is the world Tarzan lives in like? Do we find echoes of it in the novels?
23. Is he already civilized, or is he still a savage?
24. Paternalistic, then. A bit racist around the edges, perhaps?
25. But maybe also an environmentalist before his time, no?
26. So Tarzan is a family man who is constantly roaming the jungle. There seems to be a problem here…
27. I see. In short, are there two Tarzans?
28. If I understand correctly, one is a character and the other is a hero? But what's the difference? And how does that differ from a myth?
29. So lost worlds, forgotten valleys, and timeless cities are the ingredients of a Tarzanian neo-mythology?
30. But why are female figures always so dangerous?
31. And what about in the movies? Little House on the Prairie, Jane, Boy, and Cheeta—is that Hollywood?
32. But why didn't ERB cry foul?
33. Yet, if I recall correctly, there were racier jungle movies back in those years…
34. …and even some that flirted with strange creatures, giant prehistoric beasts, or other monsters?
35. What about the lost worlds?
36. And later on, didn't television set things right?
37. Still, I've heard about a movie that everyone thought was brilliant.
38. If I understand correctly, you prefer Johnny Weissmuller to Christopher Lambert?
39. But why Johnny Weissmuller and not someone else?
40. I believe there's a Tarzan who also starred in peplum films? You know, those cheesy sword-and-sandal movies…
41. By the way, were the novels illustrated?
42. So, comic books. But since when, and with which artists?
43. Your comic book history is complicated! What are these collections?
44. Alright. But when it comes to comic books, just like in cinema, are there artists who offered an original take on Tarzan's adventures?
45. Aside from novels, movies, and comic books, where else can Tarzan be found?
46. With such success, there must have been plenty of imitations, I suppose?
47. What! They actually dared?
48. But let's get back to the one and only true Tarzan. Why did he fade into obscurity for so long?
49. That's strange. Reading you, one gets the impression that Tarzan actually existed…
50. But what about you?
Bibliography
The figure of the feral child has long held a prominent place in adventure fiction and popular mythology. Long before the advent of sound cinema, pulp magazines and serialised storytelling provided fertile ground for heroic archetypes that captured the public imagination. Within this wider tradition of early twentieth-century adventure writing, Edgar Rice Burroughs created a protagonist whose adventures spanned novels and short stories. Claude Aziza explores this literary universe, examining the hero from his origins in print to his later transformations across various media.
This volume explores the life, adventures, and character of the literary creation, setting aside common cinematic portrayals in favour of the original texts. The discussion considers the various influences that shaped the author's imagination, the narrative structures of the original stories, and the cultural context surrounding the emergence of the character. Readers interested in popular literature and the history of twentieth-century adventure fiction may find this overview a useful companion to the source material.