The Return of Tarzan

THE RETURN OF TARZAN - 1915


Written	Dec 1912 to Jan 1913
ERB's working title	The Ape Man/Monsieur Tarzan
First published	New Story magazine, Jun to Nov 1913
Magazine title	The Return of Tarzan
First hardcover edition	A C McClurg & Co, Mar 1915
Book illustrator	J Allen St John
Filmed	1920, 1921

BACKGROUND
Several things inspired ERB to write a sequel a sequel to Tarzan of the Apes. Firstly, he had received a lot of glowing praise for the first story from both readers and critics. Additionally, the All-Story editors were swamped by mail praising the first Tarzan story, many requesting further adventures of the ape-man. He had also had some success with a sequel to his first Martian story; The Gods of Mars was published in All-Story in early 1913. In October of 1912 Thomas Metcalf of All-Story wrote to Ed suggesting that in the sequel Tarzan might visit a civilised metropolis "like London, Paris, or New York". Despite the fact that Ed had followed Metcalf's suggestion, and more surprisingly, considering the financial benefits that they had enjoyed from the first Tarzan story, All-Story rejected the manuscript as "lacking balance". A competitor, New Story Magazine, showed no hesitation in taking the story for $1,000 and it appeared in serial form between June and November 1913. In 1915 the hardcover novel was published, again by McClurg. (Porges)

PLOT
Tarzan had renounced the right to the woman he loved, and civilization held no pleasure for him. After a brief and harrowing period among men, he turned back to the African jungle where he had grown to manhood. It was there he first heard of Opar, the city of gold, left over from fabled Atlantis. It was a city of hideous men - and of beautiful, savage women, over whom reigned La, high priestess of the Flaming God. Its altars were stained with the blood of many sacrifices. Unheeding of the dangers, Tarzan led a band of savage warriors toward the ancient crypts and the more ancient evil of Opar. (1982 Ballantine paperback)

SOURCES
• Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Man Who Created Tarzan by Irwin Porges, 1975, Brigham Young University Press
COVERS
• 1982 Ballantine Neil Adams cover is from personal collection
• Burne Hogarth cover from 1972 Flamingo Books UK paperback edition was pilfered from an eBay auction item
• N C Wyeth cover from the dustjacket of the 1915 A C McClurg hardcover edition was pilfered from an eBay auction item
• Edward Mortelmans' cover from 1959 Four Square Books edition was pilfered from an eBay auction item
LYNX
• The full text of this novel is available on-line from Robert Stockton's The Return of Tarzan page
• Read a summary of this novel at Tangor's The Return of Tarzan Summarized page
• Colourful paperback covers are at Nick Knowles' The Return of Tarzan page
CAPTURE
• Bag yourself a copy of this novel at Amazon.com's The Return of Tarzan page or try eBay

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