Customer Reviews

The Lad and the Lion

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The more I read by ERB the more I become a fan of his. Even knowing from my modern standpoint that some of his literary means are wrong, or that some of his racial observations are at times jarring. (though he almost always rectifies those in some way) I love his books! They are engaging with flowing plots that are not easy to predict and take the reader for a very enjoyable ride.

This book, is a sort of throw back to his original idea of Tarzan, instead of an Ape-Man though, the culmition is a lion man. We have no Baltimore beauty, but instead a desert princess, haughty and spoiled, but very passionate.

Michael is the grandson of a king, somewhere in Europe,and the next in line to the throne. His grandfather, assasignated, has sent his grandson away. Little could anyone predict the boat would sink and Michael would become the latest victim of one of Burroughs favorite plot devices, an amnesiac. The boy doesn't remember a thing about his previous life, speech, civilization, nothing.

He is picked up by a (the most villanous character in the book) deaf mute in a boat, who also has a lion cub kept in a cage. The two (lion and lad) a victim of this nameless man's cruelties and become 'brothers'.

Eventually, they find land and Michael has a few Tarzanish episodes.

While all of this is happening ERB returns us at regular intervals to the happenings of Michael's homeland, and things are not going well. This book, is the first I have read by him to have such totally divergent plots (and never the twain shall meet) once Michael is seperated from his homeland, his effect on the country is nothing (except being mentioned wistfully, as he is thought dead and its effect on him is nothing).

The ending is rather ironic, but as it should be, I think, though I wouldn't be surprised if there were some ideas for a sequel bouncing around ERB's head as he wrote this, it leaves the option open.