19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Me, Tarzan. You, Jane. My foot!, December 6, 2007
This review is from: Master of Adventure: The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)
Edgar Rice Burroughs was mediocre at best in all of his vocations. That is, until he professionally took up the pen and typewriter, after which he speedily became quite remarkable. Nowadays, Burroughs is mostly known for having created Tarzan of the Apes, but, omigosh, the man has accomplished so much more than that. For three decades he penned some of the greatest, most exhilarating adventures of his time. Correction: of any time. Anyone else remember John Carter of Mars, David Innes of Pellucidar, or Carson Napier of Venus? What about the fantastical continent of Caspak? If you're interested in finding out about the works of - as well as behind-the-scenes stuff about - Edgar Rice Burroughs, then look no further than Lupoff's insightful and definitive book.
Back in 1965, Richard A. Lupoff, who himself would later become a sci-fi (and mystery) author, wrote EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: MASTER OF ADVENTURE, which then became the go-to bible for things concerning Burroughs. MASTER OF ADVENTURE: THE WORLDS OF EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS is mostly the same book, only re-titled, revised a tad, and reprinted for 2005, with new forewords by fantasist Michael Moorcock and by Lupoff himself, as well as Phillip R. Burger's essay, which bridges the gap from 1965 to 2005.
MASTER OF ADVENTURE is a must have, if you're a fan of E.R.B. It's a coherent, informative, and tremendously engrossing read. I thought I'd gone thru most of E.R.B.'s stories and even believed I knew quite a bit about the man, but MASTER OF ADVENTURE made me realize that mine was a thimbleful of info compared to Lupoff's double whammy of insider knowledge and meticulous research. Now I don't consider MASTER OF ADVENTURE a biography as much as a comprehensive study of Burroughs' written works (although you do learn something of the man from his works, so there's that). Reading these pages, I don't come away feeling that I know E.R.B. that much better as a person. Lupoff doesn't really drop a dime on the guy's personal life. Instead he focuses on in-depth evaluation and even-handed critique of Burroughs' stories. There are great Burroughs novels, there are decent ones, and then there are the flawed stories (not that many, thank goodness). All these - the classics and the warts - are covered to some extent. Even though clearly a great admirer of E.R.B., Lupoff's analysis is still governed by good measures of objectivity and thoughtfulness.
There's no doubt Lupoff relishes delving into ERB's most famous works. There are chapters dedicated to Barsoom and its heroic Virginian, and the book's second half is reserved for his most iconic character Tarzan. Here Lupoff dispels much of the world's misconceptions circling the Jungle Lord. For instance, did you know that Tarzan is extremely intelligent and is fluent in English and French? That he's actually a British lord? That "Tarzan" in ape means "White Skin"? And that he dwells in a majestic African estate, and not in a tree house?. No worries, Lupoff goes into all this, and more. I dearly love the Johnny Weissmuller/Maureen O'Sullivan Tarzan flicks, but, damn! Tarzan is so much more than what we see in the movies.
One last bit of trivia: Tarzana, California? Yes, it's named after Tarzan.
But Lupoff also pays close attention to the more obscure titles (
The Mucker,
Eternal Lover,
The Outlaw of Torn, etc). He goes on to list past authors whose works might have inspired Burroughs' most well known creations (his speculations, well-thought out though they may be, still raises the hackles of E.R.B. supporters). Then, turn about being fair play, Lupoff explores Burroughs' influence on writers who followed him (Moorcock, R.E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Leigh Brackett, Lin Carter, etc). Bomba the Jungle Boy? Robert Moore Williams' Jongor? Marvel Comics' Ka-Zar of the Savage Land? Moorcock's Kane of Old Mars? They're all pretty much blatant ripoffs of Tarzan and John Carter.
Lupoff even offers his short list of suggested Burroughs reading (curiously, War Chief and
The Mucker are respectively #3 & #4). He discloses his personal vote for E.R.B.'s two best works of science-fiction. Surprisingly, these selections aren't found in the Barsoom or Pellucidar series. You'll find out why the names of fellow authors Edwin Lester Arnold, Otis Adelbert Kline, and Lupoff himself are such controversial triggers for Burroughs fans. There's also wistful mention of Burroughs' prospective next great hero and next adventure series before World War 2 altered his plans and made him a war correspondent. As an added bonus, there are 11 black & white illustrations here, 3 by Al Williamson and 6 by Frank Frazetta.
What else can I say about the Master of Adventure? E. R. Burroughs was a great influence in my formative years, with plenty of my childhood spent reading his flights of fancies. And even though Richard Lupoff is rightly critical of the master at times and risks the wrath of many a Burroughs advocate, he still rises to the challenge. You don't have to agree with Lupoff to enjoy these pages. I wouldn't lie, I wasn't too enamoured of his assertions that Burroughs lifted John Carter from a Victorian writer, but I still wasn't about to put this book down. MASTER OF ADVENTURE: THE WORLDS OF EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS is a fascinating and extensive breakdown of E.R.B.'s oeuvre, and one I should've read a long time ago. I didn't need convincing, mind you, but Lupoff proves that, after all these years, my man Edgar Rice Burroughs is still relevant. With Tarzan still very much an icon, and with even talk of a John Carter film floating around, it seems to me that Burroughs has passed the test of longevity. Which makes this particular book even more indispensable. Highly recommended.
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