This is the fifth book in the Tarzan series, and it comes back to the original Tarzan of the Apes and his wife Jane. Now living in Africa, they receive word that the company that has sustained them in England has gone bankrupt. Since their wealth was originally established on the gold that Tarzan had pilfered from the unknowing (and uncaring) city of Opar, he decides to go back to get more gold to reestablish his monetary stability. However, they also have at this time a duplicitous visitor at their estate who wishes to steal their riches for himself and his Arabian master, a marauder and thief. All this sets the stage for a series of events, complicated by Tarzen himself suffering from amnesia due to a blow on the head, that leads to many and exciting adventures for all concerned.
This is the most involved novel by far in this series. Not only does it show the growth of Burroughs as a writer, but also the scope of imagination that he allowed himself to exercise when it came to his Lord of the Apes. Written in the 19th century, it is extremely misogynistic toward white, and in particular, English culture. But, to its credit, it also has a European villain and a native hero, (besides its main characters), which gives it somewhat more of an inclusive air. The action is such that it can still hold the interest with the best of thrillers today. This is the best of the series to date.
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