Tarzan of the Apes

By: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Narrated by: David Ian Davies

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Why has this classic been so popular over the years with its presence in films, books, radio, and television? It is the mythology of the primordial steps of man's advancement. We follow the fascinating progress of mankind from the savage jungle to our present time in every one of Burroughs' 28 chapters. David Ian Davies has achieved great success in capturing each character with their own unique sound. This removes the overall effect of just listening to a narration, but takes us to a more realistic imagery similar to hearing a full-cast performance.

Public Domain © One Voice Recordings, All Rights Reserved

Great Story!

Would you consider the audio edition of Tarzan of the Apes to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but the audio performance definitely kept me glued to my seat. It was certainly better than the movies!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Of course, Tarzan is my favorite character. He reminds me of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus in his nobility, integrity, earnest and uncalculating honesty. His only lie is a whopper, and totally unexpected -- this is definitely NOT the movie, thank goodness!

What does David Ian Davies bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Davies's performance is first-rate. His characters are all individuals with their own peculiarities, accents, styles and manners of speech. I was enthralled throughout the telling, and even cried out involuntarily at the end!

If you could take any character from Tarzan of the Apes out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Tarzan, of course! The dinner would have to be at a very good steakhouse, for only in such a place could Tarzan get his meat rarer than mine!

Any additional comments?

As you see, I have nothing but exclamation points to punctuate my sentences. Tarzan of the Apes is an exclamation of humanity in the face of primeval jungle ferocity and ruthlessness -- it was pure joy to, for a while at least, be a part of such a great story!

Wow a true classic

There is a reason that Tarzan has become part of our culture from comic books to novels to movies. Having grown up watching Tarzan movies, I found myself curious as to its origins. Being out of premium listener program credits and just about fed up with the dry 9/11 report. I went looking for an under $10.00 value. Lo and behold I stumbled on Tarzan of the Apes.

I truly enjoyed and could not put down this classic tale. From his origins which where much more plausible than any others I have seen before, through his modernization to what we call civilized, I was at the edge of my seat. I think this is a phenomenal value and highly recommend this book. I wish it was longer since I could not get enough.

Not Hollywood's version...

I enjoyed this story until the end. The end seemed to me like he was running out of paper and had to finish things off. I actually groaned at the end (though I did make it to the end) because it was just such a bummer of an ending. Skip it and see the movie. I actually think that Hollywood did it better on film (for once).

Excellent book but...

I really enjoyed this book. It was inexpensive so I thought I'd give it a go and was pleasantly surprised. The book is very different than all of the movies that have come out over the years. It is so well written and plausible that I was deeply drawn into it. The narrator was equally good, with different vioces for each character. The only problem I had was the end of the story. It made me go "What? You've got to be kidding me!" I was annoyed. I realize that this is the first in a series, but come on. It did make me want to immediatly get the next audiobook, however it is not as inexpensive and I've decided to wait. For the price, it was well worth it.

It was fun.

If you could sum up Tarzan of the Apes in three words, what would they be?

bygone age adventure

What did you like best about this story?

it moves quickly

What does David Ian Davies bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings a depth and bridge of personal closeness between an older text to a younger listener. He makes this probably more fun than it might be just to read.

Any additional comments?

I would listen to additional Burroughs books if the same narrator was providing the reading.

Classic

While the audio could have been better, the book was very good. It tells a fun, fantastic story, and allows us to think about the true meaning of civility and character.

keen interest

kept me interested at all times but the ending was a let down. the narrator was very good. at first i thought, "oh this voice is not going to get it for me!" but actually it added to the story and performance.

More than I had expected...

Being the bargain shopper that I am, I was first attracted to this title by its cost per minute ratio.

What a surprise I was in for. The story was very fascinating and really shades a different light on Tarzan. After 8 hours of listening, I was not ready for the story to end.

The narrative may seem a bit dry and outdated at first, but the story really makes up for it!

A great story, and a great audiobook

I was amazed at the quality of the writing, the story, and the narration. As pulp fiction, I was expecting a lot of cliches or gaudy situations, but was pleasantly surprised. The only unusual aspect of this book (and not the audiobook), is the ending. I searched for an actual copy of Tarzan to confirm that that was the real ending.

For those with small children, you should reconsider listening to this audiobook in the car with them as there is violence and an unrealistic portrayal of gorillas. Older children will enjoy it.

Excellent!

The story is excellent as always. The narration is a bit sketchy but in some respects it adds a bit of authenticity.