Reviews for Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke

The average rating for Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-04-19 00:00:00 Andrew Cohen Imagine, if you will, that you were told that the heroes and villains of popular fiction exist in our world, or are/were based on people, who at one time or another, existed alongside us. What would you think? With Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke, award-winning author Philip Jose Farmer tells an intricate tale that will cause you to wonder that very question. In his story, Farmer reveals the truth behind Edgar Rice Burroughs's greatest literary hero: John Clayton, Eighth Duke of Greystoke, also known as Tarzan of the Apes. Farmer skillfully sets the stage for the events surrounding the man behind the legend, from the year he was born, all the way through the two World Wars, and after. And of course, who can forget the only interview between Farmer and Lord Greystoke? Furthermore, what also makes this book very important is the revelation that Tarzan was descended from a group of eighteen passengers, who had passed by a meteor that had fallen in Wold Newton, a small town in Yorkshire, England on December 13, 1795. The exposure to the "ionizing" radiation, and intermarriages between the descendants of this group, led to a diverse family of famous and infamous characters that included his second cousin, Doc Savage, Patricia Savage, Monk Mayfair, The Shadow, The Spider, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Professor Moriarty, and Hanoi Shan, the man behind the legend known as Fu Manchu. All of whom are real people according to Farmer. This possibility may not be too far a stretch considering that these individuals, despite having above average intelligence, some to the point of genius, as well as having slightly enhanced levels of speed, dexterity, reflexes and strength, were, and are, no different than you or I. I found Tarzan Alive to be an engaging piece of literature that suspended my disbelief for a moment, and made me believe that Tarzan, Doc Savage and the Wold Newton Family, actually exist in our world. That's not possible. Is it? Is it? Definitely, a five star piece of "fiction."

Review # 2 was written on 2016-12-09 00:00:00 Jonathan Heslin This is the first of two "biographies" (the second being DOC SAVAGE: HIS APOCALYPTIC LIFE) in which Farmer established the "Wold Newton family," it being a conceit whereby a great many fictional characters are claimed to have been based on real people all of whom shared a complex family tree. It's actually a brilliant idea, opening the way, as it does, for endless speculation and innumerable crossover tales. Probably, it's the greatest service ever paid to fan communities. Quite apart from the seed it sows, TARZAN ALIVE is also a thoroughly entertaining read. Farmer's ability to explain away the inconsistencies and sillier parts of the Tarzan novels is always enjoyable, as is his "accurate" chronology. Admittedly, some of his assertions don't sit well with me … the notion that Korak was actually adopted, and the brother of Bulldog Drummond, rather knocks the wind out of THE SON OF TARZAN, which is one of the best in the series … but nothing here can be taken too seriously, better to just allow Farmer's ingenuity to wash over you (and ERB really screwed up his timeline with SoT, so Farmer wasn't left with many options). All in all, a fascinating faux biography that was probably much more convincing in 1972 (when it was written) than it is now, but which still has strength enough to make it a very worthwhile read for Tarzan fans.