In order to write the "true" story of Tarzan, Farmer had to condense Edgar Rice Burroughs's twenty-four Tarzan novels into one volume of manageable length. This need to condense and eliminate may explain why Tarzan is the only well-developed character in Tarzan Alive, and why not even Jane among the secondary characters seems either complex or interesting. However, by focusing on just one character, Farmer did allow himself the opportunity to create a multifaceted personality for his hero. To Farmer, Tarzan represents an ideal. His ancestors were exposed to radiation which improved their genetic structure, making him a superior mutation of normal human beings. In training, he is an animal, cunning in survival lore and free of the decadent inhibitions of civilization.

Once Tarzan leaves the real jungle of Africa, he is equally masterful in the jungle of international law and finance, managing to take control of his...