BURROUGHS (EDGAR RICE)


Typed letter signed ("ER Burroughs"), to John I. Hall, of Kingston-on-Thames, England, thanking him for his letter of 27 October ("...The many kindly expressions of interest in Tarzan of the Apes that have come from England and the Colonies have been a source of considerable pleasure to me. I am glad that you do not like the ending of the story, for neither do I. We shall have things straightened out enough in the sequel which I am writing now...") and regretting that the considerable distance that separates them "precludes the possibility of my acceding to your request to read the Mss before publication", 1 page, on headed paper ("Edgar Rice Burroughs/ Chicago"), date typed in red, folio, Chicago, 13 November 1912
|'KINDLY EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN TARZAN OF THE APES... HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF CONSIDERABLE PLEASURE TO ME. I AM GLAD THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE THE ENDING OF THE STORY, FOR NEITHER DO I' – Edgar Rice Burroughs writes to an English fan soon after the first appearance of the original Tarzan story, Tarzan of the Apes, in the October issue of The All-Story magazine. It was not to be published in book form until 1914.The November issue of The All-Story magazine carried letters praising Tarzan, dating from the second week in September, several of which are written from England; which suggests that the October issue hit the news-stands at the beginning of September. While all the letters, naturally, lavish praise on Tarzan, quite a few grumble about the ending, as does our correspondent. (The book ends with our hero renouncing the peerage to which he has just learned he is entitled, as well as his chance of marrying Jane.) While disappointing many readers, this did allow an opening for a sequel, as is promised in our letter. Burroughs however was not sure at first if he could manage this, writing to his editor, Thomas Newell Metcalf, on 20 September: ʻAbout a sequel to Tarzan. Candidly I don't think it would be a go, although I have a really bully foundation in mind for one. These sequel things usually fall flat. I'll be glad to think it over, however, and later if you decide that it will be wise to try it I'll tackle it'. Although in the event Metcalf was able to persuade him otherwise, writing on 11 October: ʻhave been thinking over the necessity of a sequel to "Tarzan" and it certainly looks as though we ought to have one, don't you think so? Of course, as you say, sequels are never quite as good as the originals, but with such a howling mob demanding further adventures of your young hero, it looks to me as though it would be a very good move to bring him again to the notice of the great public' (Edgar Rice Burroughs Web Museum).The fact that our letter is written to an English fan is not without significance. Indeed, there is a curious parallel between Tarzan of the Apes, published as a magazine story in 1912 and as a novel in 1914, and Psmith Journalist, the manuscript of which is included in the present sale (see below), published as a magazine story in 1909 and as a novel in 1915. While Wodehouse is rightly seen as being quintessentially English and Burroughs, as Gore Vidal points out, as being quintessentially American, both, as writers, dwelt in foreign lands. Wodehouse's particular genius came to flower by virtue of his spending nearly all of his working life in America so that, like an Esquimaux in New York, he was able to point out the absurdities of the English to Americans and the absurdities of Americans to the English. While Burroughs may have been quintessentially American, the same cannot be said of his hero. Tarzan is not any common-or-garden Joe. He is, rather, Viscount Greystoke and entitled to a seat in the House of Lords. (And just to further complicate matters, in the books as opposed to the films, he is not given to grunting inanities such as ʻI Tarzan – You Jane' but, rather, had a fluent command of French before ever mastering English, the first words he utters in a non-ape language being ʻMais Oui'). The point is that all this mattered to Burroughs. It is all part of the fantasy. And while he may not have the Mozartian gift of the language enjoyed by Wodehouse, his Tarzan of the Apes remains surprisingly readable.No comparable letter by Burroughs, referring to Tarzan at such an early date, is recorded as having been sold by ABPC. The owner of our letter is grandson of the original recipient, details of whom are included with the letter.