carnivorousplant:
Yes, it must have been terribly confusing for the young Tarzan.
As recounted in the first book, Tarzan taught himself to read English, and later the Belgian military officer, who spoke French and English, decided to teach Tarzan French because it was the Belgian’s native (and therefore most fluent) tongue.
But their common reference point, their Rosetta Stone if you will, was written English.
Tarzan later regained England and his family’s wealth, and went on to become well-educated, sophisticated and articulate: a far cry from the monosyllabic trog in the movies.
But it was remarked on by other characters through the series of books how strange it was that an English lord should speak with a French accent.
I second Fenris’s recommendation of Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic book. It’s sort of a late-Victorian Justice League, which has the mysterious M of Her Majesty’s Secret Service assembling the following heroes from fiction:
Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde
Allan Quatermain
Mina Murray (an unusually pale young divorcee, who for some
reason always wears a scarf around her neck)
Griffin, the Invisible Man
Captain Nemo, offering the services of his advanced
submersible
The characters ring true, and there are wonderful Easter eggs hidden throughout the series. It’s like Mystery Science Theater 3000, in that no one could possibly catch all the literary references. It’s full of Easter eggs, like when the characters race through the East End of London and encounter a character who, if you’re paying attention, you’ll realize is the super-annuated Artful Dodger from Dickens.
I wonder if Moore has read Farmer’s books. I’m sure he has. I wonder if he liked them.