The Return of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. The novel picks up where Tarzan of the Apes left off. The ape man, feeling rootless in the wake of his noble sacrifice of his prospects of wedding Jane Porter, leaves America for Europe to visit his friend Paul d'Arnot. On the ship he becomes embroiled in the affairs of Countess Olga de Coude, her husband, Count Raoul de Coude, and two shady characters attempting to prey on them, Nikolas Rokoff and his henchman Alexis Paulvitch. Rokoff, it turns out, is also the countess's brother. Tarzan thwarts the villains' scheme, making them his deadly enemies. More adventure ensues until the end when Tarzan weds Jane and Tennington weds Hazel in a double ceremony performed by Professor Porter, who had been ordained a minister in his youth. Then they all set sail for civilization, taking along the treasure Tarzan had found in Opar.

本作は文明の洗練と原始の野性が衝突する、極めて文学的な自己探求の物語です。ジェーンへの愛のために地位を捨て放浪を選ぶターザンの姿には、社会の枠組みに縛られない孤高の魂が宿っています。バローズは都会の陰謀と秘境オパールの神秘を鮮やかに対比させ、人間が本質的に求める真の「自由」の正体を鋭く問いかけます。 映像化作品ではダイナミックなアクションが強調されますが、原作には五感を刺激する緻密な描写と、文明の虚飾を剥ぎ取る心理的な深みがあります。映像の躍動感を原典のテキストで補完すれば、彼が二つの世界で揺れ動く高潔な哲学者であることに気づき、その野性に魂が昂るはずです。