Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell
Synopsis:
Cambridge, England, 1905. Jane Porter is hardly a typical woman of her time. The only female student in Cambridge University’s medical program, she is far more comfortable in a lab coat dissecting corpses than she is in a corset and gown sipping afternoon tea. A budding paleoanthropologist, Jane dreams of traveling the globe in search of fossils that will prove the evolutionary theories of her scientific hero, Charles Darwin.
When dashing American explorer Ral Conrath invites Jane and her father to join an expedition deep into West Africa, she can hardly believe her luck. Africa is every bit as exotic and fascinating as she has always imagined, but Jane quickly learns that the lush jungle is full of secrets—and so is Ral Conrath. When danger strikes, Jane finds her hero, the key to humanity’s past, and an all-consuming love in one extraordinary man: Tarzan of the Apes.
Review:
Jane is a strong, independent young woman, unwilling to conform to social expectations. She’d rather study and learn more about the human body and evolution than get married and become a housewife. But when Jane meets a strange young man living in the wilds of Africa, he begins to stir emotions within her that she never felt before. Jane is an amazing character – bold and brilliant.
Maxwell’s interpretation of the classic story of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan is fresh and captivating. Beloved characters are given new life and a new perspective. This innovative twist on an old story is well-paced and full of adventure, suspense, and romance. Jane will be enjoyed by longtime fans of Tarzan and Edgar Rice Burroughs as well as those who have never read his original stories.
Judging by the reviews I’ve read on Goodreads, I’d say not all the longtime fans (at least the diehard ones) are happy with it, but as someone whose main introduction to the character was through the Disney version, I found Jane an enjoyable read. Given Tarzan’s pulp roots, the book naturally has something of a beach-read feel, but I thought it was a fun, sensual, romantic take on the story.