A Clever Author, Harsh Accusations
Funnily enough, the author who created this notorious character considered writing to be a “silly profession for a big vigorous outdoorsman.” In fact, Edgar Rice Burroughs originally wrote under a pseudonym because he thought “writing was a lark.” Scott Tracy Griffin, who wrote “Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration,” says Burroughs was always clever about his inspirations.
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Apparently, he was a very well-read man who studied Greek and Latin during his school years, did research in the Chicago Public Library, and had a firm grounding in the classics. Burroughs often claimed that Tarzan was based on classic tales and mythology. But what many people have claimed over the years is that Burroughs was so specific and clever about the origins of his books because he was constantly accused of copying Rudyard Kipling, the author of the Jungle Book.