Tarzan X Shame Of Jane Best

“Shame of Jane Best” (published 2023 by indie press New Horizons Books) is a 248‑page novella that re‑centres the story on Jane Porter, re‑imagined here as Jane Best, a middle‑class Englishwoman who, after a failed marriage, travels to Africa as a medical missionary. The narrative is structured as a series of journal entries interwoven with letters home, exposing the “shame” she feels in confronting:

The novella’s title is a direct play on The Shame of the Cities (Jacob Rosenberg) and The Best of Jane Austen (a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to literary canon), signalling its intent to interrogate the cultural baggage surrounding a classic female figure.

If you want a Tarzan story about tea parties and vine-swinging, watch the Disney movie. It’s lovely.

But if you want a story about a woman unlearning a lifetime of guilt at the hands of a man who has never felt a single ounce of it? If you want the tension, the psychological undressing, and the kind of love that burns away pretense until all that’s left is two apes in the dark?

Tarzan x Shame of Jane is the best. Just bring a therapist and a glass of cold water.

What do you think? Is the “Shame of Jane” take a brilliant subversion or a step too far into the dark? Drop a comment below—just keep it jungle-appropriate.

The jungle canopy hummed with a primal energy, the air thick with the scent of crushed orchids and damp earth. Deep within the emerald heart of the Congo, Tarzan, the Ape-Man, moved with a fluidity that defied the rugged terrain. He wasn't hunting today; he was searching.

Jane Porter had been missing from their camp for hours. She had ventured out to sketch the rare bioluminescent moss that clung to the ruins of the "Lost City," a place the local tribes whispered about with fear.

As the sun began to dip, casting long, skeletal shadows across the vines, Tarzan found a trail—not of broken branches, but of discarded items. A charcoal pencil. A torn page from a sketchbook. And finally, her pith helmet, lying upside down in the mud.

He followed the scent of ozone and ancient stone to a hidden ravine. There, nestled between two towering cliffs, stood an altar of obsidian. Jane was there, but she wasn't alone. She was surrounded by the "Silent Ones," a tribe of forgotten guardians who lived in the shadows of the ruins. tarzan x shame of jane best

They hadn't harmed her, but they had subjected her to a ritual of "The Mirror." In their culture, to enter the sacred city was a great transgression—a shame that could only be cleansed by facing one’s inner vulnerabilities. Jane sat in the center of a circle of glowing embers, her head bowed, her clothes tattered from the trek, looking smaller than Tarzan had ever seen her.

The High Priestess stepped forward, her skin painted with white clay. "She has looked upon the forbidden," the priestess intoned in a tongue Tarzan understood from his youth. "Now, she carries the weight of the mountain. Only a bond of blood and spirit can lift the shame of her intrusion."

Tarzan dropped from the trees, landing with a heavy thud that silenced the chanting. He didn't draw his knife. Instead, he walked slowly toward Jane. The Silent Ones hissed, but they did not move; they recognized the King of the Jungle. "Jane," he whispered, his voice a low rumble.

She looked up, her eyes brimming with a mixture of fear and a newfound, crushing humility. "I didn't mean to defile it, Tarzan. I just wanted to see... I wanted to understand."

Tarzan knelt before her, ignoring the spears pointed at his chest. He took her hands, which were stained with the black soot of the ritual. "The jungle does not know shame," he said firmly. "Only the laws of survival and the truth of the heart."

He turned to the Priestess. "She is my heart. If there is a price for her curiosity, I will pay it."

The Priestess looked at the massive man, then at the trembling woman. She saw the fierce protection in his eyes—a bridge between the wild and the civilized. With a slow nod, she signaled the tribesmen to lower their weapons.

"The shame is washed away by the strength of the protector," the Priestess declared. "Go. But let the ruins sleep."

Tarzan lifted Jane into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. As they moved back into the safety of the deep forest, the weight of the "shame" Jane had felt began to dissipate, replaced by the rhythmic heartbeat of the man who belonged to the wild. The jungle closed behind them, its secrets safe, and its queen returned. “Shame of Jane Best” (published 2023 by indie

Tarzan-X: Shame of Jane is a 1995 Italian adult film directed by Joe D'Amato that has gained a cult following for its high production values and location shooting in Kenya. Often regarded by enthusiasts as one of the best examples of its genre from that era, the film is known for its relatively high-quality cinematography and romantic undertones compared to standard adult fare. Production and Background Joe D'Amato

(Aristide Massaccesi), a prolific Italian filmmaker known for both mainstream horror and exploitation films.

: Unlike many of its contemporaries, the film was shot on location in

, providing authentic jungle backdrops that contribute to its "best of" reputation among fans. Legal Controversy : The film gained notoriety when the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate

unsuccessfully attempted a lawsuit against it for copyright infringement. Cast and Characters

The film features two of the era's most prominent adult performers who were a real-life couple: Rocco Siffredi

: Portrays "Ape-Man" (the film avoids using the name "Tarzan" in the dialogue). Rosa Caracciolo : Portrays Jane; she is frequently cited by reviewers on Letterboxd

for a performance that carries more emotion than typical for the genre. Critical Reception and Analysis Cult Status

: Fans often label it the "best Tarzan movie" within its specific niche due to the chemistry between Siffredi and Caracciolo. : Reviewers on The novella’s title is a direct play on

note that while the script is light and contains "laughable" dialogue, it attempts a degree of character development as Tarzan discovers human civilization and intimacy. : Some audience members on Letterboxd

describe the film as "genuinely romantic and beautiful," highlighting its use of Panavision cameras and professional lighting. Are you interested in a deeper cinematic analysis of Joe D'Amato's work or perhaps more historical context regarding the copyright battle with the Burroughs estate? Tarzan - Shame of Jane (1995) - IMDb

Feature Spotlight: “Tarzan × Shame of Jane Best” – A Jungle‑Heart Drama

To understand Jane’s shame, we must abandon the modern, pop-culture Tarzan (the Disney-fied version with gramophones and comedic sidekicks). In Burroughs’ original text, Jane’s internal conflict is brutal. She is torn between two equal fears: the fear of the jungle’s danger, and the fear of her own nature.

When Tarzan first speaks to her in broken English, she blushes. When he saves her from the brutal terrors of the apes, she weeps—not from gratitude, but from confusion. She realizes that civilization has taught her to be ashamed of the very instincts that keep her alive.

This is the "best" reading of the story: Tarzan is not Jane’s lover; he is Jane’s mirror. In his unashamed eyes, she sees the performance of her entire life. Every polite lie, every stifled desire, every time she lowered her gaze—Tarzan’s presence makes those moments agonizingly visible.

When we first meet Jane Porter in Burroughs’ 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, she is not a damsel in distress but a product of her environment: educated, refined, and emotionally suppressed. Her father, Professor Archimedes Porter, is a well-meaning but absent-minded scholar; her world is one of manners, corsets, and moral absolutism.

Then comes Tarzan. He is everything her world is not: unclothed, unrestrained, and brutally honest. The famous scene where Jane watches Tarzan fight a lion—not for glory, but for survival—is the novel’s psychological turning point. Burroughs writes that Jane felt a "strange, wild thrill" that she immediately tried to suppress. That suppression is the birth of her shame.

The shame is not Tarzan’s. He feels none. The shame belongs entirely to Jane: shame that her heart races at his savagery, shame that she compares his muscular, scarred body to the pale, soft men of Baltimore, and shame that she wants him to touch her before any clergyman approves.