Tarzan of the Apes (1912) The Return of Tarzan (1913) The Beasts of Tarzan (1914) The Son of Tarzan (1915) Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar (1916) Jungle Tales of Tarzan (1919) Tarzan the Untamed (1920) Tarzan the Terrible (1921) Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1922) Tarzan and the Ant Men (1924) Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1927) Tarzan and the Lost Empire (1929) Tarzan at the Earth’s Core (1930) Tarzan the Invincible (1930–31) Tarzan Triumphant (1931) Tarzan and the City of Gold (1932) Tarzan and the Lion Man (1933–34) Tarzan and the Leopard Men (1935) Tarzan’s Quest (1935–36) Tarzan and the Forbidden City (1938) Tarzan the Magnificent (1939–40) Tarzan and the Foreign Legion (1947) Tarzan and the Madman (1964) Tarzan and the Castaways (1965, posthumous 1966)
⚡ Pace: fast · 🎭 Emotions: adventurous, romanticised · 🚪 Entry threshold: low · ⭐ Why read: classic adventure
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs is not just an adventure novel – it is the origin of a myth. First published in 1912, it introduced the world to one of the most iconic literary characters of the 20th century: Tarzan – the child of the jungle, a man raised by apes, both wild and noble, fierce and deeply human.
The story begins with an English aristocratic couple stranded in the African jungle after a mutiny. When they perish, their infant son is adopted by a tribe of great apes who name him Tarzan – “White Skin.” He grows up among them, learning to hunt, climb, and survive. But Tarzan is inquisitive, intelligent, and innately moral. His discovery of books left by his parents sparks a remarkable process of self-education. Without teachers or guidance, he learns to read and write, gradually awakening to a world he has never seen.
Tarzan is a man of two worlds: the wild one that raised him and the human world to which he secretly belongs. This conflict intensifies when he meets a group of outsiders – among them, the beautiful Jane Porter. Love for Jane draws him toward civilisation, but he is torn between the jungle that shaped him and the society that defines him. His journey becomes not only physical but existential: a search for identity, truth, and belonging.
Burroughs blends thrilling adventure with philosophical themes: nature versus nurture, civilisation versus instinct, and the enduring question – what makes us human? Tarzan, as the "noble savage," is not a caricature but a challenge to society: a man who surpasses others not despite his wild upbringing, but because of it.
While the novel reflects some of the biases and colonial attitudes of its time, it also offers a sincere belief in personal growth, inner strength, and the power of knowledge and character. Tarzan is not merely a hero of action – he is a symbol of human potential.
Tarzan of the Apes spawned an entire franchise, from novels and films to comics and animation. But it is this first book that remains the heart of the legend – a gripping, imaginative, and surprisingly thoughtful tale about a boy of the wild who never stopped being human.
📚 Did you know 📖
Tarzan was one of the first “jungle superheroes,” anticipating the archetype of the “orphan hero” raised in a different world.
Fun fact: Edgar Rice Burroughs trademarked the name “Tarzan” – one of the earliest cases of intellectual property protection for a fictional character.
The famous Tarzan yell, iconic in cinema, was actually created in the studio by layering sounds – including a violin, a tenor’s voice, and a lion’s roar.
Despite criticism of racial and cultural stereotypes, Tarzan remains a landmark in the adventure genre, inspiring generations of jungle heroes and parodies.
Legend has it: some kids tried to imitate Tarzan’s vine-swinging – and learned the hard way that ropes in the backyard don’t behave like jungle lianas.