Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
Select delivery location
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Mario Cortes
Follow
General Press
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Tarzan of the Apes (Alasha Classic Series) Hardcover – September 1, 2008

by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,405 ratings
See all formats and editions
Read the book that gave birth to a legend. Tarzan of the Apes was Burroughs' first book about the boy raised by apes after the death of his English parents. Adopted as a baby by the she-ape Kala he learns the ways of the jungle and becomes a powerful member of his jungle. Yet it is clear that he is different from his peers and as a young boy he learns about the ways of his human ancestors through books he finds and learns to read in his deceased parent's cabin. When white men are marooned on the coast, including the beautiful Jane, he is increasingly torn between the savage and the civil. Will his love overcome his inner struggle; will he conquer the heart of Jane?
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 24
    Tarzan
  2. Print length
    328 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Archeion Pr Llc
  5. Publication date
    September 1, 2008
  6. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1605120677
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1605120676
  9. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Archeion Pr Llc (September 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1605120677
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1605120676
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.24 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,405 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Mario Cortes

    Mario Cortes

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
  2. General Press

    General Press

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    General Press publishes high-quality POD books in almost all popular genres including Fiction, Nonfiction, Religion, Self-Help, Romance, Classics, etc.

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
4,405 global ratings
An amazing classic!
5 Stars
An amazing classic!
An excitingly vibrant and lively read that still holds up to this day and age! Very highly recommended to anyone out there!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Reinold F.
5.0 out of 5 stars Journey into the origin of mythology. (AmazonClassics Edition)
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
Kipling, in the Jungle Book, maybe the inspiration for Tarzan, wrote a perfect book; his mastery leaves Edgar Rice Burroughs' writing as almost improvised. In Tarzan is not clear at first that different animals don the same name, the coincidences are implausible, and the world population seems to have fifty persons at most. Nevertheless the technically lesser story of Tarzan has a vast bigger impact in our culture than Kipling's lovely narration. The story of a man whose past is lost, raised to be a noble man by adoptive parents, fighting antagonists of superlative strength or superior weapons, gaining peak human strength and stamina, superior intelligence due to his genetic and aristocratic heritage, the intelligent and beautiful lady that he will rescue... all these elements will inspire the story of Superman, so, although imperfect, it goes beyond the Jungle Book to be the foundation of the vast 20th century mythology.

The beginning is a bit exasperating: a couple taking the worst decisions in their way to catastrophe. Circumstances will abandon them in a wild and untouched jungle in the Congo; all continues in tragedy. Each tragedy preparing the path to build the most powerful human being, not only in strength but, different from the classic movies, also in intellect. Without giving spoilers the ending is sad :l and is nothing as I ever saw in other media. The more I read it the more captivating it was. If you have seen movies or read comics, about Tarzan, I can assure you that they are not like this original book. Is an amazing reading, not only despite its defects but even thanks to them.

As a miscellaneous note is the theme about race. I don't think there is a mistreatment. All the races in this book make interesting things, the ape tribe of Mangani is cruel but also adopts Tarzan; the cannibals are inhuman toward prisoners but they also build and respect their divinities; the colonialists abuse the natives but also they investigate to end that abuse, some kill without remorse while others help the most possible. So in the end there is not a prejudice except in modern readers that read what their limited vision allows them to see. In the treatment of gender Jane Porter is in my opinion an echo of one of the greatest heroines of literature as is Shakespeare's Portia; and the inspiration for Louis Lane, a strong and brave woman, not all the men are brave neither, so I don't see a prejudice in it. I don't like mistreatment of animals and Tarzan, what is wonderful, explicitly has learnt to hunt only for food and only if his weapons put him in fair ground, not in superiority.

All in all Tarzan is amazing!!! you can get the AmazonClassics edition. It has X-Ray, there are not mistakes I could notice, modern typography, nice cover, and in general an excellent edition. The only thing I'd like is if I could measure the reading progress by pages and not only by digital positions, other AmazonClassics books have that option. It is not an issue but a choice of subjective comfort.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
chibilee02
4.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable Classic Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
I also enjoyed and appreciated the more in-depth portrayal of Tarzan aka Lord John Clayton Greystoke. You really see the evolution of the fragile boy to the force of nature that we know Tarzan as. While he didn’t get any formal education, you read how there’s an intelligence lurking beneath the primal animal. You see him use deductive reasoning and his wit to win against his opponents (along with his inhuman strength). I liked how the book gave us a more well-rounded picture of Tarzan as a whole with intelligence, curiosity and honor (and surprisingly a jokester) to go along with the pretty straightforward nature of the wild.

As for Jane (who is actually an American), it’s not so clear cut for me. On the one hand, I like that she’s not a complete damsel in distress and has some backbone. But as much as I wanted her to be what a modern leading lady would be, the story was written during a time where there were certain expectations in regard to how a woman should behave so I’m thinking the character is being constrained by this belief. Also, she is younger than I have thought of her to be (she’s 19 in the book) so perhaps her behavior and feelings are reflective of that youth and inexperience. While I don’t completely dislike her, I can’t honestly say that this version of Jane is one that would get behind with.

It would be so easy for me to say how pop culture and all its subdivisions have butchered Tarzan. However, I gotta say they pretty much got the core of the story down with some deviations on the characters (which is expected with all the different interpretations/takes on the tale). But the one thing the book has over those movies and books is the overall picture of Tarzan as a person. You would think this book would eventually turn into the love story between a wild man and a proper lady (which is included although the ending leaves A LOT to be desired - you have been warned), it really is about Tarzan’s story and how it subtly points out the strange (?) behavior/qualities of man as compared to the animals. Don’t get wrong. There’s no soapbox to be had here. In the end, this was an entertaining book that read like a fantastical fairytale in a place that seems so far away and so dangerous with a leading man that is as fantastical as any prince in a fairytaleIt’s funny how I’m familiar with the story of Tarzan without having ever read the actual book. But this is probably true for the general population whose knowledge of Tarzan comes from pop culture, movies, TV and (of course) Disney. To actually go ahead and read the book origin was a different experience because having been exposed to the story for so long, there’s a feeling as if you already know what will happen and who the characters are. Well, goes to show what you (or I) know or think we know.

As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think that I’m reading a feral sort of fairy tale. Yes, you read that right: fairy tale. Now before you think I’ve had my head knocked in by a bigger, more aggressive version of a gorilla let me elaborate. When I describe the story as a fairy tale, it has more to do with Edgar Rice Burroughs and his writing. He had a way of narrating his story that gave a sense of the fantastical. There’s a sort of wonderment at how events are described as they were unfolding. And in a sense, the legend of Tarzan is a fantastical one. The circumstances of his birth, the events leading him to be “adopted” and raised by his “mother” Kala, how he came to survive amongst a harsh dangerous environment filled with creatures who would sooner kill him than befriend him...how more far-fetched can you get (although the scenes where Tarzan manages to learn to read/write is pushing it)? It’s also hard to not think of “fairy tale” when you read the initial meeting and subsequent scenes between Tarzan and Jane. But with Burroughs’s writing, it makes it okay for you to suspend that belief and get carried away in this tale. In fact, the best parts of the book was when it focused on Tarzan’s youth and the tales of his time within his “family” and how he learned to adapt. It was so easy to get into that aspect of the story since it was an interesting mix of action and suspense. It helps that Burroughs’s writing was both elegant and quick. You get a lot without having the narrative be bogged down with so much details and quick with the transitions so you’re not stuck with a story that spends time in irrelevant details.
10 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
John McAlexander III
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Novel
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Extremely well put-together and exciting Novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs ! TARZAN -- raised by apes , but definitely
a Human . VERY RECOMMENDED READING ! ! I am really
looking forward to reading more within this series of the TARZAN books ! ! Reading Edgar Rice Burroughs was a pure enjoyable 'quiet-time' for me ! Looking forward to more of his stories .
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
One of the best books (story) I have ever read. Completely different from your run of the mill thrillers. Action, romance, humanistic and very hard to put down. This is the third time I have read this book and it gets better with each reading. Do your self a favor and read this book, you will be hooked for the entire series. Happy reading.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
D. Wetzelberger
3.0 out of 5 stars Better Than The Movie…but.
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
I am very familiar with the movies from the 1930s and 40s, as well as the later ones. However, I never read the book. For the most part, it is by far the best, casting Tarzan as a noble person, raised in nature. Despite being a good story it is racist. The African tribe is described as not clever or resourceful despite having lived in the same environment as Tarzan (who can read and write English without any human contact and learn to speak fluent French and eventually English in less than a year) . Still worth a read as it is a good action novel and gives insight on the times when it was written.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Cliente Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars lembranças da infãncia
Reviewed in Brazil on July 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
processo rápido e fácil.
Report
Srinivasan V
5.0 out of 5 stars A unique classic !
Reviewed in India on June 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
Liked the way it brings out the uncomplicated thoughts of the animal world in contrast to the human thought process
Report
maxim
5.0 out of 5 stars meglio dei film
Reviewed in Italy on November 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
Benvenuti nella giungla! Un grande classico della letteratura per ragazzi, il cui personaggio è diventato nel tempo una vera leggenda, capace di far sognare a tutte le età. La storia è anche meglio delle tante trasposizioni cinematografiche.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
bill
5.0 out of 5 stars Escapism at its best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
Tarzan is one of these books I feel I must have read but have in fact never read. When I saw this set, at a ludicrously low price, I decided to remedy the situation. I have to say that I was hooked very early on. At my reading pace there were 38 hours of reading in the set. Broadly one book leads to the next like a pulp fiction serial. It is true that some of the language is archaic and doubtless some might be offended by what, today, would be seen as casual racism. The books are of an earlier simpler time. A rip roaring, if slightly repetitive series of stories. I have lost count of the number if lost cities, and I still have more than 20 hours left to read. Excellent, well worth the price. I would recommend it to anyone looking for old fashioned escapism.
5 people found this helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great books full of adventure and laughs
Reviewed in Australia on February 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
Beautiful language very funny...I found I had to research a couple of words though! High recommendations. Burroughs has done a great job for this first book.
2 people found this helpful
 Report