Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
This novel follows the story of a young boy raised by apes in the African jungle after his aristocratic parents are marooned and later perish. He grows up learning the laws of the jungle and the ways of the wild, eventually becoming the leader of his ape tribe. His life takes a turn when he encounters other humans, particularly a young woman, which leads him to grapple with his dual nature as both man and beast. The book explores themes of identity, civilization versus nature, and the concept of the "noble savage."
The 309th greatest book of all time
Ranking Details:
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Total Points: 1082
This book was first published in 1912
11 Lists
- score: 190 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 180 -- For The Love of Books - 1999 (Weight: 180)
- score: 169 -- Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher - 2005 (Weight: 160)
- score: 169 -- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century - 1996 (Weight: 160)
- score: 153 -- Books Of The Century - 1999 (Weight: 150)
- score: 131 -- Fantasy and Horror: A Critical and Historical Guide - 1999 (Weight: 119)
- score: 74 -- Books That Shaped America - 2012 (Weight: 70)
- score: 10 -- Everything You Should Read without Being a Library Rat - 1972 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- A Century of Reading - 2018 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)