Tarzan of the Apes cover

Tarzan of the Apes

Tarzan • Book 1

4.04 ABR Score (49.2K ratings)
★ 3.9 Goodreads (48.2K) ★ 4.38 Audible (959)
21h 20m Released 2019 Literature & Fiction

Why Listen to This Audiobook?

Grover Gardner makes you forget this is a century-old pulp novel about a man raised by apes — and that's the real feat.

  • Great if you want: classic adventure with surprising emotional weight
  • Listening experience: brisk and propulsive — jungle sequences feel genuinely tense
  • Narration: Gardner walks the pulp-to-earnest line without a false step
  • Skip if: colonial-era attitudes in adventure fiction bother you

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About This Audiobook

Deep in the uncharted jungles of West Africa, an English nobleman's infant son faces an extraordinary fate when tragedy strikes his marooned parents. Raised by a tribe of great apes after losing his human family, the child grows into a powerful figure who straddles two worlds—the savage wilderness that shaped him and the civilized society of his birthright. When other humans finally penetrate his domain, he must navigate the complex tensions between his primal instincts and his aristocratic heritage, leading to discoveries that will forever change his understanding of identity and belonging.

Grover Gardner's masterful narration brings remarkable depth to Burroughs' iconic adventure, seamlessly shifting between the lyrical descriptions of jungle life and the intense action sequences that define this classic tale. His measured pacing allows listeners to fully absorb the rich atmospheric details while building genuine suspense during moments of danger and discovery. Gardner's nuanced vocal work distinguishes each character clearly, making the story's emotional beats particularly resonant in audio format. The extended runtime becomes an asset, creating an immersive experience that captures both the epic scope and intimate character development of this foundational work of adventure fiction.