What's Inside
This collection of twelve vignettes follows an ape-raised man navigating the perils and playtimes of an equatorial forest. Each story functions as a standalone snapshot of his life, whether he is protecting Teeka the ape, outsmarting a rival, or puzzling over a found dictionary. The book gathers anecdotes of his childhood, his adolescent growth, and his curious, independent observations on the nature of predators and prey. Readers find him swinging between the logic of the forest and the remnants of his human origins, caught in a permanent state of hunting or being hunted. It is a portrait of a man who is a stranger to both civilization and the troop.
Works & figures
- Tarzan
An ape-raised man navigating the dual worlds of jungle and human (in “CHAPTER I. Tarzan’s First Love”)
- Teeka
A young female ape who serves as a primary object of affection (in “CHAPTER I. Tarzan’s First Love”)
- Numa
A persistent, hungry lion who haunts the jungle trails (in “CHAPTER II”)
- Tublat
A resentful foster father of the main character (in “CHAPTER VII”)
What it's really about
- Language
- Decoding the world through found words and silent observation.
- Survival
- Life dictated by the cycle of predation.
Why it's memorable
- A dictionary becoming a treasure trove of impossible mysteries.
- A noose tightening around a foster father’s confused neck.
Where to start
Start with Chapter I to understand the specific, swaying world of his adolescence before venturing into the later, more episodic skirmishes.
For your book club
- How does the forest change when the sun sets?
- Why does a dictionary fascinate an ape-boy?