The novel is the coming-of-age story of John Clayton, born in the western coastal jungles of equatorial Africa to a marooned couple from England, John and Alice Clayton, Lord and Lady Greystoke. Adopted as an infant by the she-ape Kala after his parents are killed by the savage king ape Kerchak, Clayton is renamed Tarzan (''White Skin'' in the ape language) and raised in ignorance of his human heritage. One of the greatest characters of all time, this is the original tale of Tarzan. You will note many differences from the many movie adaptations, though a few come close. The boy raised by apes is one of the great brainstorms of Burroughs, who was definitely one of the great American story-tellers.
