The Beasts of Tarzan — Book Summary & Review
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The Beasts of Tarzan Summary
In The Beasts of Tarzan, Burroughs structures the third installment around a single, brutal reversal: Tarzan’s enemy Nikolas Rokoff escapes, then weaponizes Tarzan’s family to lure him into a worse kind of captivity. Rokoff’s plot is simple and ugly—kidnapping the heir of Greystoke, capturing Tarzan and Jane, and retreating to Africa where he strands Tarzan on an island before the revenge plan can finish. That island portion is where Burroughs earns his keep: Tarzan doesn’t merely “survive,” he bargains for a place inside the island’s social rules, led by Akut’s troop. The book’s action hits in waves—first the psychological shock of being cut off, then the physical problem of earning trust, then the practical problem of escaping with a plan instead of brute luck. The standout set-piece is Tarzan’s taming of Sheeta the panther, a sequence that blends jungle animal behavior with the series’ signature fantasy confidence. Burroughs also leans into the romance-and-revenge engine: every escape beat is framed as a step toward rescuing Jane and the child, even when the story temporarily forgets that goal to savor the island ecosystem. If you’re expecting layered political intrigue, Rokoff’s villainy stays mostly theatrical—Burroughs cares more about momentum and survival than moral ambiguity. Still, the pacing is energetic for its era, and the book’s emotional logic is consistent: Tarzan’s competence is the point, and Burroughs keeps proving it through concrete encounters with Akut’s apes and Sheeta’s predatory limits.
What it does not do: it won’t satisfy readers who want modern prose, subtle psychology, or a tight, realistic “how would this work” explanation for the jungle magic Burroughs insists on.
Key Takeaways from The Beasts of Tarzan
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Nikolas Rokoff: a revenge villain whose escape plan is mostly leverage—he kidnaps family to force Tarzan into the trap.
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Island prison setup: the stranded-on-an-island premise shifts the series from raids to survival, social negotiation, and repeated escape attempts.
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Akut’s troop: Burroughs treats ape leadership like hierarchy, so Tarzan’s progress depends on earning rank, not just strength.
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Sheeta the panther: the taming sequence functions as a practical alliance fantasy, turning a predator into a tool for movement and intimidation.
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Rescue momentum: the plot keeps returning to Jane and the child, using that fixed target to justify every dangerous detour.
Who Should Read This
Someone who wants classic jungle adventure with old-school momentum—especially if you like Tarzan stories where competence is proven through survival set-pieces. If you’re okay reading early-20th-century pulp that prioritizes action, animal allies, and revenge mechanics over realism, you’ll likely have fun.
Who Shouldn't Read This
If you need psychologically nuanced characters and morally complicated villains, Rokoff’s theatrical plotting will feel thin and repetitive. If you dislike fantasy “jungle logic” (taming, quick alliances, and convenient escape beats), Burroughs will frustrate you more than entertain you.
Editor's Verdict
The best part is the island arc built around Akut’s troop and Tarzan’s taming of Sheeta, where Burroughs turns captivity into a skills-and-status problem instead of pure suffering. The real limitation is that the prose and character interiority stay firmly pulpy and straightforward, so modern readers seeking depth will feel starved. This hits hardest for anyone who grew tired of slow literary fiction and wants a fast, physical Tarzan fix—right after a long stretch of “serious” books.
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The Beasts of Tarzan — Frequently Asked Questions
About Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) was an American writer and creator of Tarzan. He grew up in the Midwest, worked in various jobs including journalism and advertising, and later became a prolific author of adventure fiction. He is credible on this topic because he wrote The Beasts of Tarzan, a Tarzan novel centered on jungle survival and encounters with dangerous animals. Other notable works include Tarzan of the Apes and the John Carter of Mars series.
