Tarzan the Untamed – Edgar Rice Burroughs (1920)
Edgar Rice Burroughs delivers one of his most visceral and emotionally charged Tarzan adventures in Tarzan the Untamed, written amid the backdrop of World War I. The novel opens with Tarzan returning to his African estate, only to find his home burned and his beloved Jane apparently murdered by German soldiers. Consumed by grief and rage, the usually noble ape-man abandons civilization entirely, descending into a feral state of relentless vengeance.
The story splits into two thrilling arcs: First, Tarzan’s solo campaign of retribution against the German troops, where he employs guerrilla tactics so brutal they earn him the nickname “The Demon.” Later, he discovers Jane might still be alive and plunges into the lost city of Xuja, a hidden stronghold where a mad scientist, Herr Hauptmann Fritz Schneider, conducts horrific experiments. Along the way, Tarzan allies with Bertha Kircher, a British spy with her own secrets, and battles everything from lion attacks to treacherous deserts.
Burroughs leans into Tarzan’s primal duality here—more predator than hero—while weaving in wartime patriotism and pulp intrigue. The result is a raw, unflinching tale of love, loss, and the darkness that lurks even in noble hearts.
“Not just an adventure, but a descent into madness—where even Tarzan’s soul has its breaking point.”
