Chapters 1-30 Summary

Chapter 1. Ivan is a silverback gorilla.

Chapter 2. Ivan is often called many things.

Chapter 3. Ivan can understand humans, but they rarely understand himself.

Chapter 4. Ivan describes his appearance, stressing the silver markings on his back.

Chapter 5. Mack is the owner of the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade where Ivan lives. Ivan lives in a large domain at one end of the ring that has glass walls and a fake jungle scene painted on one wall. Ivan cannot read, but he knows there is a billboard for the circus that calls him the one and only Ivan. Mack read it to him once.

Chapter 6. Many of Ivan's neighbors can do tricks in the circus show. Ivan cannot. Stella, the elephant in the next domain, belonged to another circus and she does many tricks.

Chapter 7. People come to look at Ivan...