- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Thomson Learning; 1st Harbrace Paperbound Library Ed edition (31 Mar 1977)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0156106809
- ISBN-13: 978-0156106801
- Product Dimensions: 20.5 x 13.6 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 83,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Cosimo, a young eighteenth-century Italian nobleman, rebels by climbing into the trees to remain there for the rest of his life. He adapts efficiently to an arboreal existence and even has love affairs. Translated by Archibald Colquhoun.
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First Sentence
It was on the fifteenth of June, 1767, that Cosimo Piovasco di Rondo, my brother, sat among us for the last time. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
It was on the fifteenth of June, 1767, that Cosimo Piovasco di Rondo, my brother, sat among us for the last time. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Baron in the Trees" by Italo Calvino tells the astonishing story of Cosme, a boy who decided to climb a tree and never touch the ground again.
The book shows his life from the moment he decided to rebel against his family in such a strange way till the day he "passed away". Talks about someone who didn't want to belong to the same world of the "ground-walkers".
It's a nice fable, and as many nice fables, talk about big truths about human beings, even the ones which do not climb the trees to scape - or fight against - his problems.
The book shows his life from the moment he decided to rebel against his family in such a strange way till the day he "passed away". Talks about someone who didn't want to belong to the same world of the "ground-walkers".
It's a nice fable, and as many nice fables, talk about big truths about human beings, even the ones which do not climb the trees to scape - or fight against - his problems.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Italo Calvino was one of the most underrated maestros of magical realism, where atoms fall in love and empty suits of armor walk and talk. And one of his most polished, reader-friendly stories was "Baron in the Trees," a fable about a nobleman who lives his whole life in a tree. Yes, it sounds weird -- but the result is sweet, uplifting and full of childlike wonder.
A young nobleman, Cosimo, was enraged when his eccentric sister made dinner out of his pet snails. So when his father ordered him to eat, he ran up a tree and swore to stay there forever. And he did, from his adolescence up to old age, becoming famous as the Baron in the Trees. Even at the death of his parents, he remained in the trees nearby, watching and helping -- but not coming down. Even when the Baron dies, he finds a way to ascend even higher...
Without leaving the trees, he manages to hunt animals, educate himself with great philosophers, adopts an abandoned dog, lends bestselling books to a local bandito, battles pirates who are conspiring with his uncle, has an affair with a promiscuous Marchesa, and even lives with a band of tree-dwelling Spanish exiles.
"Baron in the Trees" is a whimsical little story on the surface, until you look deeper at the message of "living in trees." Cosimo removes himself from the ground, and also removes himself from the worries of ordinary people -- social position, power, material goods. He's happy just to have friends, books, and his own private kingdom.
But even if you take it at face value, "Baron in the Trees" is an enchanting little story. Calvino's lush, detailed writing is always full of a child's wonder, and he sounds like he's living his own fantasies as he describes how Cosimo manages to sleep (a sort of fur cocoon), store his possessions and fall in live... while never stepping out of the tree. But Calvino manages to convey the bittersweetness of Cosimo's life: While he loves his odd life, he also knows that it alienates him from the rest of the world and leaves him alone.
Cosimo himself is a relatively distant character, since the whole book is through the eyes of his otherwise-unimportant brother. But he is surrounded by equally quirky characters -- his Jesuit-phobic father, "general" mother, creepy disgraced sister, and an array of book-loving bandits, odd priests, and peasants who get used to the tree-dwelling Baron.
A sweet, quirky fable about a young man who just won't come down to earth, "The Baron in the Trees" is a truly enchanting read.
A young nobleman, Cosimo, was enraged when his eccentric sister made dinner out of his pet snails. So when his father ordered him to eat, he ran up a tree and swore to stay there forever. And he did, from his adolescence up to old age, becoming famous as the Baron in the Trees. Even at the death of his parents, he remained in the trees nearby, watching and helping -- but not coming down. Even when the Baron dies, he finds a way to ascend even higher...
Without leaving the trees, he manages to hunt animals, educate himself with great philosophers, adopts an abandoned dog, lends bestselling books to a local bandito, battles pirates who are conspiring with his uncle, has an affair with a promiscuous Marchesa, and even lives with a band of tree-dwelling Spanish exiles.
"Baron in the Trees" is a whimsical little story on the surface, until you look deeper at the message of "living in trees." Cosimo removes himself from the ground, and also removes himself from the worries of ordinary people -- social position, power, material goods. He's happy just to have friends, books, and his own private kingdom.
But even if you take it at face value, "Baron in the Trees" is an enchanting little story. Calvino's lush, detailed writing is always full of a child's wonder, and he sounds like he's living his own fantasies as he describes how Cosimo manages to sleep (a sort of fur cocoon), store his possessions and fall in live... while never stepping out of the tree. But Calvino manages to convey the bittersweetness of Cosimo's life: While he loves his odd life, he also knows that it alienates him from the rest of the world and leaves him alone.
Cosimo himself is a relatively distant character, since the whole book is through the eyes of his otherwise-unimportant brother. But he is surrounded by equally quirky characters -- his Jesuit-phobic father, "general" mother, creepy disgraced sister, and an array of book-loving bandits, odd priests, and peasants who get used to the tree-dwelling Baron.
A sweet, quirky fable about a young man who just won't come down to earth, "The Baron in the Trees" is a truly enchanting read.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The protagonist in this work is perhaps the best-delineated character in all of Calvino's works. Cosimo is both an ascetic stylite and participant in the Enlightenment, and the strains of his personality are ever stretched by contemplation, solitude, love, adventure, and the grotesque. Among Calvino's many fine works, The Baron in the Trees must be his greatest. More than any other work, it balances the author's penchant for wit, absurdity, and grand imagination with touching, yet never overwrought, sentimentality. The Baron in the Trees confirms Calvino's standing among the best writers in any language in this century.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A fine fantasy
Jonathan Black mentions Italo Calvino as one of those many modern writers who have followed mystical and esoteric philosophy (The Secret History of the World) and this is clearly a... Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2008 by Angus Jenkinson
Brilliant
Recently I have read a lot of disappointing books so it was great to read this one. I thought it was brilliant. A little surreal and yet totally believable. Read more
Published on 1 July 2007 by Marcie Hatton
cosimo and co
the central conceit (someone who chooses to live in trees) is a good one, and is intelligently followed through. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2003 by I. J. Mclachlan
A modern fairytale tinged with the magic of Italy
The beauty and depth of The Baron in the Trees is so very special in a world where everything seems to be so superficial and capitalist. Read more
Published on 26 May 2001
Nice Tale
Suitable both for kids and adults who can find their interpretation
Published on 27 May 1999
A charming fairy tale
When I first started reading this book I was drawn into the story because Calvino is a wonderful story teller. This story is beautifully written, but it is too long. Read more
Published on 9 Jan 1999
Somehow did not capture my imagination
I read quite a bit, usually 400-600 pages a week. I finish 90% of the books I start. This is one book that sits and sits on my shelf waiting to be finished, and I'm just not... Read more
Published on 11 Dec 1998
A Very Sensitive, Entertaining Book
The Baron in the Trees appealed to me because I love the idea of climbing up into the trees and never returning to terra firma again. Read more
Published on 14 Oct 1998
A Sheer Delight
About midway through Calvino's refreshing recitation, the narrator tells us that "Cosimo was still at the age when the desire to tell stories makes one want to live more,... Read more
Published on 28 July 1998
An enjoyable read for adults and children alike
Some people may think it funny that I rate this a good book for children. Although Calvino is predominately an 'adult' author, most of his books can be read by or to children... Read more
Published on 21 July 1998
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