The Baron in the Trees

Written by Italo Calvino

Narrated by Jefferson Mays

A landmark new translation of a Calvino classic, a whimsical, spirited novel that imagines a life lived entirely on its own terms Cosimo di Rondo, a young Italian nobleman of the eighteenth century, rebels against his parents by climbing into the trees and remaining there for the rest of his life. He adapts efficiently to an existence in the forest canopy-he hunts, sows crops, plays games with earth-bound friends, fights forest fires, solves engineering problems, and even manages to have love affairs. From his perch in the trees, Cosimo sees the Age of Enlightenment pass by and a new century dawn. The Baron in the Trees exemplifies Calvino's peerless ability to weave tales that sparkle with enchantment. This new English rendering by acclaimed translator Ann Goldstein breathes new life into one of Calvino's most beloved works.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Translator: Ana Goldstein
• Release date: Aug 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781501963520

Italo Calvino

Italo Calvino nació en 1923 en Santiago de las Vegas (Cuba). A los dos años la familia regresó a Italia para instalarse en San Remo (Liguria). Publicó su primera novela animado por Cesare Pavese, quien le introdujo en la prestigiosa editorial Einaudi. Allí desempeñaría una importante labor como editor. De 1967 a 1980 vivió en París. Murió en 1985 en Siena, cerca de su casa de vacaciones, mientras escribía Seis propuestas para el próximo milenio. Con la lúcida mirada que le convirtió en uno de los escritores más destacados del siglo XX, Calvino indaga en el presente a través de sus propias experiencias en la Resistencia, en la posguerra o desde una observación incisiva del mundo contemporáneo; trata el pasado como una genealogía fabulada del hombre actual y convierte en espacios narrativos la literatura, la ciencia y la utopía.

Reviews for The Baron in the Trees

[aront-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of Calvino’s earlier works. He is an amazing writer so everything he writes is worth reading. However, this is definitely not his best work (My favorites remain Cosmicomics and t zero). I wouldn’t start reading Calvino with this book.Although it seems to be a frivolous fairy tale, it is actually a quite depressing take on love, politics, and humanity in general, particularly towards the latter part of the book. Perhaps the pessimism is a reflection on his disillusionment with Communism (apparently he wrote it right after his break with the Italian Communist party).

[k6gst · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Funny, moving, Borges-esque but warmer

[jakebornheimer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one gave me the most fantastic imagery. As I child I always loved the forest and climbing trees, and in the course of reading I was reminded of the specific cedar tree that i loved to escape to, read books on, and even a couple of times, take a nap in. The imagination here is pure Calvino. That said, there are a number of chapters in the latter half that have no business being there. It feels as if the book began as a short story, and then when it got too long Calvino decided to lengthen it enough to publish it as a novel. Additionally, the narrative itself felt quite disjointed at times. It reminded me of Candide, which I disliked. And since Voltaire was referenced multiple times in this work, I feel like it was very much written in consciousness of Candide. In some ways, Baron in the Trees is an anti-Candide - starring a protagonist that goes nowhere and in no way changes his belief. Unfortunately, I think this is to the book's detriment. Still, Calvino sticks the landing, and there is a certain magic here that I can't discount.

7/10

[jonfaith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Something daring lurks at the core of this otherwise linear novel. It is a parable of the Enlightenment. It depicts a fanciful revolt against tradition, one leading to an arboreal existence. This life in the trees blossoms through taxonomy into osmething wonderful.

This wasn't what I expected. I sensed with my typical flawed aplomb that The Baron In The Trees would be a series of language-games with half-covered politcs being the nexus of all the fun. There would be no end and the puns would extend outward. I was quite wrong and am damn glad for the experince.

[richardderus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 4* of fiveThe Publisher Says: 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.My Review: This being a famous and well-studied book, I suppose the publisher didn't feel the need to do a sell-job on it. That little squib is barely a log-line!I read this book first in ~1974, because it had a cool-looking jacket. It also had an Italian author, which was also cool. But the reading of it was a revelation because the titular Baron was the perfect rebel, firm of purpose and adamant of spirit. And all over what seems, at first anyway, such a ridiculous cause: Refusing to eat snails. I'd never had snails offered to me at that point, and I was in full agreement with the Baron. But as the pages flipped on, I could see what was really at stake was the right to set one's own boundaries, to establish a core identity by and for one's own self.All adolescents resonate to that theme, I think, and that's why I'm surprised that this book isn't required reading until college. It would serve well in junior or senior year of high school. Anything that deals with the process and price of becoming and being an individual seems to me to be a good fit for that age. Plus it's beautifully translated, so it's easy to read.And for the record, I ate snails the first time they were offered to me. They were delicious.

[albertgoldfain · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Poised to be a great story but it never fully ripens into one. As a result, the life spent in the trees is more of a framing gimmick than a deep parable, fable, or metafiction, such as most of Calvino's wonderful later works are. I also found it strange that it is told from the brother's perspective rather than the baron's.

[miguelnunonave · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Splendid, incredibly imaginative book. Disobeyance as a way of life, a philosophy. The story of a rebel, set during the Age of Enlightenment, but with whom you can completely relate to. Sounds like a childish book but is, in fact, a very mature one.

[blake.rosser · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My introduction to Calvino. A story about a spoiled 12 year-old boy who decides to spite his father by vowing never to set foot back on the ground, and actually follows through with it. A pretty tale that is not otherwise outstanding.

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Described as a philosophical tale and a metaphor for independence, The Baron in the Trees tells the adventures of a boy who climbs up a tree to spend the rest of his life inhabiting an arboreal kingdom. The story of twelve-year-old Cosimo Piovasco di Rondò is narrated by his younger brother, Biagio. Set in Liguria near the French Riviera, the two brothers belong to a noble 18th century family whose estate is located in the vast forest landscapes of Ombrosa. The regions of Italy have not yet united and the Ligurian Coast is not ruled by a legitimate king. In a rebellious fit after refusing to eat a dinner of snails prepared by Battista, his sadistic sister, Cosimo climbs up a tree and decides never to come down again. He has literally had enough: enough of family and decorum, his proper role as a future Baron, and of everything on the ground. Initially helped and sometimes cared for by Biagio, the young Baron eventually becomes self-sufficient but finds that the more he distances himself from others in order to see them from a new point of view, the more he helps everyone on the earth. His love for a young woman named Viola changes the course of the lives of everyone: Cosimo, Viola, Biagio, and the community of Ombrosa.The Baron in the Trees is the second volume in the fantasy trilogy, Our Ancestors with The Cloven Viscount (1952) and The Nonexistent Knight (1959) comprising the first and third volumes, respectively. On publication, various Italian critics complained of "the 'tired' feel of the plot in the second half of the novel" and noted other problems with the novel. Despite these perceived flaws, critic Martin McLaughlin argues that the novel "remains something of a tour de force in Calvino's oeuvre. It is an extraordinarly successful attempt to reproduce a utopian, philosophical conte for the 1950s, with a whole range of intertextual allusions and a sophisticated parody of the poetics of the early English moralising novel as practised by Richardson ad parodied by Fielding". Having read Fielding I agree, but also appreciate the relative brevity of Calvino's approach.

[clfisha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cosimo (an 18th century Italian noble) climbs a tree out of teenage pique and decides never to come down. His life; his romances, battles, friendships and education are all carried out in the tree tops. So he woos the love of his life, hunts ravenous wolves, frights pirates, befriends the lowly bandits, takes tea with arboreal nobles and ponders his philosophy all high above the earth.It is one of the more straighter stories of Calvino’s but doesn’t suffer from this. The book manages to encompass the whole sweeping events of his life with a deft touch taking judicious turns to be light hearted, then thoughtful or just tense. All humanity is covered and whilst elevating Cosimo Calvino manages to concentrate on all our everyday dramas as well on philosophy and society as a whole.Simply enjoy its oddity or ponder its questions this is a delightful read and one I recommend to everyone.

[donato_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Like all books that deserve a 5-star rating this book is about Life -- in all its aspects. Just beautiful. Escaping to obtain freedom is necessary, but so is coming back.

[weeksj10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The amazing story of a young Baron who rebels, runs away to live in the trees and never comes down. Beautiful writing as all Calvino is and truly interesting and original story. Imagine trying to live in the trees for decades. Calvino shows us the growing of a boy into a young man into an old man in a creative and reflective way. Its great.

[timjones_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a splendid book. On one level, there's not much to it: in the titular Baron, aged 12, has an argument with his parents and sister, is told to leave the table, and decamps to take up residence in the trees of the baronial estate. He never comes down, but still managed to live as full life, bringing his unique arboreal perspective to love, war, peace and politics.Italo Calvino is a wonderful writer, and whether the Baron's adventures are funny, sad, thought-provoking or all three, they are beautifully told. I also liked the ways in which the baron changes, mostly for the better, the lives of those below him. Strongly recommended.

[technodiabla · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really loved this story. The first half perfectly captured the imagination and spirit of youth. I can't imagine anyone could read it and not want to go live in the trees at least a little bit. I was thinking it would be the perfect book for a 10-14 year old, but the last half of the book was a bit more mature in both theme and style. (Interesting change in in Calvino's style as Cosimo matures and ages). The story is such an interesting depiction of life's stages and moods, and despite the fact that the premise is totally bizarre the reader can completely relate to Cosimo.

[gazzy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An imaginative adventure set in the age of enlightenment where a young baron redefines his life.