The Baron in the Trees

By: Italo Calvino, Ana Goldstein - translator

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

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 18th 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 earthbound 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.

©1957 Giulio Einaudi Editore S.p.A., Torino; 2017 Ana Goldstein (Translation) (P)2018 Recorded Books

Beautiful

Engaging. Heartwrenching. Beautiful. I just finished it and... I am speechless. The story is magnificent and the narration keeps up the match of voice and pace en par with the story.

Gentle Fantasy of an Ambitious Kind

When I think of “fantasy,” my first impulse – and most people’s – is to think of something in the Tolkien vein, something in the “high fantasy,” “world building” of Game of Thrones style 1000+pagers. Then, I work to remind to myself, there’s the gentler coming-of-age, quest stuff of Harry Potter of The Wizard of Oz. And that expanded definition can help to rethink the best of what’s possible, giving us peculiar hybrids like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell or The Night Circus (easily the two best ‘fantasies’ I know of from the last 10-15 years).

But there’s a third aspect I sometimes forget to include, too. It starts with Gulliver’s Travels, but it carries through in the 20th Century to Borges and the magical realists. That is, it’s fantasy that has a particular, pointed perspective – fantasy that’s not at all about escapism but rather understands itself as commenting on the world around it through the veil of alternate reality.

After Borges, the most important mid-century writer in that vein is probably Calvino, at least by reputation. I love If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler as one of the great works interrogating the nature of reading and the power of imagination. I’ve put off reading The Baron in the Trees for no good reason, though I think I’ve picked it up a couple times along the way.

This is not If On a Winter’s Night level brilliance. Instead, it’s a gentler, less confrontational fantasy about – as the title says – a young baron who decides, at age 12, that he will never set foot on the ground again. For much of this, we see a character having Italian-inflected Huck Finn type adventures. He invents all sorts of things to make life in the trees easier. He battles pirates and, later, participates in the Napoleonic wars. He befriends a frightening bandit who, given the chance, prefers reading to rampaging. He even has a rich and complicated love affair.

It’s all charming and clever, and Calvino is deft enough throughout that the conceit never loses steam. There’s always a new riddle to solve or challenge to confront, and our narrative perspective – from the Baron’s younger, on-the-ground brother – helps sustain the wonder of it all.

There are hints throughout, though, and an almost explicit discussion at the end, that this is also a serious intellectual interrogation. It’s no coincidence this is set at the height of the French Enlightenment. Cosimo is friends – from a distance – with Montesquieu and Diderot, and he is taken with Voltaire and others. This is an age of philosophical ambition, an age of people who – perhaps naively – refused to stand on the bedrock they inherited and, instead, tried to ascend to something greater.

We know the excesses of the French Revolution. If nothing else, we see them here where, devoted philosophe that he is, Cosimo can’t quite bring himself to acknowledge how Napoleon has betrayed the principles that motivated the Revolution.

As the novel wraps up, though, it invites us to see Cosimo as a man who made an early and rash decision to explore life from a different perspective. There’s a sweet, fantastic quality to that – and it makes the book a pleasure to read – but there’s also a call to reflect on the price and limits of challenging inherited ideas. And that makes it a pleasure to reflect on once it’s finished.

Interesting concept

I wanted to like this book more because of its originality but it was a struggle to complete. I’m not sure if it was the story itself or the narration but it seemed to lack that magnetism that some books just exude.

A lovely story

I was swept away by this story. It’s lovingly written and has such a whimsical story. I fell in love with the characters and the town. Just wonderful.

The Baron in the Trees

This is such a charming story. A young man, a member of Italian nobility, decides on a whim to spend all his hours in the trees around his home and town. He gives up life on the ground altogether, completely adapting to existing among the branches. He goes from being a curiosity to being a respected and influential member of society, living his life through Napoleonic times, loving women, caring for the forest, having adventures.

Jefferson Mays is a great reader.

Calvino has always been on my list. This did not disappoint.

A rendition that mostly honors Calvino

Mr. Mays does a superb job with all the voices and languages...no small feat! But there is a jaw-dropping producer mistake on p. 201 of the Colquhon translation where the producers cut a few sentences and you can audibly hear Mr. Mays fumbling. In this day and age, that's simply unacceptable. I'm surprised it hasn't been fixed.

As much as a love Calvino, this isn't one of his best novels. It's episodic, so you have to stay with the author as he unspools his thread. The journey is worth it, but the central narrative conceit wears thin by that time. Still, highly recommended!

Interesting Concept

This book had an interesting and different sort of storyline, but it wasn’t quite executed well enough to keep my mind from wandering.

I listened at a higher audio speed which helped. The narrator was above average, I felt.

Unusual

This is a very creative tale. The narration is excellent. At times, however, I found the story a bit tedious.Although the book has been translated from Italian well, the French is not translated to English. That doesn’t ruin the story, but leaves the non-French-speaking reader in the dark at times.

Highly Recommended

I have enjoyed this unusual and engaging story. Recommended for a relaxing and imaginative read.

Delightfully imaginative and hugely hilarious

I found this book absolutely entertaining. Calvino has an extraordinary imagination. And the writing evokes amazing imagery. The narrator was excellent as well, enhancing Calvino’s words with a nuanced voice. Listening to “The Baron in the Trees” provided me with many happy hours of delight.