De twaalfjarige baron Cosimo klimt in 1767 na een ruzie thuis in een boom en besluit die nooit meer te verlaten. Hij jaagt met zijn geweer op dieren om te overleven, gaat in de politiek, leert Napoleon kennen, helpt Spaanse aristocraten die verbannen zijn en ook in de bomen leven, bouwt een bibliotheek op en heeft relaties met vrouwen. Omdat Italië in de 18e eeuw veel meer bebost was, hoefde hij niet enkel in zijn tuin te vertoeven, maar kon hij zwerven van boom tot boom. De schrijver bewijst dat je toch menselijk blijft of je nu op de grond of in de bomen leeft, Cosimo houdt contact met zijn familie en met andere mensen. Hij wordt uiteindelijk 65 jaar. Een goed avonturenboek. ( )

Up in the trees: 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.

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. ( )

The Financial Times Life & Arts section often asks a featured author what book they'd give a child to introduce them to literature. This doesn't exactly fit that recipe, as it's decidedly not a children's book, but in sentiment and story--crafting a life, growing up and taking responsibility for one's free-will and obligation to self and others--I can't think of one that is more suitable as a read-aloud to young teens. A book parents should read to teens, lovers should read to each other and that everyone should read one way or another.

The story of a young Baron who rebels against eating snails by taking to the trees… and he never comes down. ( )