In a word: Delightful!
If “Invisible Cities” excited me by Italo Calvino’s ability as an inspiring writer, then “The Baron in the Trees” excited me by his facility as a story-teller.
As any summary will tell you, the idea that gets the book going is that a young boy rebels and escapes from his aristocratic upbringing by climbing up a tree and swears that he will spend the rest of his life in the trees. This fanciful beginning could go in any number of directions, and Calvino proceeds, in my opinion, perfectly. This is such a well balanced book. It’s fanciful, philosophical, romantic, and fun…but never any to excess.
From minor characters like Cosimo’s sister who made me burst out with laughter, to the sobering episodes with his uncle or his poetic, romantic pinings, Cosimo’s tale is one that I followed with enchantment. I felt nearly childish at the beginning in my delight…but the book matured along with Cosimo, and never ceased to evolve and maintain a hold on me through all of his adventures.
I have only two complaints—one personal, one literary. Personally, I prefer sweet and straightforward when it comes to love; Viola often turned me off with what felt like dishonesty in her game-playing and teasing. Literarily, towards the end of the book is a section which takes an awkward political tangent for a chapter or two. It was rather unsupported, sudden, and arbitrary. For someone with appropriate historical knowledge, it could perhaps be interesting. But for me it felt like an awkward reach by Calvino that detracted from the momentum of the story while adding nothing.
That aside, “The Baron in the Trees” is one of my favorite reads which I would suggest to anyone with a hint of poetic enthusiasm for life!