Reviews

Le Baron perché by Claire Martin, Italo Calvino

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lesserjoke's review against another edition

3.0

This 1957 Italian novel presents the whimsical tale of an eighteenth-century nobleman who climbs a tree as an obstinate child avoiding his dinner and then proceeds to spend the rest of his life up there. Roaming the countryside from branch to branch, he has a series of swashbuckling adventures that are fairly episodic but still good fun. I'm reminded of The Swiss Family Robinson, both for the treetop setting and the tendency for the text to focus on the logistics of this peculiar lifestyle rather than any pressing plot. It also sort of works as a metaphor for sticking to one's own principles, but it's all a bit too silly to take seriously. I would call it a good book for children were it not for the occasional arboreal sex scene.

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gaius_bouns's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

wintermute9's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

phalange03's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

4.0

neartaking's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

dibujared's review against another edition

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Everything strictly related to trees and how Cosimo learned to adapt to living in trees (like the hunting chapter with the Dachsund) I liked. The early chapters especially were fun and whimsical. But as the novel went on, it focused more and more and generic experiences (love, war) and the tree stuff felt increasingly incidental. My interested waned steadily and by the end I just didn't care anymore.