A couple of weeks ago I told you about a land called Ombrosa, once rich with a healthy network of trees.
In fact, the trees in Italo Calvino’s novel had branches and leaves so full and thick a young boy could move about in them without ever touching the ground.
Sadly, the trees of Ombrosa disappeared.
Chopped.
All of ‘em.
Why?
People didn’t “get” what it means to subsist sustainably. Not take more than you need. Understand that the planet needs to keep some of its trees and plants and minerals so it can replenish itself.
So then something neat happens.
The next book a client recommends to DK to read and get to know who they are is this one [pictured].
It’s the English translation of author Jean Giono’s Homme qui plantait des arbres, or The Man Who Planted Trees.
Homme qui plantait des arbres opens like this:
In order for the character of a human being to reveal truly exceptional qualities, we must have the good fortune to observe its action over a long period of years.
If this action is devoid of all selfishness, if the idea that directs it is one of unqualified generosity, if it is absolutely certain that it has not sought recompense anywhere, and if moreover it has left visible marks on the world, then we are unquestionably dealing with an unforgettable character. –Jean Giono, The Man Who Planted Trees
Beautiful etchings, simple writing. Non-frilly.
Like Calvino’s novel, this one’s told from another person’s point of view. Again, it’s a delight to read. Poetry in simplicity.
But instead of an ending where trees are gone, a forest is born.
Full text of The Man Who Planted Trees
In Search of Meaning (1): Consoling the Victor
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