The White Man in the Tree and Other Stories

by Mark Kurlansky

The White Man in the Tree is a comedy of cultural misunderstandings set in the Caribbean, New York, and Paris, a novella and eight stories about people who, because of their differences, misjudge each other. Whether it is a sophisticated European filmmaker, an ambitious young black Haitian woman, a promising politician obsessed with women's feet, or a fish-out-of-water rabbi in search of a kosher chicken in Curaçao, each of Kurlansky's characters engages us with impulses and interactions that are by turns comic, insightful, and poignant. The White Man in the Tree is an affectionate portrait of a unique society, where Europe, America, Africa, and Asia meet Latin America.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Mark Kurlansky is an American journalist and author who has written a number of books of fiction and nonfiction. His 1997 book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (1997), was an international bestseller and was translated into more than fifteen languages. His book Nonviolence: Twenty-five Lessons From the History of a Dangerous Idea (2006) was the nonfiction winner of the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Reviews

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Kurlansky cannot write a bad sentence.

I enjoy reading anything that falls from his pen. I was excited to see his book, The White Man in the Tree at Powell's on my monthly visit to that esteemed establishment. This is a collection of short stories on islands in the sea, and in places I've never been that are exotic and as far removed from my life as anything could be. Yet,as I read each short story I began to sense a rising feeling of discontent. . . of being pulled abruptly from one country to another. . .from one life to another. Ahh, from one story to another.

Because I have read his longer other works and have admired the way he can weave disparate parts together, I think my biggest problem was I wanted these stories extended to bigger stories, to fuller stories instead of snapshots. I wanted to have longer periods of time with the characters.

Hence, four stars from me.

That said, my favorite story in this collection is Beautiful Mayaguez Women.

And that said my favorite paragraph in this book of stories comes from Vertical Administration, and this is that paragraph:

"No one seemed to notice or care about the Brazilian. The main thing was the white man. They were always the ones to watch. A white man didn't show up without a reason. This one said he was an anthropologist. That was never the real reason."

So, so true. Context is all.

[Heidi Lovett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different and unique stories that evoke the different, mysterious, and exotic cultures around the Caribbean. Most are very entertaining, others very poignant while they describe some disparities between the cultural and financial classes. A must read for anyone who has visited different islands and countries around the Caribbean region.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this at a library give - away event. I had not realized that Kurlansky wrote fiction, but after reading it, I'm not convinced it's fiction. It was pretty good, but I'm not sure it has aged well.

[Bernadette Inclan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book consists of chapters of unique stories about the history of people. What makes this book so readable, is that the stories are thought-provoking and entertaining. The first story is about a White man who declares his love to a beautiful Haitian who he romances without giving much thought to a future—or should it be said, her future. It’s a clever account about the entitlement men feel when courting.
My most favorite chapter Devaluation was certainly thought-provoking. It’s the classic description of trying to keep up with the Jones’ except it takes place in the Dominican Republic. It’s an interesting piece because it’s applicable to any situation. In this scene, it takes place in a poor section of the town. The neighbor next door has slightly more and it creates tension.
Each story gives the reader interesting scenarios that are relatable to current situations. I believe, however, after reading this book I now have a better understanding of today’s political landscape. It’d be interesting to read other accounts.
I also learned about a vegetable I never heard about and had to look up: christophine

[André · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review : Mark Kurlansky werkte zeven jaar voor de Chicago Tibune als correspondent in de Caraïben. Hij kreeg wereldberoemdheid door Kabeljauw en De wereldgeschiedenis volgens de Basken. De blanke in de boom is zijn prozadebuut. De persoon Mark Kurlansky is mij te weinig bekend om te kunnen oordelen of hij al dan niet Caribisch is of Caribische roots heeft. Voor een volslagen leek, zelfs al heeft hij er 7 jaar geleefd, zou het toch bijna onmogelijk geweest zijn om deze verhalen te schrijven. Mark Kurlansky levert meesterlijke verhalen af die heerlijk authentiek Caribisch gekruid zijn.


Persoonlijk heb ik immens genoten van deze pittige hersenspinsels waarin humor en taalvirtuositeit centraal staan. De blanke in de boom is niet alleen puur literair genot, ook op cullinair en geografisch vlak steek je er heel wat van op.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating clarification: 3.5 stars

Multiple short stories with seemingly no end and no beginning, but all have one thing in common: they are set in the Caribbean and showcase what happens when white people intersect with Caribbean cultures and vice versa. I'm not very familiar with this side of the world but I certainly got a glimpse of its richness in culture and difference in societal norms (to what I'm used to anyway). Was quite enlightening and the glossary at the back certainly made me hungry for Creole/Caribbean food.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A literary sampling of race relations and the cross-cultural experience of individuals. Refreshingly different.

[Murray Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining collection of short stories providing an outsider's view of the Caribbean.

[Lauren Ohdee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were much greater than others...life is too short for shit short stories.

[Elis Morais de sá · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite: Beautiful Mayaguez women

[Jan Norton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Mark’s nonfiction but found this book lacking. Didn’t really enjoy any of the stories. I will probably stick to his nonfiction.

[Danna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A diversely fascinating, difficult to put down good read. I chose the collection of short stories on the shelf at Half Price Books partly because of the title and cover; however, the literary treasures inside and Mark Kurlansky's bio and world travels compel me to read more by the author, non-fiction as well as fiction.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long form shorts like this always confuse me, because one story ends and the next begins, and I'm thinking "This chapter is really a left turn here, huh."

Apart from my inability to distinguish between chapters and stories, I quite enjoyed this.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun fast read for a random pick-up.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Kurlansky's non-fiction. This wasn't as good.