The Devil Tree
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Devil Tree is a 1973 novel by Jerzy Kosinski. The story of a 'poor little rich kid' who travels, goes in group therapy, is initiated into 'the concern' (its mysticism reminded me of Iain Banks' The Business). He then takes revenge by marooning his godparents. This novel has been considered as the male equivalent of Fear of Flying (without the literary references). Both were published in 1973 and reflect the American zeitgeist. There is a fine review by Mary Ellin Barrett, Cosmopolitan:
- "A searing novel from a writer of international stature, The Devil Tree is a tale that combines the existential emptiness of Camus's The Stranger with the universe of international playboys, violence, and murder of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. Jonathan Whalen's life has been determined from the start by the immense fortune of his father, a steel tycoon. Whalen's childlike delight in power and status mask a greater need, a desire to feel life intensely, through drugs, violence, sex, and attempts at meaningful connection with other people -- whether lovers or the memory of his dead parents. But the physical is all that feels real to him, and as he embarks on a journey to Africa with his godparents, Whalen's embrace of amoral thrill accelerates toward ultimate fulfillment."
Also, don't miss the tale of the love affair between Kosinski and Steiber Her Private Devil by Laurie Steiber over at nymag.
The devil tree is a colloquial name for the Baobab tree. In the opening pages of the novel, the legend of the Devil Tree is explained by Kosinski.
