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El árbol de la ciencia
Peter Brench es un hombre muy rico íntimo amigo del matrimonio Mallow. Está secretamente enamorado de la Sra Mallow.
El Señor Mallow, un escultor más que mediocre, es un soñador empedernido quien atribuye su fracaso artístico a distintos factores, pero nunca a su falta de talento.
Lancelot, el hijo de los Mallow va a París a iniciarse en la carrera artístisca pero se percata de su falta de talento que le confiesa a Peter, su padrino. Los dos prometen guardar el secreto del otro en aras de que todo siga tal cual para no enturbiar las relaciones familiares...
El Señor Mallow, un escultor más que mediocre, es un soñador empedernido quien atribuye su fracaso artístico a distintos factores, pero nunca a su falta de talento.
Lancelot, el hijo de los Mallow va a París a iniciarse en la carrera artístisca pero se percata de su falta de talento que le confiesa a Peter, su padrino. Los dos prometen guardar el secreto del otro en aras de que todo siga tal cual para no enturbiar las relaciones familiares...
- GenresFictionShort Stories
20 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1900
2 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Henry James
4,626 books3,965 followersHenry James was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 9, 2022
Nothing at all for either of them was to be gained by giving the thing a name.
The heart of this short story rests on "something" remaining unnamed, unspoken. Modern readers may squeeze multiple interpretations out of James's coy ambiguity.
The family friend, Peter Brench, worries that young Lance will lose his "innocence" by going to Paris, where he will encounter "French tricks". Peter's secret —apparently— is that he is in love with Lance's mother, although sceptical readers might scoff at this notion. Not all layers of deceit are uncovered in the text.
No matter what Peter tries to make us believe, the main relationship, as portrayed by the length and depth of their conversations, is between Peter and Lance (who is "decidedly the handsomest" of Peter's godsons). Between these two men, they search for a middle ground of honesty, and go as far as tact and circumstances permit.
James is famous, or notorious, for writing through veils of allusions, for hinting and suggesting, for sly double-meanings and resting the weight of a story on the unspoken. The Tree of Knowledge — wherein the branches who dare to reach out risk discovering the knowledge of good and evil, where innocence is contested and remains true only while believed in—, is a remarkable short story from the always enigmatic Henry James.
The heart of this short story rests on "something" remaining unnamed, unspoken. Modern readers may squeeze multiple interpretations out of James's coy ambiguity.
The family friend, Peter Brench, worries that young Lance will lose his "innocence" by going to Paris, where he will encounter "French tricks". Peter's secret —apparently— is that he is in love with Lance's mother, although sceptical readers might scoff at this notion. Not all layers of deceit are uncovered in the text.
No matter what Peter tries to make us believe, the main relationship, as portrayed by the length and depth of their conversations, is between Peter and Lance (who is "decidedly the handsomest" of Peter's godsons). Between these two men, they search for a middle ground of honesty, and go as far as tact and circumstances permit.
James is famous, or notorious, for writing through veils of allusions, for hinting and suggesting, for sly double-meanings and resting the weight of a story on the unspoken. The Tree of Knowledge — wherein the branches who dare to reach out risk discovering the knowledge of good and evil, where innocence is contested and remains true only while believed in—, is a remarkable short story from the always enigmatic Henry James.
March 6, 2020
I laughed through this entire story. In a good way. In a great way. It's not knee slapping humor, it's more like reality based levity that you can relate to on a deeply personal level. Since I'm an artist by trade the subject matter here was perfectly centered in my wheelhouse. It's essentially the story of a guy who is friends with a small "artsy" family. But what's in question is how "artsy" this small family really is. The story is told in third person but the narration looks mainly at Peter Brench and how he relates to his friends, the Mallow family. We see the Mallow family - a sculptor husband, a supportive and monied wife, and a soon-to-be college age son - through the eyes of Brench (allusion to 'Branch'? as in 'Tree' of knowledge?). And what we gather right away from Brench is that the husband, the sculptor, is a very poor artist. It was immensely funny for me because I personally know some artists who are much worse than they think they are. I'm not being cruel when I say that. I understand that all art is good art just as long as it comes from the heart. But that's the thing...sometimes it doesn't come from the heart. Some "artists" create out of the most pretentious corners of their minds. And the sculptor in this story is such an "artist". Mr. or as he likes to think of himself - "Master" Mallow embodies all of the "genius artist" poses and postures and seems never at a loss for artful 'knowledge'. But one thing he doesn't know is that there are others out there who harbor secret 'knowledge' of their own.
The story is just the right length and it feels like a hybrid of James the ghost story teller and James the drawing-room eaves dropper in that he's keeping secrets from us while entertaining us with gossipy talk. Again, it's very funny, but in a subversive way. I kept thinking "Henry James you snarky bastard". He's channeling Oscar Wilde in this one for sure, and I'd be willing to bet that he had some real life friends in mind when he wrote this.
Henry James is an amazing novelist whose work I accidentally avoided for years. Now I'm reading Portrait of a Lady, Wings of the Dove, The Ambassadors, The American, and The European all at once. And as good as his novels are I'd say that he's equally strong in the short story realm, similar to authors like Updike or Nabokov or Hemingway. Of course not stylistically, I simply mean that he's a double threat. A master of the marathon and the sprint.
The story is just the right length and it feels like a hybrid of James the ghost story teller and James the drawing-room eaves dropper in that he's keeping secrets from us while entertaining us with gossipy talk. Again, it's very funny, but in a subversive way. I kept thinking "Henry James you snarky bastard". He's channeling Oscar Wilde in this one for sure, and I'd be willing to bet that he had some real life friends in mind when he wrote this.
Henry James is an amazing novelist whose work I accidentally avoided for years. Now I'm reading Portrait of a Lady, Wings of the Dove, The Ambassadors, The American, and The European all at once. And as good as his novels are I'd say that he's equally strong in the short story realm, similar to authors like Updike or Nabokov or Hemingway. Of course not stylistically, I simply mean that he's a double threat. A master of the marathon and the sprint.
September 3, 2013
James' mastery of character is evident in this short story about a proud man, Peter Brench, who is in love with his best friend's wife but has never revealed it. While not a lot of physical movement happens in this story from scene to scene, we see the depth of his insecurity as the story progresses. Peter discovers that, despite all his knowledge, his overconfidence has caused him to be wrong about 1 tiny fact, which completely changes the meaning of his life. It's beautiful, sad, and powerful. But you do have to be willing to spend some time marching through the Victorian language and culture to get the full effect.
May 14, 2015
Wow, talk about purple prose! I have no idea what this story is about.
September 27, 2022
4 cuentos cortos de James entre los que se encuentra el que le da nombre al libro. Muy buenos aunque en esta edición en particular, las traducciones no me convencen. "El discípulo" en vez de "el alumno" y "la esquina agradable" en vez de "el rincón feliz" empieza mal. Se encuentran mejores traducciones en internet. Permanece la ambigüedad tan típica de James, especialmente en "el alumno" que tiene puntos en común con otra vuelta de tuerca pero con elementos de tragedia griega. Diario de un hombre de cincuenta años es un soberbio retrato de la crisis al llegar al medio siglo y las preguntas existenciales vinculadas a cuántas decisiones que hemos tomado han sido equivocadas y cómo habría sido la vida, de haber seguido otro camino. El árbol del conocimiento es un soberbio retrato de la mentira construida y preservada con tenacidad a pesar que en el fondo, todos sabemos la verdad y solamente se engaña el que quiere. Es brillante. El rincón feliz es un clásico de fantasmas de James que ya había leído en la colección Penguin, cuentos de fantasmas de James. En este caso, puedo recomendar evitar esta traducción de A-Z editora que es muy mala.
October 1, 2016
I've read Henry James in college and probably blocked it out for good reason, because I didn't remember his style at all. What a long, drawn-out, piece of confusing c.... I swear I needed a translation for what I was reading and still don't know what the story is about. Oh well.
February 26, 2023
Cuando la verdad es capaz de destruir. ...lo no dicho incomoda. Incomodidad es la sensación que Henry James transmite es este relato.
February 25, 2019
Henry James (1843-1916) published “The Tree of Knowledge” in 1900 after it was rejected by several publishers. Oscar Wilde criticized him for writing “fiction as if it were a painful duty.” Many reviewers found this 22-page book, like the publishers and Wilde, ponderous and difficult to read.
The short tale is called “The Tree of Knowledge,” reminiscent of the biblical divine command in Genesis 2:17 to Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge and the resulting pain the couple experienced after indulging. It is about a man, Peter Brench, who becomes a close friend of the Morgan Mallow family because he is secretly in love with Morgan’s wife. As years pass, he becomes the godfather of their son Lance. Peter is convinced that Morgan is an unskilled sculptor. Very few people buy his sculptures. Peter is also convinced that Mrs. Mallow his wife thinks he is a great master. She, Lance, and he call him a master, and Morgan also styles himself as a master sculptor.
There are at least five ways to understand the story. It could be interpreted (1) as a reference to the secret love that Peter has for Mrs. Mallow, knowledge he hasn’t revealed during the more than twenty years that he was friendly with the couple and the pain that his unrequited love has caused him. (2) Peter’s need to hide his knowledge about Morgan’s lack of skill and lie to him and the rest of the family about these skills and suffer the indignity of lying. (3) Lance wants to quite college and go to France to study painting. Peter tries to dissuade him lest he discover there that his father has no artistic competence and that he lacks the skill as well. Additionally, (4) he fears that once Lance learns about his father’s incompetence, he will tell his mother, who deeply loves her husband, and this knowledge will hurt her badly and hurt Peter who loves her and does not want to see her hurt.
The story can also be viewed (5) as an interpretation of the biblical parable. God is telling humanity, be careful not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, meaning do not reveal knowledge that you have, whether good or evil, because if you do so, there is a likelihood that you and others will be harmed.
James was known for his ambiguous endings, and the ending of this tale is ambiguous: suppose that with all Peter’s hiding of his "knowledge" and his suffering for twenty years because of his need to lie, the sculptor’s wife and her son knew all along that her husband and his father lacked artistic skill.
The short tale is called “The Tree of Knowledge,” reminiscent of the biblical divine command in Genesis 2:17 to Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge and the resulting pain the couple experienced after indulging. It is about a man, Peter Brench, who becomes a close friend of the Morgan Mallow family because he is secretly in love with Morgan’s wife. As years pass, he becomes the godfather of their son Lance. Peter is convinced that Morgan is an unskilled sculptor. Very few people buy his sculptures. Peter is also convinced that Mrs. Mallow his wife thinks he is a great master. She, Lance, and he call him a master, and Morgan also styles himself as a master sculptor.
There are at least five ways to understand the story. It could be interpreted (1) as a reference to the secret love that Peter has for Mrs. Mallow, knowledge he hasn’t revealed during the more than twenty years that he was friendly with the couple and the pain that his unrequited love has caused him. (2) Peter’s need to hide his knowledge about Morgan’s lack of skill and lie to him and the rest of the family about these skills and suffer the indignity of lying. (3) Lance wants to quite college and go to France to study painting. Peter tries to dissuade him lest he discover there that his father has no artistic competence and that he lacks the skill as well. Additionally, (4) he fears that once Lance learns about his father’s incompetence, he will tell his mother, who deeply loves her husband, and this knowledge will hurt her badly and hurt Peter who loves her and does not want to see her hurt.
The story can also be viewed (5) as an interpretation of the biblical parable. God is telling humanity, be careful not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, meaning do not reveal knowledge that you have, whether good or evil, because if you do so, there is a likelihood that you and others will be harmed.
James was known for his ambiguous endings, and the ending of this tale is ambiguous: suppose that with all Peter’s hiding of his "knowledge" and his suffering for twenty years because of his need to lie, the sculptor’s wife and her son knew all along that her husband and his father lacked artistic skill.
January 30, 2025
It is only after reading a few summaries that I began to put all the pieces together. And it became clear why it is called, "The Tree of Knowledge." Is it better to be happy and blissful or informed and disappointed?
May 11, 2022
Horrible
August 25, 2022
The last three stories I read by Henry James, all published in 1900, ended rather abruptly, in mid-conversation; I wonder whether they were properly finished by 'the Master'.
February 11, 2025
An okay story from an interesting author
November 24, 2008
I would really give it about a 2.5
Didn't love it, found it a bit boring....but O.K.
Didn't love it, found it a bit boring....but O.K.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews