"The King in the Tree" is a novella by Steven Millhauser collected in The King in the Tree: Three Novellas published in 2003 by Alfred A. Knopf.Ingersoll, 2014 p. 141: Selected Bibliography
Plot "The King in the Tree" is told from first-person singular point-of-view by a reliable narrator, Thomas of Cornwell, counselor to the King.
The narrative is presented as a series of chronological diary entries kept by Thomas as the tragic events unfold. The novella is a retelling of the legend of Tristan and Iseult, in which a beautiful young queen and the king's nephew—her kinsman by marriage—fall in love, an act of treason.Ingersoll, 2014 pp. 110-113: Plot summaryMiller, 2003: Plot sketch
Background
Millhauser bases this novella on the legend of Tristan and Iseult, "one of the Western canon's oldest myths of infidelity".Turrentine, 2003 Recognized as a "foundation story in the courtly tradition", this version is perhaps "the most unromantic permutations ever spun of this romance."Miller, 2003: "...a foundation story in the courtly tradition."Turrentine, 2003: "Surely this is the most unromantic permutations ever spun of this romance." Biographer and critic Earl G. Ingersoll provides this narrative sketch:
Millhauser's rendition focuses on the king "whose dilemma is loving both his queen, Ysolt, and his nephew-rival, Tristan."Ingersoll, 2014 p. 7
The title for the novella refers to King Mark perched in a tree, secretly observing his queen and nephew, who he suspects of having an affair.Ingersoll, 2014 p. 112
The narrative for the novella is an amalgamation of the "all the available versions" of the legend. Millhauser enlisted the name of Thomas of Britain (or Thomas of Cornwall)—whose poem on the story of Tristan and Iseult survives only in fragments—to serve as the narrator. Describing Thomas as "ambivalent", Ingersoll reports that as councilor, he is dedicated to the King but limited by his first-person point-of-view assigned by Millhauser. Thomas "can only observe and record what he sees and hears, but not penetrate the psyche of the King, the Queen, or Tristan."Ingersoll, 2014 p. 110-111
Critical appraisal Kirkus Reviews considers "The King in the Tree" the "best" of the collection's novellas: "It's an unforgettable dramatization of the many faces of love and loyalty.
Turrentine places the center of Millhauser's narrative in the suffering of the king whose cuckolding is more tragic than comic:
Millhauser's denouement reveals that "Tristan and Ysolt not only destroy their own lives, but deeply wound many others as well," not least of whom is the king, who loves them both.Miller, 2003
Footnotes
Sources Gabinski, Andrzej. 20o9-2010. Steven Millhauser: Interview. Short Fiction No. 6. Interview conducted from October 6, 2009 to June 6, 2010 by Andrzej Gabinski.https://www.shortfictionjournal.co.uk/stevenmillhauser Accessed 10 May 2025. Ingersoll, Earl G. 2014. Understanding Steven Millhauser. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC. Miller, Laura. 2003. "Theme Parks of the Mind." New York Times, March 9, 2003.https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/books/theme-parks-of-the-mind.html Accessed 15 May, 2025 Turrentine, Jeff. 2003. "Phantoms of infidelity" Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2003.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-mar-16-bk-turrentine16-story.html Accessed 15 May, 2025 Millhauser, Steven. 2003. The King in the Tree: Three Novellas. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.