Pinocchio Goes Postmodern: Perils of a Puppet in the United States / Edition 1

by Richard Wunderlich, Thomas J. Morrissey

Overview

In the first full-length study in English of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, the authors show how the checkered history of the puppet illuminates social change from the pre World War One era to the present. The authors argue that most Americans know a trivialized, diluted version of the tale, one such source is Disney's perennial classic. The authors also discover that when adults are introduced to the 'real'story, they often deem it as unsuitable for children. Placing the puppet in a variety of contexts, the authors chart the progression of this childhood tale that has frequently undergone dramatic revisions to suit America's idea of children's literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415993241
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/18/2008
Series:	Children's Literature and Culture
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	276
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Richard Wunderlich, Thomas J. Morrissey

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Pinocchio's World and the Search for the Just Community 2. How Pinocchio Came to America Poor and Friendless, Was Beset by Rogues and Villains, Yet Persevered Steadfastly, and by Luck and Pluck Made a Name for Himself: 1892-1919 3. Pinocchio's Good Fortune Proceeds Apace, and His Adventures Are Known and Celebrated Throughout All the Land: 1920-1929 4. At the Height of Pinocchio's Renown, Change Intrudes, Pretenders Emerge, and Impostors Seize His Identity: 1930-1940 5. The Ascension of False Princes: How Pinocchio Is Besieged, Embattled, Displaced, and Cast Down, Remembered in Exile by Only a Few, 1940-2000 6. Pinocchio Perverted, Pinocchio Preserved: Four Early Continuations of the Puppet's Tale 7. Pinocchio Goes Postmodern - and Adult 8. W(h)ither Pinocchio? Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"Wunderlich and Morrissey's love for Collodi's novel, their exhaustive research, and their wit combine in a scholarly, affectionate study that illuminates not only Pinocchio but some fundamental elements of twentieth-century American children's culture." — Children's Literature Association Quarterly
"[Wunderlich's and Morrissey's] book is filled with interesting facts and subtle conclusions, worth reading slowly, savoring, and pondering." — Children's Literature Association Quarterly

From the Publisher