The Fabulous Journeys of Alice and Pinocchio: Exploring Their Parallel Worlds (Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy, 61)

Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) and Carlo Collodi's Le Avventure di Pinocchio (1883) are among the most influential classics of children's literature. Firmly rooted in their respective British and Italian national cultures, the Alice and Pinocchio stories connected to a worldwide audience almost like folktales and fairy tales and have become fixtures of postmodernism. Although they come from radically different political and social backgrounds, the texts share surprising similarities. This comparative reading explores their imagery and history, and discusses them in the broader context of British and Italian children's stories. The Alice And Pinocchio Stories Connected To A Worldwide Audience Almost Like Folktales And Fairy Tales And Became Fixtures Of Postmodernism. This Comparative Reading Explores Their Imagery And History, And Through Literary Criticism And Author Biographies, And Discusses Them In The Broader Context Of British And Italian Children's Stories-- Alice Meets Pinocchio : Parallel Readings, National Stereotypes And Cultural Associations -- Books, Canons And Characters : Pinocchio In Wonderland And Alice In Tuscany -- Carlo And Charles : Italy In The Age Of Pinocchio, England In The Age Of Alice -- Pinocchio As Fiaba, Alice As Fairy-fale : Folktale And Fairy-tale Traditions -- Fantasy And Form In Alice And Pinocchio -- The Postmodernist Journeys Of Alice And Pinocchio : Adventures In Transnational And Transtextual Identities -- Childhood, School And Empire In Italy And The Uk : Hughes And De Amicis, Henty And Salgari. Laura Tosi With Peter Hunt. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Table of Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Preface 12 Part One. Theories, Choices and Contexts 18 1. Alice Meets Pinocchio: Parallel Readings, National Stereotypes and Cultural Associations 20 2. Books, Canons and Characters: Pinocchio in Wonderland and Alice in Tuscany 36 3. Carlo and Charles: Italy in the Age of Pinocchio, England in the Age of Alice 48 Part Two. Origins: Folktale, Fairy-Tale and Fantasy Traditions 70 4. Pinocchio as fiaba, Alice as Fairy- Tale: Folktale and Fairy-Tale Traditions 72 5. Fantasy and Form in Alice and Pinocchio 113 Part Three. New Journeys: Postmodernist Experiments with Alice and Pinocchio and Parallel Genre Readings in Empire Fictions 154 6. The Postmodernist Journeys of Alice and Pinocchio: Adventures in Transnational and Transtextual Identities 156 7. Childhood, School and Empire in Italy and the UK: Hughes and De Amicis, Henty and Salgari 178 Appendix: “Strange Meeting in Wonder- Tuscany” • Peter Hunt 206 Chapter Notes 210 Works Cited 214 Index 234 "The Alice and Pinocchio stories connected to a worldwide audience almost like folktales and fairy tales and became fixtures of postmodernism. This comparative reading explores their imagery and history, and through literary criticism and author biographies, and discusses them in the broader context of British and Italian children's stories"-- Provided by publisher What are the greatest, most widely read, most influential, most translated and most adapted children's classics? Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and Carlo Collodi's Le Avventure di Pinocchio are candidates, and through them this book explores what it means to be transnational fantasy icons.