Essai
Nouvelle parution
Le secret de Pinocchio

Le secret de Pinocchio

Publié le par Jean-Louis Jeannelle (Source : Jean Perrot)


Le secret de Pinocchio
George Sand et Carlo Collodi
by Jean Perrot

Paris: In Press, 243pages, 2003.


Pinocchios Adventures still exerts a strong influence on the shaping of contemporary phantasms and fantasy. What are the secret origins of the character? Why is the fate of the lively wooden puppet so dear to young readers and adults?
Jean Perrots essay explores the genesis of what has grown into a fascinating myth and grounds his research on a fantastic hypothesis: Pinocchio would be the fruit of the literary exchanges and relationships established between George Sand and Carlo Collodi. The passionate feminists engagement for the cause of the young Italy indeed meets the faith of the journalist who went and fought for the unification of his own country in 1849. George Sand was also a friend of Garibaldi and of Mazzini, and knew Cavour, all three, shapers of the new State. But what personal bond would link Collodi to what seems to have been his Blue God-Fairy? We can now provide our reader a hint by saying that the French international Diva of the time was also a great lover of Commedia dell arte and that her son Maurice stood as a well-known puppet-master. In 1855, both went to Florence, where Collodi, himself a playwright, then published an article on George Sands theatre in his magazine Lo Scaramuscia
Jean Perrots research maintains to its very last chapter an unabated suspense, as to the literary contrivances that stimulate the readers interest without losing sight of a respect for facts and historic accuracy. As a true detective story, his essay lies on the effect of surprising discoveries, and provides an opening to an unexpected knowledge of Collodis literary enigma and of George Sands novels. It also offers a springboard to a better understanding of the problems of artistic creation: Honoré de Balzac, Alfred de Musset, Sainte-Beuve, Henry James join celebrated illustrators and satirists, such as J.-J Grandville, in what looks like Balzacs « scènes de la vie privée et publique » of several high characters of world literature. The critics plot is set within the mysterious and even mystic scenery of the town of Florence, which then grows fantastic, mythical, pervaded by the flavour of both Dantes and Machiavelli s aesthetic achievements.




Jean Perrot is an Emeritus Professor of Comparative Literature at Paris XIII University.



With an Illustrated front page by Jean Claverie


www.inpress.fr