Look, Do You Want Me to Tell the Story or Not?

Intrusive narrators are old hat, especially since they’ve been reintroduced into children’s literature by Lemony Snicket. But I was tickled at how over a century ago Carlos Collodi opened The Adventures of Pinocchio with an intrusive audience:

Centuries ago there lived—

“A king!” my little readers will say immediately.

No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood.

Which reminds me that Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer, which I featured back in May, is now available in paperback.