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Stories Toto Told Me (1898)

by Frederick Rolfe

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Frederick Rolfe, who early in his career also published under the name "Baron Corvo," became famous for his Hadrian the Seventh (1904), in which an Englishman is unexpectedly elected Pope, and later became infamous for his writings on his love for Venetian boys. But it was with the "Toto" stories, first published in John Lane's fin de si cle literary journal The Yellow Book, that Corvo achieved his first and most widespread authorial success. In these tales, an Italian peasant youth ingenuously recounts to his English master six poignant and often funny stories dealing with Heaven, saints, morality, and religion. First published in volume form in 1898 and long out of print, Stories Toto Told Me remains one of the most remarkable achievements of one of the strangest and most talented of English writers. This edition includes a new introduction and extensive annotations by Edmund Miller.… (more)
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An Italian country boy tells stories to his padrone, and lo and behold, they turn out to be mostly tales from the lives of the Saints, with an admixture of pre-Chistian mythology -- which is almost redundant, as so much popular piety came from there anyway. Charming, but frankly little better than urbane entertainment reading. I know that will suund like blasphemy to many afficianados of Rolfe, but I number myself among them, indeed in the front ranks, after more than half a century's reading, and suspect that Rolfe himself would be the first to chuckle over the idea that anybody made very much of them after all these years. Actually, there is some unexpected fascination in the shadowy portrait of the padrone, one of the first of Rolfe's many published dream-images of himself, and remarkably free of the bitterness of later such efforts. Those who enjoy this book should find and read the subsequent collection, IN HIS OWN IMAGE, which to my taste was far more enjoyable -- one of the few instances I can recall of a sequel's surpassing the original. ( )
1 vote HarryMacDonald | Oct 25, 2012 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Frederick Rolfeprimary authorall editionscalculated
Sykes, ChristopherPrefacesecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Frederick Rolfe, who early in his career also published under the name "Baron Corvo," became famous for his Hadrian the Seventh (1904), in which an Englishman is unexpectedly elected Pope, and later became infamous for his writings on his love for Venetian boys. But it was with the "Toto" stories, first published in John Lane's fin de si cle literary journal The Yellow Book, that Corvo achieved his first and most widespread authorial success. In these tales, an Italian peasant youth ingenuously recounts to his English master six poignant and often funny stories dealing with Heaven, saints, morality, and religion. First published in volume form in 1898 and long out of print, Stories Toto Told Me remains one of the most remarkable achievements of one of the strangest and most talented of English writers. This edition includes a new introduction and extensive annotations by Edmund Miller.

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Valancourt Books

An edition of this book was published by Valancourt Books.

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