Fra Pinocchio-småinger til tanntroll - Karius og Baktus fra 1941 til 1958

From small Pinocchios to trolls. Karius og Baktus 1941–1958

Karius og Baktus, Thorbjørn Egner’s classic tale, exists in three different versions (1941, 1949 and 1958). First printed in 1941, the story developed through its treatment by the radio and film media. Egner twice revised both text and pictures. This article investigates the history and development of the work as printed text, as radio play and as film. The three versions published in book form in 1941, 1949 and 1958 have been subjected to discussion and close reading. What happened to story, text and picture when Egner adapted the story to other media? In what ways did story and characters change? Finally, what is the effect of the revisions on the adoption of Karius og Baktus in the literary canon, and on Egner’s position in children’s literature?

Keywords: Thorbjørn Egner,edition history,variants,editing,the literary canon