Simulated Bodies: Transforming Relationships in Capriolo's "La donna di pietra" and Un uomo di carattere

Abstract

Amongst the early favourites of Paola Capriolo, a precocious reader, were Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and myths relating to metamorphosis. These tales find particular resonance in the short story "La donna di pietra" (1988) and the novel Un uomo di carattere (1996) which explore the relationship between art and nature in the context of metamorphosis, merging elements of reality and fantasy.