Adventures of Pinocchio

By Carlo Collodi

The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial in 1881 and 1882, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio, an animated marionette; and his poor father, a woodcarver named Geppetto. It is considered a classic of children's literature and has spawned many derivative works of art, such as Disney's 1940 animated movie of the same name, and commonplace ideas such as a liar's long nose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Classics
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781627937412

Carlo Collodi

Carlo Collodi (1826–1890), born Carlo Lorenzini, was an Italian author who originally studied theology before embarking on a writing career. He started as a journalist contributing to both local and national periodicals. He produced reviews as well as satirical pieces influenced by contemporary political and cultural events. After many years, Collodi, looking for a change of pace, shifted to children’s literature. It was an inspired choice that led to the creation of his most famous work—The Adventures of Pinocchio..

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

How it happened that Mastro Cherry, carpenter, found a piece of wood that wept and laughed like a child.

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. It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm.

I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter. His real name was Mastro Antonio, but everyone called him Mastro Cherry, for the tip of his nose was so round and red and shiny that it looked like a ripe cherry.

As soon as he saw that piece of wood, Mastro Cherry was filled with joy. Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself:

This has come in the nick of time. I shall use it to make the leg of a table.

He grasped the hatchet quickly to peel off the bark and shape the wood. But as he was about to give it the first blow, he stood still with arm uplifted, for he had heard a wee, little voice say in a beseeching tone: Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard!

What a look of surprise shone on Mastro Cherry's face! His funny face became still funnier.

He turned frightened eyes about the room to find out where that wee, little voice had come from and he saw no one! He looked under the bench--no one! He peeped inside the closet--no one! He searched among the shavings--no one! He opened the door to look up and down the street--and still no one!

Oh, I see! he then said, laughing and scratching his Wig. It can easily be seen that I only thought I heard the tiny voice say the words! Well, well--to work once more.

He struck a most solemn blow upon the piece of wood.

Oh, oh! You hurt! cried the same far-away little voice.

Mastro Cherry grew dumb, his eyes popped out of his head, his mouth opened wide, and his tongue hung down on his chin.

As soon as he regained the use of his senses, he said, trembling and stuttering from fright:

Where did that voice come from, when there is no one around? Might it be that this piece of wood has learned to weep and cry like a child? I can hardly believe it. Here it is--a piece of common firewood, good only to burn in the stove, the same as any other. Yet--might someone be hidden in it? If so, the worse for him. I'll fix him!

With these words, he grabbed the log with both hands and started to knock it about unmercifully. He threw it to the floor, against the walls of the room, and even up to the ceiling.

He listened for the tiny voice to moan and cry. He waited two minutes--nothing; five minutes--nothing; ten minutes--nothing.

Oh, I see, he said, trying bravely to laugh and ruffling up his wig with his hand. It can easily be seen I only imagined I heard the tiny voice! Well, well--to work once more!

The poor fellow was scared half to death, so he tried to sing a gay song in order to gain courage.

He set aside the hatchet and picked up the plane to make the wood smooth and even, but as he drew it to and fro, he heard the same tiny voice. This time it giggled as it spoke:

Stop it! Oh, stop it! Ha, ha, ha! You tickle my stomach.

This time poor Mastro Cherry fell as if shot. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on the floor.

His face had changed; fright had turned even the tip of his nose from red to deepest purple.

CHAPTER 2

Mastro Cherry gives the piece of wood to his friend Geppetto, who takes it to make himself a Marionette that will dance, fence, and turn somersaults.

In that very instant, a loud knock sounded on the door. Come in, said the carpenter, not having an atom of strength left with which to stand up.

At the words, the door opened and a dapper little old man came in. His name was Geppetto, but to the boys of the neighborhood he was Polendina,* on account of the wig he always wore which was just the color of yellow corn.

* Cornmeal mush

Geppetto had a very bad temper. Woe to the one who called him Polendina! He became as wild as a beast and no one could soothe him.

Good day, Mastro Antonio, said Geppetto. What are you doing on the floor?

I am teaching the ants their A B C's.

Good luck to you!

What brought you here, friend Geppetto?

My legs. And it may flatter you to know, Mastro Antonio, that I have come to you to beg for a favor.

Here I am, at your service, answered the carpenter, raising himself on to his knees.

This morning a fine idea came to me.

Let's hear it.

I thought of making myself a beautiful wooden Marionette. It must be wonderful, one that will be able to dance, fence, and turn somersaults. With it I intend to go around the world, to earn my crust of bread and cup of wine. What do you think of it?

Bravo, Polendina! cried the same tiny voice which came from no one knew where.

On hearing himself called Polendina, Mastro Geppetto turned the color of a red pepper and, facing the carpenter, said to him angrily:

Why do you insult me?

Who is insulting you?

You called me Polendina.

I did not.

"I suppose you think I did! Yet I KNOW it was you."

No!

Yes!

No!

Yes!

And growing angrier each moment, they went from words to blows, and finally began to scratch and bite and slap each other.

When the fight was over, Mastro Antonio had Geppetto's yellow wig in his hands and Geppetto found the carpenter's curly wig in his mouth.

Give me back my wig! shouted Mastro Antonio in a surly voice.

You return mine and we'll be friends.

The two little old men, each with his own wig back on his own head, shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.

Well then, Mastro Geppetto, said the carpenter, to show he bore him no ill will, what is it you want?

I want a piece of wood to make a Marionette. Will you give it to me?

Mastro Antonio, very glad indeed, went immediately to his bench to get the piece of wood which had frightened him so much. But as he was about to give it to his friend, with a violent jerk it slipped out of his hands and hit against poor Geppetto's thin legs.

Ah! Is this the gentle way, Mastro Antonio, in which you make your gifts? You have made me almost lame!

I swear to you I did not do it!

"It was I, of course!"

It's the fault of this piece of wood.

You're right; but remember you were the one to throw it at my legs.

I did not throw it!

Liar!

Geppetto, do not insult me or I shall call you Polendina.

Idiot.

Polendina!

Donkey!

Polendina!

Ugly monkey!

Polendina!

On hearing himself called Polendina for the third time, Geppetto lost his head with rage and threw himself upon the carpenter. Then and there they gave each other a sound thrashing.

After this fight, Mastro Antonio had two more scratches on his nose, and Geppetto had two buttons missing from his coat. Thus having settled their accounts, they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.

Then Geppetto took the fine piece of wood, thanked Mastro Antonio, and limped away toward home.

CHAPTER 3

As soon as he gets home, Geppetto fashions the Marionette and calls it Pinocchio. The first pranks of the Marionette.

Little as Geppetto's house was, it was neat and comfortable. It was a small room on the ground floor, with a tiny window under the stairway. The furniture could not have been much simpler: a very old chair, a rickety old bed, and a tumble-down table. A fireplace full of burning logs was painted on the wall opposite the door. Over the fire, there was painted a pot full of something which kept boiling happily away and sending up clouds of what looked like real steam.

As soon as he reached home, Geppetto took his tools and began to cut and shape the wood into a Marionette.

What shall I call him? he said to himself. I think I'll call him PINOCCHIO. This name will make his fortune. I knew a whole family of Pinocchi once--Pinocchio the father, Pinocchia the mother, and Pinocchi the children--and they were all lucky. The richest of them begged for his living.

After choosing the name for his Marionette, Geppetto set seriously to work to make the hair, the forehead, the eyes. Fancy his surprise when he noticed that these eyes moved and then stared fixedly at him. Geppetto, seeing this, felt insulted and said in a grieved tone:

Ugly wooden eyes, why do you stare so?

There was no answer.

After the eyes, Geppetto made the nose, which began to stretch as soon as finished. It stretched and stretched and stretched till it became so long, it seemed endless.

Poor Geppetto kept cutting it and cutting it, but the more he cut, the longer grew that impertinent nose. In despair he let it alone.

Next he made the mouth.

No sooner was it finished than it began to laugh and poke fun at him.

Stop laughing! said Geppetto angrily; but he might as well have spoken to the wall.

Stop laughing, I say! he roared in a voice of thunder.

The mouth stopped laughing, but it stuck out a long tongue.

Not wishing to start an argument, Geppetto made believe he saw nothing and went on with his work. After the mouth, he made the chin, then the neck, the shoulders, the stomach, the arms, and the hands.

As he was about to put the last touches on the finger tips, Geppetto felt his wig being pulled off. He glanced up and what did he see? His yellow wig was in the Marionette's hand. Pinocchio, give me my wig!

But instead of giving it back, Pinocchio put it on his own head, which was half swallowed up in it.

At that unexpected trick, Geppetto became very sad and downcast, more so than he had ever been before.

Pinocchio, you wicked boy! he cried out. You are not yet finished, and you start out by being impudent to your poor old father. Very bad, my son, very bad!

And he wiped away a tear.

The legs and feet still had to be made. As soon as they were done, Geppetto felt a sharp kick on the tip of his nose.

I deserve it! he said to himself. I should have thought of this before I made him. Now it's too late!

He took hold of the Marionette under the arms and put him on the floor to teach him to walk.

Pinocchio's legs were so stiff that he could not move them, and Geppetto held his hand and showed him how to put out one foot after the other.

When his legs were limbered up, Pinocchio started walking by himself and ran all around the room. He came to the open door, and with one leap he was out into the street. Away he flew!

Poor Geppetto ran after him but was unable to catch him, for Pinocchio ran in

Reviews for Adventures of Pinocchio

[antao-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 1981-05-20)I am reading the English version of Pinocchio; I read it, obviously many times in my language and the other day I found a small book with this title and I was curious to see how it was in a different language from mine. I also want to "invite him for dinner" as it is the title of a context of a famous Italian newspaper (writing an invitation for a character of a book at your choice) but I have not yet written a word. I am not too keen on inviting to meals, it means extra work and I did it enough. But maybe by reading it I’ll get inspired.I read Pinocchio in a dual English/Italian text. My Italian is pretty much limited to what I have gleaned from endless listening to the Mozart/da Ponte operas, so I only occasionally referred to the original language. I did come away with the word (and concept) “tornagusto”, a kind of appetizer taken mid-meal, between courses. The word occurs in the scene in which the Fox buys an elaborate meal with Pinocchio’s gold. I’ve since learned that it isn’t a common word in Italian and may be a Collodi coinage. It’s likely that a tornagusto is only needed for overindulged appetites, which definitely happens in my reading from time to time. That’s proven a useful concept in my reading life – having temporarily exhausted my interest in a particular branch of reading, I turn to a short work or essay collection as a kind of mental “tornagusto.”The peculiarity of Pinocchio is that his nose grows when he tells lies (I bet you didn’t know this…); imagine what would happen if it was so also for us? Particularly politicians...there would be real fun, I suppose.[2018 EDIT: Tornagusto is a sort of" feel the taste again", the flavour and the pleasure of life, of reading and of many things, in the end. Nice, I think that from time to time we all need a tornagusto. But the pleasure of music do not need one : it is all over, I can hear the chirping chirping sound of a bird conversation in the garden through my open window and I do not need tornagusto to appreciate the beauty of spring, here again after a long period of cold and rain. And Mozart...I love, I adore him. Since I was a little boy, I always found him absolutely marvellous, and it helped me in several life instances...tornagusto listening to the serenata in sol magggiore opera etc., and it’ll all melt into that fascinating air.]

[kylak_6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Classic tale.

[marsap_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio a marionette; and his poor father, a woodcarver named Geppetto. Pinocchio was created as a wooden puppet but dreamed of becoming a real boy. Its main theme is that of a naughty child who must learn to be good, not just for his own sake but for the sake of others around him too. The thing to keep in mind is that this is not your Disney’s Pinocchio. This classic flirts with death and disasters that Pinocchio can’t seem to stay away from. At various points in the story Pinocchio is hung from a tree until he dies, he bites a cat's paw off, his leg is caught in a bear trap, he gets arrested and he is turned into a donkey. Oh My! Despite this and the moral lessons being “taught”—the adventures are really quite fun. Despite some of moralizing and the gruesomeness of the story I found myself really liking this tale. 4 out of 5 stars.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book is better than the Disney movie -- which was still a good movie. I've also seen a wonderful theatrical production at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Another one I ought to reread.

[nandakishore_varma-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

It is always a dicey affair to criticise a popular book: and when it is an acknowledged classic for children, it is even more dangerous. So I agonised a lot over my impressions of Pinocchio: Is it only a matter of personal taste? Am I missing something? Should I rethink my rating based on learned opinions spanning more than a century? In the end, I decided to go with my original evaluation.

This is one of those stories you read and love in comics format or abridged versions before you come into contact with the original. What usually happens is that, those adaptations modify and trim the original tale to suit the sensibilities of the current generation. I also read Pinocchio as a comic book and loved it; however, on reading the original, I find that many of the "creepier" elements had been edited out of that version.

I do not love moral fables for children. The type of story where, for example, the disobedient little lamb is gobbled up by the big, bad wolf, crying with his last breath: "Oh! If I had only listened to my mother!" is terrifying to kids (I speak from personal experience). They are equivalent to the posters of hell which some people were fond of hanging in their drawing rooms during my childhood. In the nineteenth century, when Collodi wrote his story, one can easily understand that this must have been an accepted method of keeping children in line: by frightening them out of their wits. I do not think the modern world will look kindly on that method.

It is not that creepiness by itself is bad. Many fairy tales are frightening, with their suggestions of cannibalism, patricide, incest, torture etc. The difference between the fairy tale and the moral fable is that the fairy tale is a live entity, growing, shrinking and changing shape while travelling from mouth to mouth; the messages are subliminal, interacting with the child's subconscious. The moral fable on the other hand, is "purposeful" - there is a message ("if you do this, then this will happen!") which the author wants to drum into the child's head, usually by using fear as a tool. It is the narrative equivalent of the schoolmaster's swishing cane.

Collodi's story, taken by itself, has many wonderful elements of dark fantasy (the huge Dogfish which swallows ships whole, the snake with a tail which smokes like a chimney, the little white man who converts boys to donkeys and sells them...) and could have made a wonderful fairy tale. However, the moralising on almost every page of what happens to bad boys who do not obey their parents, do not study and tell lies takes all the fun out of it: the voice of the narrator, coming out through various parental figures, becomes sickening. What crowned the whole thing for me was the death of poor Candlewick, Pinocchio's friend, after short life of back-breaking labour as a donkey. Yuck!. I was happy when the story ended.

I would recommend reading it to children with the morality edited out: but why bother? There are better books out there. Or let them read it as a comic book, or watch the Disney movie.

[the_hag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to say, my only previous experience with the story of Pinocchio is through the Disney classic cartoon…and boy is this a LOT different than the Disney version! I’m not saying that’s a bad thing…far from it in fact, I was just surprised at how selfish and, well…disobedient this little wooden boy was. In this book, Pinnochio isn’t a naive boy who gets led astray; he’s a selfish, lying, bad-tempered puppet who (for the most part) can’t see past his own immediate wants and needs. He constantly makes bad decisions based on spur of the moment desires without thinking about any long term implications. Naturally, he’s apologetic and supremely sorry when he gets caught or something bad happens to himself or others as a result of his actions, but he doesn’t seem to learn very quickly from these lessons and must repeat them many, many times before he finally “gets it.” Similarly, Geppetto isn’t 100% of the time a kindly old man; he too has his moments of anger with Pinocchio’s behavior. Even the Blue Fairy isn’t as kindly and beneficent as Disney made her…she too isn’t above pulling a nasty prank or two to show Pinnochio the error of his ways. I think these personality elements resonate with young readers…I think we can all admit that most children push the limits, do things they know they are not supposed to and generally find disobeying to be more fun than obeying (at least at times)…and in that way, Pinocchio is the embodiment childhood. He does all the things they’ve been told not to and reaps the rewards or pays the price for it! I think that is what makes this a timeless classic that has been loved for generations. I think that there are a lot of dark humor and plot points in this book (the blue fairy’s death, Geppetto’s getting lost as sea, the attempted assassination of Pinocchio, etc.), that it’s effective and riveting (especially for young readers) and enjoyable…it also makes his final transformation into a real boy all the more rewarding when it finally happens. I have to admit I enjoyed reading this far more than ever enjoyed watching the Disney cartoon version. Overall, it’s a rich, dark, and sometimes humorous tale that is illustrated wonderfully in this version by Gus Grimly. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading the non-sanitized versions of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (and other similar stories). It has all the familiar plot elements of the one we grew up watching (in America, at least) but is a much darker story than Disney gave us. I give it 4 stars and I would definitely buy it for my permanent library.

[maskpress · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

PINOCCHIO. THE ADVENTURES OF A MARIONETTE (2013 : 220 PAGES. LARGE PRINT FOR EASY READING - Original edition)Anyone interested in the role of education and a child’s place in society will be well-served to read or reread this timeless classic. As Umberto Eco has argued, although it is written in simple language, Pinocchio is not a simple book. It doesn’t limit itself to one simple, basic moral, but rather deals with many meanings and it is, thus, not only moving and beautiful, but profoundly educational.WHO IS PINOCCHIO?Pinocchio is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883), by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi. Carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a small Italian village, he was created as a wooden puppet, but dreamed of becoming a real boy. Pinocchio refers to a character who is prone to telling lies and fabricating stories for various reasons. Pinocchio learns to control his impulsive personality and shows moral and intellectual growth. Collodi's "Pinocchio", as a fable, doesn’t impose answers on the readers, but rather poses stimulating questions. Non simply a children’s book, "Pinocchio" helps readers to reflect on issues of freedom vs. authoritarianism, what system of education is most effective, how young people can be helped to develop their vocations, and how should we approach adolescent development. Pinocchio has become an icon of modern culture, and one of the most re-imagined characters in the pantheon of children's literature. Pinocchio is known for having a nose that becomes longer when he tells lies (chapter 3). His clothes are made of flowered paper, his shoes are made of wood and his hat is made of bread. Aspects of Pinocchio's character vary, depending on the interpretation, although basic aspects such as his creation as a puppet by Geppetto and the size of his nose changing due to his lies or stress remain present across the various formats. In Collodi's original tale, "Le Avventure di Pinocchio" (1883), Pinocchio, as a child, exhibits obnoxious, bratty, and selfish traits, which will eventually change after being exposed to his father Geppetto's love, the Blue Fairy's benevolent guidance, public education and, most of all, to his direct experience of good and evil.“It must be said that, though written in the nineteenth century, the original children's novel, "Pinocchio", remains as readable as if it had been written in our century, so limpid and simple in its prose, and so musical in its simplicity.” (Umberto Eco)

[thewallflower-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is book is awesome. In the first 13 pages, Gepetto gets into a fist fight, Pinocchio gets Gepetto sent to prison, then he kills Jiminy Cricket with a hammer. This is great!As you can tell this book is far removed from the Disney version. Everybody's a jerk. Must be an Italian thing. I'm not sure who this book was audienced to -- little boys maybe? -- but the language still holds up. The culture does not. It's super easy to read, but the plot is not terribly coherent, and there's no unifying force. It seems like 65% of the book is just Pinocchio being bad, then, when he realizes he's about to get burnt or hanged or shot, he suddenly cries, "oh no, I'll never be bad again", and he is saved. Then he goes and does it again. Reminds me of the American prison system. Must be required reading for lawyers. The storytelling is terribly unpolished and jagged. There's no unifying story, just Pinocchio running around getting into trouble. After about halfway, it starts getting obnoxious, because he has no real goal. He has nothing he wants.I'm really on the fence about the value of this book in terms of today. Would I recommend it for anyone? Would they get anything out of it? Maybe, since the chapters are short and the characters dynamic, they'd get more out of it than I did.

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read the ebook version from the library. This story was so cute and so well written. It reminded me of my childhood when I'd watch the movie and listen to my little record of the soundtrack. It has such a good moral lesson too.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't think I even meant to download the ebook for Pinocchio -- it's not something I had on my mental list of books I intended to read. I don't know who translated the version I read, but it was easy enough to read. It reads like quite a light story, but Pinocchio isn't a terribly nice character. He's, well. A boy. A little boy, selfish and without much of a moral compass to call his own. I couldn't really root for him, to be honest, and his moments of compassion and caring for other people seemed just that... moments. I guess he reminded me of Peter Pan a little, in his selfishness and his boyishness. I can imagine a little boy really being somewhat like Pinocchio, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. If the book had been longer or less lightly written, I daresay I wouldn't have liked it at all.

I was glad for the lack of constant overt moralising, like Jiminy in the Disney adaptation. There is a little, of course, but it doesn't really seem to sink into Pinocchio's head... the ending is a little saccharine-sweet, with Gepetto being made young again and Pinocchio turning into a real boy through reforming and so on, but it isn't too irritating.

It was enjoyable as a quick read, as a break from doing essays, and I wonder if I'd have liked it more if I'd read it as a kid, but it didn't really arouse strong feelings either way.

[gold_gato-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Greg Hildebrandt's tremendous illustrations accompany this edition of the children's classic, and the art brings the wooden boy to life on its own. There are twenty-one full color paintings with colors that simply dash out at you. This volume is the Little Unicorn edition, which means the original story is abridged so the illustrations can take center stage. Simply wonderful. This book begs for a cold cloudless night and a hot steaming mug of hot cocoa.

Sized for small hands

Book Season = Winter

[matthewbloome · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

On the whole, this has to be the least satisfying classic I've read over the past couple of months. I genuinely disliked nearly every character in the book, with special emphasis on Pinocchio. I was rooting for the fireplace rather than the real boy angle.

[kakkerman_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A little inaccessible for children. I think it has become a children's story over the years, rather than a moral tale for adults.

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pinocchio! (said with an Italian accent and lots of hand waiving). It is considered a "novel of education", a fun childrens story with values communicated through allegory. The values are very "middle class" as Italy became a nation-state in the 19th century: do not follow schemes of the fox and cat to get rich (ie. thieving upper class) but instead work honestly for your money; get an education so you are not treated like an ass (mule working class). Like the "Decameron", it follows the Florentine, Italy tradition of folk novella's -- like a hybred of the "Decameron", "Alice in Wonderland" and "Mother Goose". Disney made a film in 1940 that is considered a masterpiece of animation and is part of the National Film Registery, although only loosely based on the novel, the image of "Jiminy Cricket" and "Blue Fairy" are now a part of modern mythology.

[abergsman-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed reading this to my daughter, it was the first time for both of us. Yes, there is a talking cricket, but thankfully his name is not Jiminy. The Blue Fairy has a very prominent role in the original story, she is whimsical, complex character.

This edition, in particular, is utterly enchanting. The illustrations by Italian illustrator Roberto Innocenti are beautiful.

I personally believe that children should not only be exposed to sugar-coated stories, so we always aim to read fairy tales in their original form. Pinocchio was no exception, and this was a delightful read.

[alanwpowers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As everyone knows, Pinocchio is a Liar who is penalized (or possibly rewarded in length of nose) every time he lies, very like the current US President, whose silk tie grows longer with every lie.Here's another, my second comparison to our President Pinocchio, Liar-in-Chief. The carpenter who fashioned Pinocchio, Gepetto, forgot to give him ears; nor does the President listen to anyone. Comparison three: neither the President nor Pinocchio reads, but Pinocchio sacrifices to purchase an Abecedario in order to learn to read. And in fact, Pinocchio admires books, later becomes the best student in his class, so good that he will be turned into a real human boy in one day, but a friend leads him away to where there are no books or schools, and Pinocchio and his friend first grow donkey's ears, and eventually get all grey skins, asses. Pinocchio becomes a donkey in a circus.(Ch.11)Comparison four: both Pin and Prez are puppets, who have torn away from their puppeteers, Gepetto and Putin. Or maybe only Pinocchio has left his puppeteer.Comparison five: at one point, Pinocchio limps, and of course the Trumpster has trouble with steps, tries grabbing his wife's hand, who doesn't want to support a 300 lb man going down steps.For comparison six, see my penulitimate paragraph below.The first carpenter who started carving the wood into the puppet was called Maestro Ciliegia/ Cherry because his nose was red as one. As in Dr Seuss, several characters share nasal distinctions.Pinocchio is convinced to bury his five pieces of gold into the Campo dei miracoli, to result in thousands the next day according to a Limping Wolf and a Blind Cat (both faked, though later in the story they become what they faked). When he tries to dig up his treasure, thieves approach and he runs and runs. Several references to thieves, "ceffi" or "ladri."Towards the end Pinocchio turns back from an over-worked donkey to himself, when he swims in the sea and is swallowed by a (whale?) shark, where he finds his Gepetto, old and frail. He escapes with his babbo, who cannot swim, and carries him on his back to shore. When he needs money in Ch 9 (2/3 the way through), he doesn't dare ask for charity, because his Dad Gepetto always said only two kinds of people have the right to beg charity: "i vecchi e i malatti," the old and the sick (p. 61, Aschehoug, 1972). So Collodi in the 19C moralizes directly, didactically.His book ends with Pinocchio turning from a wooden puppet into a real boy, and his babbo is healed, through Pinocchio's reform: Babbo tells him, "When bad boys become good, they give an entirely new and joyful aspect to their house, their entire family." (p.96) Would that the Prez had learned this from his Dad.I recall thinking it has fairly small vocabulary, but it's much longer than Seuss. Theodor Seuss Geisel lived in my hometown of Springfield, MA, on Mulberry St, and set a goal of books with 225-240 different words. Turns out, Easy Reader (Mondadori) edition sorts Pinocchio under 1200 word vocabulary as Collodi (Carlo Lorenzini) wrote it.

[afsolove_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the moment Geppetto first carves him out of a piece of wood, the puppet Pinocchio is a trouble-maker. He doesn’t want to go to school or learn a trade. It is only after many zany misadventures—involving trickster cats, giant snails, and a cricket whom Pinocchio attacks with a wooden mallet—that Pinocchio begins to realize that being a puppet isn’t enough.The Adventures of Pinocchio is an unforgettable classic. Collodi's novel includes a rich commentary on growing-up and taking responsibility completely overlooked in the Disney story with which most of us are more familiar. In his slow quest to become a real boy, the puppet Pinocchio learns what it truly means to be free.

[jseger9000 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first wanted to read Pinocchio after seeing the 1970’s Italian animated movie A Puppet Named Pinocchio. It was much more faithful to the book than the Disney movie we are all most familiar with, much darker than what Disney showed me (not that I'm dumping on Disney's classic movie).I think it's safe to say that everyone is familiar with Pinocchio: Gepetto, an old wood-carver creates a puppet that is alive. Pinocchio (which, the book explains, stands for ‘pine cone’) is a willful, mischievous and naughty child, but he has a good heart and wants to become a real boy.His adventures are varied and always interesting and surprisingly dark. Pinocchio is a true a children’s book. While Disney was very good at giving parents what they think their children want: colorful characters, singing, magic and a puppet that was a clean-cut all-American boy. Carlo Collodi gives kids what they really want: very scary, life-threatening situations, shady characters and a puppet who starts off as a very bad and selfish boy. There are important lessons to be learned here and it is the journey that does the teaching. Though the ending is the same, in the book the reward feels more genuine and deserved rather than saccharine.As an adult reader, I did have a number of issues with the book. It was originally written as a series of short stories, published in a children's newspaper. It might be better to think of them as 'episodes'. There's a certain formula that many of the chapters follow: This time, Pinocchio has learned his lesson. Then an opportunity comes up. Pinocchio follows it. A character (often an animal) will appear and warn Pinocchio. He ignores the advice and trouble ensues. Pinocchio doesn't seem to grow as a character. Also from time-to-time, the book will stop to summarize everything that has happened before. As a result the 'chapters' tend to feel repetitive after a while. It also makes the book feel overly preachy (though I suppose that was part of the point of the book).However, I do remember reading and loving the book as a child. I did notice some of those issues even then, but they don't drag the book down. I think more kids should read the book today. Parents will feel hesitant because of the book's at times unrelentingly dark tone, but realistically, that helps draw the reader in. While following Pinocchio on his scary adventures, they will also learn to respect their parents, not to take what they have for granted and the value of both a good education and hard work. Not a bad thing for kids to read if you don't want them to turn in to donkeys.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reason for Reading: Read aloud to the ds. This is actually my third attempt at reading this book to him. Pinocchio is one of my favourite children's classics. The first time was when he was five and was my edition that I had read, an old Rainbow Classics, but I think he was just too young. The second time, he was older and at that time I had a different edition, don't remember which, but it was an awful translation and we gave that up as well. So my hopes of reading him Pinocchio were put on the shelf until I saw this edition, which noted it was a brand new translation and I was taken right away with the collaged/mixed media artwork which I used to dabble in myself.Starting with the art, the book is beautiful. I love this collage, mixed media art style and each page was a visual delight to me and my son, who has seen me dabbling in the art myself. An extremely gorgeous book. A square, softcover with french flaps make for easy handling and browsing. Ds would often pick the book up between reads and just look at the pictures. There's no need to give a summary, I think everyone is acquainted with the story of the wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy. But if you've only been exposed to the Disney version, then just let me tell you that you do not really know the true story of Pinocchio, which is rather moralistic in teaching boys to be good boys and quite violent along way. One part that always makes me smile (because I hate Disney's Jiminy Cricket character) is that in the book when Pinocchio meets the cricket (no name, btw) who moralizes with him to annoyance is that Pinocchio's final response is to pick up a mallet and throw it at him, squashing the irritating bug against the wall. LOL. The cricket's ghost does return to annoy Pinocchio some more. DS thoroughly enjoyed the story as he wasn't familiar with it. He saw the Disney movie as a little kid but it had too much slow singing in it so he didn't like it, or pay much attention to it. He loved when anyone got what they deserved, even Pinocchio, and he found it fun when he could see it coming. The whole story is a lot of fun. With the modern translation and the new illustrations, this edition is entirely whimsical and doesn't come off as moralistic as earlier translations I've read do. Oh, it hasn't been left out, but Pinocchio is such a rude, naughty boy that he needs to be taught a lesson and eventually even he knows when he is doing the wrong thing. I highly recommend this translation, especially for reading aloud.

[twright3_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is among the more existential works in children's literature, and should make us all reconsider what children's literature can be. I was turned on to reading the Collodi version by Auster's analysis of it in The Invention of Solitude.

[larrachersan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although it is an old story, it still catching and a good read. I sometimes had some problems, since some of the sentences had a (to me) strange structure, but all in all I had no problems reading the book.Maybe not for smaller children (in newer edition it should be better), but for everyone else this is a nice book, especially with the illustrations, that run along nicely with the story.

[dbsovereign · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great translation of a wonderful story that is as bleak as it is amazing! Who says fairy tales cannot be brutal? Grimm right...

[jasonlf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable, if a little repetitive. It's hard to read it through anything other than the Disney version, but it is reasonably different--including a Pinocchio who is meaner and more problem ridden (e.g., within the first few pages he hits the cricket with a hammer), a cat/wolf that are more persistent and interesting than the Disney ones, and an even more moving ending about how Pinocchio finally becomes a boy.

[smiler69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I borrowed this one from the library to have a look at Roberto Innocenti's work, which I've admired in another book called Rose Blanche. His highly detailed watercolour illustrations are a thing to behold, and imbued with both a sense of realism and real poetry, a combination very rarely achieved successfully in visual arts. The story itself was filled with surprises. I must have only been exposed to the Disney version in my childhood, because the original by Carlo Collodi was so filled with twist and turns, violence, unfortunate adventures, and reversals of fate, that it stretched credulity beyond the limit. At times the didactic aspect of the story that the author never fails to drive home became truly annoying, but there's no denying the tale of a puppet who wished more than anything to become a boy is highly original.

[jfoster_sf · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I was extremely disappointed with this book. This is a book written with the sole purpose of scaring naughty boys and girls into behaving. There was a lot of violence for no reason--the opening scene has two grown men disagreeing about something and solving it by getting into a fistfight (twice in the same conversation!). Even disregarding the fighting, this book held no interest for me whatsoever.

[ropppop · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story of "Pinocchio" is told as a graphic novel. It is a classic fiction of a story told a long time ago. A lonely carpenter made a boy out of wood and by tickling that boy with his paint brush, the boy came to life. Like all other boys in this life, he had an urge to find adventure and fun in life and so that little wooden Pinocchio runs away. One of the hard things that Pinocchiio has found out is that if he lies - his nose will grow. Very embarassing to him because he now knows that other people see him lying. He needs to have fun in life and as a young boy too but he needs to grow up and realize that the true part of life is telling the truth and being loved by your family.The scenes in this book are very dramatic and moving. They show a colorful feeling picture that allows the reader to go with the story. At times you will feel that you are a part of Pinocchio. The feelings that he has will flow on to the reader and move your heart. The illustrator showed each part of the characters with the paint brush and pencil. One thing that adds to this story and the illustrations are the colors added to each picture. Not black and white, but happy colors - yellow, red and green. But at times when Pinocchio has reached a hard part, the colors change to brown, dark blue and dreary grey. It helps the reader to understand the true feelings of being in the story. Try it and the reader will understand.

[salenawolfgoddess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's about Pinocchio's life from when he was carved to when he becomes a real boy. However, this disobedient little puppet goes from misfortune to misfortune as he must decide between things like school and a puppet show and school and Playland. He is also hung from a tree, swallowed by a giant shark, robbed and chased by assassins. Thanks to help from his father and his friend the fairy he mends his ways and his dream comes true.Even though I grew up with the Disney movie version of Pinocchio I quite liked this novel version because the storyline is a little different and it gives a little more depth to Pinocchio's character. All in all a cute, rewarding story.

[josh_hanagarne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

demented, wonderful, awesome art. Pinocchio is not the story that Disney told you. Chapter titles like "Pinocchio" gets hanged abound.

[janeajones · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The NYRB's translation of Collodi's Pinocchio by Geoffrey Brock is wonderfully readable. Had it a few more illustrations, it would be a great gift for an elementary -- middle-school child or even better, a book to read to one. As most Americans, I knew Pinocchio from Disney's film, and the book is not nearly as distant from Disney as I thought it might be. Certainly, the adventures have been somewhat modified, and Disney's Pinocchio is more childlike than Collodi's scampish puppet, but both reveal the dark dangers of the world and the belief that a good heart will ultimately reveal humanity. Both Eco and West make much of the difference between Collodi's fairy with sky blue hair and Disney's blue fairy -- claiming that the former is far mysterious and representative of multiple aspects of the feminine -- I didn't find the gap between the two so wide. The book was originally published in serial episodes, and each adventure could easily be read as a bedtime story. For an adolescent or adult reader who has never read the original, this is a first-rate translation. It's a first-rate translation for children too, but it would be so much better with either the original illustrations or ones done particularly for this translation.Brock's translation is contemporary and humorous, as is Eco's preface. On the other hand, the afterword commentary by Rebecca West is somewhat clunky if informative. She basically summarizes the prevailing critical views of the book and discourses rather lengthily on the changes Disney made to the tale.

[hae1yu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good edition, good artwork, good story. The stories in this Classic Collection are well-done. The story is told in clear but lively language meant to ensure children stay captivated. On every facing page is good artwork.