Le avventure di Pinocchio

Di Carlo Collodi

Introduzione di Emanuele Trevi

Edizione integrale

Le avventure di Pinocchio è il capolavoro di Collodi, il libro italiano per ragazzi più famoso e sicuramente il più tradotto. Questo burattino, ricavato da un pezzo di legno e chiamato Pinocchio, altro non è che l’incarnazione dell’infanzia di ogni tempo e di ogni latitudine: è portato a disobbedire ma anche a correggersi, può farsi influenzare dalle cattive compagnie ma poi distingue fra il bene e il male, dice le bugie salvo pentirsene in seguito, e alla fine il senso della bontà e della giustizia prevalgono in lui e nel racconto. In fondo, come scrisse Benedetto Croce, «il legno in cui è intagliato Pinocchio è l’umanità». Con Le avventure di Pinocchio Collodi realizzò un’impresa più unica che rara: comporre un libro per l’infanzia capace di indurre nei suoi lettori un sentimento di gratitudine e di fedeltà, costante in tutte le stagioni della vita. Le avventure del burattino di legno, del Gatto e della Volpe, della Fata dai capelli turchini, hanno fornito, nel corso del Novecento, profondissimi argomenti di meditazione agli adulti mentre rapivano le fantasie dei bambini. È il destino privilegiato di quei capolavori che rivelano nuove bellezze ad ogni incontro, non esaurendo mai la loro riserva di fascino e mistero.

«Dopo andò a guardarsi allo specchio, e gli parve d’essere un altro. Non vide più riflessa la solita immagine della marionetta di legno, ma vide l’immagine vispa e intelligente di un bel fanciullo coi capelli castagni, cogli occhi celesti e con un’aria allegra come una pasqua di rose.»

Carlo Collodi

pseudonimo di Carlo Lorenzini, nacque nel 1826 a Firenze, dove morì nel 1890. Partecipò alle due prime guerre d’Indipendenza, e svolse un’intensa attività di giornalista. Le avventure di Pinocchio apparve in volume nel 1883.

• Lingua: Italiano
• Editore: Newton Compton Editori
• Data di uscita: 6 mag 2013
• ISBN: 9788854155381

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..

Anteprima del libro

Recensioni su Le avventure di Pinocchio

[hamlet61-1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

The Disney Movie, Pinocchio, was my first exposure to the character and the story when I was a child. It terrified me. I acquired this edition in Florence some years back and hadn't read it until now. To put it mildly, it makes the Disney version look like Toy Story. Granted, it is well-written (even in translation) and beautifully illustrated. And I do appreciate its allegorical themes and hero's quest motifs. That being said, Pinocchio kills the cricket (aka Jiminy in my childhood memory) with a hammer; the marioneteer wants to burn him alive; Pinocchio falls asleep by the fire and burns his feet off; the fox and the cat hang him from a tree to die. Bad boys turning into Donkeys is hardly the worst of it.Seriously, I think it is one of the best (still terrifying) examples of episodic literature ever written, with timeless characters and a strong moral compass. I am sorry I waited so long to read this version, and I plan to seek out others.

[alanwpowers · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

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.

[kylak_6 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Classic tale.

[nandakishore_varma-1 · Valutazione: 1 su 5 stelle]

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.

[auntieknickers · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

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.

[matthewbloome · Valutazione: 2 su 5 stelle]

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.

[gold_gato-1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

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

[barb_h_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

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.

[jacobdecker · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I love to read the stories as they are written not as Disney has envisioned them. Pinocchio had no real conscious, he killed the cricket with a hammer... I love literature but hate to see what mainstream media has done to it.

[abergsman-1 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

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.

[antao-3 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

(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.]

[thewallflower-1 · Valutazione: 2 su 5 stelle]

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.

[maskpress · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

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)

[the_hag · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

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.

[kakkerman_1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

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 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

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.

[anunez1-1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

 I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I enjoyed the description used throughout the chapters however in the beginning of the book some details seemed too straight forward. Depending on the student's maturity level and ability to handle such concepts as death and greed this book could be tough for some readers. Although the ending is a pleasant one with Pinocchio and his father being reunited once more, the many adventures Pinocchio endures are scary at times. In addition there is a scene depicted in the text describing the burning off of Pinocchio's feet, the attempted murder of a marionette because of lack of obedience, and the trickery of the fox and cat. These scenes show some very cruel aspects of the world we live in although not many readers would pick up on this at first glance. Overall the message of this story is to follow your inner voice when deciding to do something which may be good or bad. In the end telling the truth is the best policy even if feelings get hurt.

[redhedcatie-1 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I read this aloud to my girls and we all loved it! A great book with so many great lessons. :) Much better than the movie. Like usual. ;)

[pussreboots · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

I've read the Collodi novel once before when I was a teenager and I remember being put off by both by Pinocchio's arrogance and the surrealism of the world in which the marionette lives. Were it not for Roberto Innocenti's gorgeous illustrations I would have set Collodi's story aside without finishing it.Like so many of the classics from the late 1800s, Pinocchio was serialized in Il Giornale dei Bambini (Children's Journal), starting in 1880. Each installment was a short allegory to teach children how to be independent thinkers (Wiki). Keeping in mind the method of publication and the reason behind it helps to put the disjointed nature of the chapters and the surreal world into perspective. Innocenti's illustrations then bring this world to life.

[edellaporta-1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Ok, longer than others by Powell and it has chapters. Like illustrator Alfonso Ruiz. Good for ESL.

[jfoster_sf · Valutazione: 1 su 5 stelle]

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.

[nosajeel · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

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.

[ropppop · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

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 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

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 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

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

[aangela1010_1 · Valutazione: 2 su 5 stelle]

What a bratty whiner. I might be glad to have read it. But right now I'm just disappointed that Pinocchio was such a whiner.

[prop2gether · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

New version of a classic tale: I enjoyed the rereading of this story as much as my first reading as a child. Pinocchio is such a typical "bratty" little boy until he has his adventures, that it is a delight when he gets his wish to be a real boy.

[osbaldistone · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

[LT early reviewer - This review is of the NYRB advanced uncorrected proof of the 2008 Geoffrey Brock translation]It’s fun (and rare) to have the opportunity to read the original form of a story that has made the transition to folk tale. Most of western culture has grown up with this story in some form, but most of us, I suspect, have never read (or even is aware of) the original novel by Carlo Collodi. This alone is enough reason to read this short book.I’m a bit hesitant to ‘review’ Collodi’s work, as it has been reviewed, revered, critiqued, and studied for 100 years. It’s also difficult to critique a translation if one is not familiar with the original language version, or with other translations. Even so, I offer my comments as one new to the work.First, the translation: Being an advanced proof, I don’t have access to any introductory comments by the translator, and don’t know if any will appear in the final published edition. Brock seems to have tried to present a modern English translation that uses everyday American English for Pinocchio and his acquaintances in their speech. And, when he succeeds in this, he presents a very readable and enjoyable Pinocchio. He also seems to have decided to leave the narrator’s voice in the Victorian era – a bit formal and stilted sounding to the modern American ear, with a mix of familiar and not so familiar expressions and vocabulary. This has the effect of giving the reader a feel for the work as it was originally written – Collodi’s voice, perhaps? I found the combination of these two approaches to work surprisingly well. Pinocchio and his acquaintances seem accessible (familiar, even) to the reader, while the ‘folk tale’ feel of the story is preserved. My only complaint about the translation is that Brock doesn’t seem to consistently maintain the modern American English ‘voice’ in the spoken parts. For example, most of the time, these characters use common contractions (I’m, I’ll, let’s, etc.) but occasionally, Brock has them speaking in a more stilted, contraction-free ‘voice’. The change can be jarring. Pinocchio’s schoolmate Eugenio says “Oh Mother – I am dying”. On the same page, Pinocchio says “I’m too stubborn” and “I’ve never had fifteen minutes of peace”. The difference seems off. This may seem like a minor criticism, but when the narrator sounds like an ancient storyteller, the inconsistent voice of characters seems to be lost between the two styles.Now, about Collodi’s story itself. I know this is a classic, beloved by millions for a century, but I found the story a bit hard to stay with. Yes, I love the overall plot and many of the incidents in the story, but Collodi seems to use unnecessarily wild and incredible constructions to explain why (or why not) certain events happened as they do. They often sound made up on the spot. This may be somewhat the result of the original serialized form – perhaps Collodi ended one episode, and then, upon writing the following episode(s), had to construct a way to explain or avoid inconsistencies. In any case, it leads to some odd bits interjected into an otherwise fun tale.Overall, worth the read for anyone interested in a peak at the origins of what has become part of our culture, and a good (but not great) translation. And I’d guess that the under 8 set would enjoy it regardless, though illustrations would be nice.Os.

[janeajones · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

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.

[bzedan_2 · Valutazione: 2 su 5 stelle]

This is a classically Grimm-violent story. It's like a bunch of little vignettes, really. And pleasantly bizarro, just as a kid's tale should be. I like that it opens with a talking piece of wood. No explanations necessary, really. There's just this log that is sentient. Whatevs, am I right?