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Pinocchio
A timeless classic to be read over and over.
This is the story of Pinocchio, filled with harrowing yet inspiring adventures. Carved by a poor man named Geppetto, Pinocchio is a wooden puppet that comes to life. He soon leaves his maker and commences a journey of misadventures.
Pinocchio has a good heart, but he is disobedient and lazy and often has poor judgment. And when he lies, Pinocchio's nose grows longer! Follow this mischievous puppet as he goes to the "Field of Miracles", where he plants gold coins to try to make his wealth grow. Thrill as he is pursued by assassins. And marvel as he becomes the unwitting star of a circus show and lives a life of ease in the "Land of Boobies," where boys can play all day and never have to go to school. Of course, Pinocchio gets into trouble along the way.
From the villainous Cat and Fox, who try to steal his gold coins, to the gigantic Dogfish, a terrifying sea monster that swallows him, Pinocchio encounters menacing characters who often lead him to trouble. But Pinocchio also befriends a good Fairy who loves him and wants to help him escape his misfortunes. She even promises the puppet that if he learns to be good, to study, and to work hard, he will become a real boy. Can Pinocchio turn his life around? And will he ever see his "papa," Geppetto again?
Carlo Collodi (1826–1890) was born Carlo Lorenzini on November 24, 1826, in Florence, Italy. In 1848 he enlisted to fight in the Italian War of Independence and founded the daily satirical newspaper 'Il Lampione'. Collodi continued to write political and humorous novels until 1876, when he began to write children's books. In 1881 'Pinocchio' was originally introduced as a newspaper serial in the children's section. Since its first full-length publication in 1883, 'Pinocchio' has been translated in over 260 languages and is one of the most popular children's stories ever told.
This is the story of Pinocchio, filled with harrowing yet inspiring adventures. Carved by a poor man named Geppetto, Pinocchio is a wooden puppet that comes to life. He soon leaves his maker and commences a journey of misadventures.
Pinocchio has a good heart, but he is disobedient and lazy and often has poor judgment. And when he lies, Pinocchio's nose grows longer! Follow this mischievous puppet as he goes to the "Field of Miracles", where he plants gold coins to try to make his wealth grow. Thrill as he is pursued by assassins. And marvel as he becomes the unwitting star of a circus show and lives a life of ease in the "Land of Boobies," where boys can play all day and never have to go to school. Of course, Pinocchio gets into trouble along the way.
From the villainous Cat and Fox, who try to steal his gold coins, to the gigantic Dogfish, a terrifying sea monster that swallows him, Pinocchio encounters menacing characters who often lead him to trouble. But Pinocchio also befriends a good Fairy who loves him and wants to help him escape his misfortunes. She even promises the puppet that if he learns to be good, to study, and to work hard, he will become a real boy. Can Pinocchio turn his life around? And will he ever see his "papa," Geppetto again?
Carlo Collodi (1826–1890) was born Carlo Lorenzini on November 24, 1826, in Florence, Italy. In 1848 he enlisted to fight in the Italian War of Independence and founded the daily satirical newspaper 'Il Lampione'. Collodi continued to write political and humorous novels until 1876, when he began to write children's books. In 1881 'Pinocchio' was originally introduced as a newspaper serial in the children's section. Since its first full-length publication in 1883, 'Pinocchio' has been translated in over 260 languages and is one of the most popular children's stories ever told.
262 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1883
About the author
Carlo Collodi
799 books238 followersCarlo Lorenzini, better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian children's writer known for the world-renowned fairy tale novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,975 reviews
April 2, 2022
هو صبي كسول كذوب..متعالى احمق ..عاق شقي..يريد ان يحظى بمزايا الانسانية..دون متاعبها..و لآ مسؤوليتها..لكن..لا :بينوكيو ليس مجرد عروسة خشبية..بل هو نموذج نصطدم به مرارا في حياتنا اليومية 
هو من يقابل كرمك اليومي بالجحود..و المحبة بالامبالاة..و الاهتمام بالاستهتار..ها هو جيبيتو صانع اللعب و مانح السعادة للاطفال..يتوق "لابن" فيصنع عروسة خشبية..و يتمنى لو كان صبيا' و بالفعل يتحول لصبي خشبي متكلم متحرك..لكن لن يستحق إنسانيته الا بعد فعل الخير 🎄
مجرد قصة قصيرة صدرت عام 1881 لتحقق نجاحا ساحقا..و صار المؤلف مطاردا ليقدم مغامرات جديدة لبينوكيو..لتتحول لقصص منفصلة متصلة..لبطل خيالى من نوع خاص جدا..لا يبحث عن الكنز و لا سيد الخواتم..و لا الأميرة..بل بطولته تتلخص في جهاد النفس لكي لا يكذب..
تتحول إلى القصة التربوية المفضلة للأسر على مستوى العالم..تترجم ال 50لغة و تصبح الاكثر مبيعا لمائة عام
امتلك انا عروسة ماريونيت حقيقية لبينوكيو اعلقها في مكان عالي و بارز بمنزلي ..لاتذكر دائما
ان ما بُني على غش فهو وهم من قش💥
هو من يقابل كرمك اليومي بالجحود..و المحبة بالامبالاة..و الاهتمام بالاستهتار..ها هو جيبيتو صانع اللعب و مانح السعادة للاطفال..يتوق "لابن" فيصنع عروسة خشبية..و يتمنى لو كان صبيا' و بالفعل يتحول لصبي خشبي متكلم متحرك..لكن لن يستحق إنسانيته الا بعد فعل الخير 🎄
مجرد قصة قصيرة صدرت عام 1881 لتحقق نجاحا ساحقا..و صار المؤلف مطاردا ليقدم مغامرات جديدة لبينوكيو..لتتحول لقصص منفصلة متصلة..لبطل خيالى من نوع خاص جدا..لا يبحث عن الكنز و لا سيد الخواتم..و لا الأميرة..بل بطولته تتلخص في جهاد النفس لكي لا يكذب..
تتحول إلى القصة التربوية المفضلة للأسر على مستوى العالم..تترجم ال 50لغة و تصبح الاكثر مبيعا لمائة عام
امتلك انا عروسة ماريونيت حقيقية لبينوكيو اعلقها في مكان عالي و بارز بمنزلي ..لاتذكر دائما
ان ما بُني على غش فهو وهم من قش💥
August 28, 2019
Outside of religious texts, The Adventures of Pinocchio is the most translated book in the world. It's now printed in over 300 languages and continues to be one of the best-selling books ever published. Surprised? I was. I guess I assumed Disney's movie had long-ago made the book irrelevant. Clearly it hasn't.
And for good reason. Carlo Collodi's original 1883 text reads as sparkling and fresh as anything published today. His moral lessons are abundantly clear and emphasized and re-emphasized through a variety of zany situations. Some of which are well-represented by the iconic cartoon, but numerous others can only be found from the source. Collodi had an extremely clear vision for what Pinocchio was meant to represent and his metaphors always work. The way he showcases Pinocchio's inability to become a "real boy" until gaining education, common sense, and compassion is stark and startling. The transformation into a donkey, for example, is significantly more effective--and disturbing--in the book than in the movie. And let's be honest, it's creepy enough in the movie.
There's also something beautiful about Pinocchio's constant backsliding. He knows why bad things happen to him, he understands where he goes wrong, and yet he keeps making the same mistakes time and time again. This sentiment might be why the book resonates so well across cultures and with audiences young and old. It's frustrating to see him struggle with basic decision-making, and yet we can't help but relate. The story may be meant for children, but it's adult readers who will likely be moved to tears when the dim-witted marionette finally comes of age.
If you're looking to add a classic into your reading mix, Pinocchio is not one to be missed.
And for good reason. Carlo Collodi's original 1883 text reads as sparkling and fresh as anything published today. His moral lessons are abundantly clear and emphasized and re-emphasized through a variety of zany situations. Some of which are well-represented by the iconic cartoon, but numerous others can only be found from the source. Collodi had an extremely clear vision for what Pinocchio was meant to represent and his metaphors always work. The way he showcases Pinocchio's inability to become a "real boy" until gaining education, common sense, and compassion is stark and startling. The transformation into a donkey, for example, is significantly more effective--and disturbing--in the book than in the movie. And let's be honest, it's creepy enough in the movie.
There's also something beautiful about Pinocchio's constant backsliding. He knows why bad things happen to him, he understands where he goes wrong, and yet he keeps making the same mistakes time and time again. This sentiment might be why the book resonates so well across cultures and with audiences young and old. It's frustrating to see him struggle with basic decision-making, and yet we can't help but relate. The story may be meant for children, but it's adult readers who will likely be moved to tears when the dim-witted marionette finally comes of age.
If you're looking to add a classic into your reading mix, Pinocchio is not one to be missed.
November 9, 2021
Le Avventure di Pinocchio = The Adventures of Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Pescia. The first half was originally a serial in 1881 and 1882, published as "The tale of a puppet", and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio and his father, a poor woodcarver named Geppetto.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه آگوست سال2007میلادی
عنوان: پینوکیو آدمکِ چوبی؛ نویسنده: کارلو کولودی؛ مترجم صادق چوبک؛ تهران، چاپ نخست، سال1331؛ در212ص؛ چاپ دوم امیرکبیر، سال1351؛ در 240ص؛ چاپ پنجم امیرکبیر شکوفه، سال1363؛ چاپ ششم سال1364، در240ص؛ شابک9643002128؛ چاپ هشتم سال1380؛ چاپ نهم سال1386؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، معین، سال1386، در176ص؛ شابک ایکس-964760386؛ موضوع افسانه های نویسندگان ایتالیا - سده 19م
عنوان: سی قصه ی کلاسیک؛ پریسا همایون روز؛ قدیانی بنفشه؛ 1398؛ در 311ص؛ شابک 9786000805180؛ جلد هفده ماجرای پینوکیو؛
مترجمها خانمها و آقایان: حمیده اکرانی؛ مهشید شادمهر شریف؛ مهران محبوبی؛ مریم اکراد؛ نعیمه کرمی؛ مجتبی نیک سرشت؛ صادق چوبک؛ ثریا شکری؛ غلامرضا امامی؛ الهام دستیافته؛ هما نبوی؛ شیرین روهناء؛ زهرا نی چین؛ سبا بابایی؛ م محمدی؛ تهمینه کیان؛ مصطفی حامدی فرد؛ مصطفی رحماندوست؛ زهره (فرزانه) نصرتی راد؛ امید پناهی آذر؛ شیوا عشق الهی؛ مهدی صبوحی؛ مجید سیف؛ میرپویا حسینی اصل؛ فرزاد رضایی؛ بهروز غریب پور؛ صلاح الدین بایزیدی؛ فرخ بافنده؛ محسن سلیمانی؛ بهدخت میرمطهر؛ علی امیرریاحی؛مهرداد مهدویان؛ ایرج انور، منوچهر انور؛ معصومه آقاخانی؛ اصغر رستگار و خیلیهای دیگر که کنترلچی ها نمیگذارند نامشان را بنویسم
داستان در مورد پیرمرد نجاری است، که بچه ای ندارد، و تنهاست؛ «پدر ژپتو»، به همراه یک گربه، و یک ماهی، با درست کردن اشیاء چوبی، امرار معاش میکند؛ او با درست کردن عروسکی چوبی، به نام «پینوکیو»، باور میکند که کودکی دارد؛ فرشته ای مهربان، آنگاه که متوجه آرزوی قلبی پیرمرد میشود، با زنده کردن عروسک، آرزوی پیرمرد را، برآورده میکند؛ مدتی میگذرد، «پدر ژپتو»، «پینوکیو» را مثل کودکان دیگر، به مدرسه میفرستد؛ «پینوکیو» در راه مدرسه، چون وارد دنیای تازه ای شده بود، که با آن آشنایی نداشت، گول دو روباه حیله گر را میخورد؛ و ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 02/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 17/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Pescia. The first half was originally a serial in 1881 and 1882, published as "The tale of a puppet", and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio and his father, a poor woodcarver named Geppetto.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه آگوست سال2007میلادی
عنوان: پینوکیو آدمکِ چوبی؛ نویسنده: کارلو کولودی؛ مترجم صادق چوبک؛ تهران، چاپ نخست، سال1331؛ در212ص؛ چاپ دوم امیرکبیر، سال1351؛ در 240ص؛ چاپ پنجم امیرکبیر شکوفه، سال1363؛ چاپ ششم سال1364، در240ص؛ شابک9643002128؛ چاپ هشتم سال1380؛ چاپ نهم سال1386؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، معین، سال1386، در176ص؛ شابک ایکس-964760386؛ موضوع افسانه های نویسندگان ایتالیا - سده 19م
عنوان: سی قصه ی کلاسیک؛ پریسا همایون روز؛ قدیانی بنفشه؛ 1398؛ در 311ص؛ شابک 9786000805180؛ جلد هفده ماجرای پینوکیو؛
مترجمها خانمها و آقایان: حمیده اکرانی؛ مهشید شادمهر شریف؛ مهران محبوبی؛ مریم اکراد؛ نعیمه کرمی؛ مجتبی نیک سرشت؛ صادق چوبک؛ ثریا شکری؛ غلامرضا امامی؛ الهام دستیافته؛ هما نبوی؛ شیرین روهناء؛ زهرا نی چین؛ سبا بابایی؛ م محمدی؛ تهمینه کیان؛ مصطفی حامدی فرد؛ مصطفی رحماندوست؛ زهره (فرزانه) نصرتی راد؛ امید پناهی آذر؛ شیوا عشق الهی؛ مهدی صبوحی؛ مجید سیف؛ میرپویا حسینی اصل؛ فرزاد رضایی؛ بهروز غریب پور؛ صلاح الدین بایزیدی؛ فرخ بافنده؛ محسن سلیمانی؛ بهدخت میرمطهر؛ علی امیرریاحی؛مهرداد مهدویان؛ ایرج انور، منوچهر انور؛ معصومه آقاخانی؛ اصغر رستگار و خیلیهای دیگر که کنترلچی ها نمیگذارند نامشان را بنویسم
داستان در مورد پیرمرد نجاری است، که بچه ای ندارد، و تنهاست؛ «پدر ژپتو»، به همراه یک گربه، و یک ماهی، با درست کردن اشیاء چوبی، امرار معاش میکند؛ او با درست کردن عروسکی چوبی، به نام «پینوکیو»، باور میکند که کودکی دارد؛ فرشته ای مهربان، آنگاه که متوجه آرزوی قلبی پیرمرد میشود، با زنده کردن عروسک، آرزوی پیرمرد را، برآورده میکند؛ مدتی میگذرد، «پدر ژپتو»، «پینوکیو» را مثل کودکان دیگر، به مدرسه میفرستد؛ «پینوکیو» در راه مدرسه، چون وارد دنیای تازه ای شده بود، که با آن آشنایی نداشت، گول دو روباه حیله گر را میخورد؛ و ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 02/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 17/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
November 1, 2023
I know I shouldn’t feel so strongly about a children’s book character from two centuries ago but PINOCCHIO IS LITERALLY ABOUT TO CATCH THESE HANDS. I was prepared for a tale full of nostalgia and heart-warming moments, instead I got this clusterfuck of a children’s tale. I totally forgot that Pinocchio was such a stupid ass hoe (or maybe his portrayal in the Disney movie is just much more favorable…), and thus I was more annoyed than anything whilst reading about him making the same mistakes over and over again.
Like, for real, Pinocchio was such a selfish and dumb little fucker, his father Gepetto truly deserved better. I am aware of the fact that Pinocchio (the book, that is) was meant as a tale of morale and reform for children to learn from. You can literally see the accusatory finger of Collodi pointing at children and warning them of the perils of disobedience and hedonism. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B (who are both pushing the message to their young audience to stay the fuck in school) are modern day Collodis, just saying. ;)
Nonetheless, Pinocchio and his unfaltering ways were a pain in the ass to read about: He literally gets Gepetto into prison, then sells Gepetto’s only coat to attend a fucking puppet show (talk about questionable life choices), he believes two strangers who tell him of a Field of Miracles where you can bury your gold and overnight it will multiply (guess what happens, Pinocchio buries his last gold only to find it gone the next day… who would’ve thought?) and then he just continues to disrespect every elderly person who wants to give him a piece of advice.
Pinocchio deserved every bad thing that came for him. Even though I was somewhat surprised by the brutality of this children’s tale, I was rooting for Pinocchio to die throughout. And let me tell you, there was plenty of opportunity for that: at the beginning he sleeps on the stove and burns off his feet, unluckily, Gepetto makes him new ones. Damn it. Later, the Cat and the Fox hang him in a tree. Unfortunately, the Fairy rescues him. Ugh. Then Pinocchio has the audacity to refuse the medication she got for him and gets a mortal fever—which he, you guessed it, again survives. Why tho? Wanna teach kids to take their fucking medicine without complaining? Let the Burattino die, you don’t get a message more clearer than that. ;) He is caught in a weasel trap, he is kneaded into dough by a weird fisherman, he is turned into a donkey and literally swallowed by a whale (Jonah is quaking in his seat)—and he gets out of all of these traps unscathed. I was so mad. (Still am, not gonna lie.)
I know this review hasn’t been super serious but I justify my low rating, above all, by the fact that I wouldn’t read this story to any children. The tone is way too preachy (don’t lie, stay in school, be nice to your parents, work hard, bla bla bla), Pinocchio way too annoying, there’s too much senseless violence in the story and in the end, the final message that is pushed (when Pinocchio after being reformed turns into a proper boy) just pisses me off. In my humble opinion, he should’ve stayed a Burattino (as the world of Pinocchio is inhabited by speaking animals, fairies and other magical stuff), he didn’t need to become human to get the point across, but maybe that’s just me. Children literally shouldn’t have to change who they are (what makes them unique), they should change their actions if they're disrespectful but that’s it.
Like, for real, Pinocchio was such a selfish and dumb little fucker, his father Gepetto truly deserved better. I am aware of the fact that Pinocchio (the book, that is) was meant as a tale of morale and reform for children to learn from. You can literally see the accusatory finger of Collodi pointing at children and warning them of the perils of disobedience and hedonism. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B (who are both pushing the message to their young audience to stay the fuck in school) are modern day Collodis, just saying. ;)
Nonetheless, Pinocchio and his unfaltering ways were a pain in the ass to read about: He literally gets Gepetto into prison, then sells Gepetto’s only coat to attend a fucking puppet show (talk about questionable life choices), he believes two strangers who tell him of a Field of Miracles where you can bury your gold and overnight it will multiply (guess what happens, Pinocchio buries his last gold only to find it gone the next day… who would’ve thought?) and then he just continues to disrespect every elderly person who wants to give him a piece of advice.
Pinocchio deserved every bad thing that came for him. Even though I was somewhat surprised by the brutality of this children’s tale, I was rooting for Pinocchio to die throughout. And let me tell you, there was plenty of opportunity for that: at the beginning he sleeps on the stove and burns off his feet, unluckily, Gepetto makes him new ones. Damn it. Later, the Cat and the Fox hang him in a tree. Unfortunately, the Fairy rescues him. Ugh. Then Pinocchio has the audacity to refuse the medication she got for him and gets a mortal fever—which he, you guessed it, again survives. Why tho? Wanna teach kids to take their fucking medicine without complaining? Let the Burattino die, you don’t get a message more clearer than that. ;) He is caught in a weasel trap, he is kneaded into dough by a weird fisherman, he is turned into a donkey and literally swallowed by a whale (Jonah is quaking in his seat)—and he gets out of all of these traps unscathed. I was so mad. (Still am, not gonna lie.)
I know this review hasn’t been super serious but I justify my low rating, above all, by the fact that I wouldn’t read this story to any children. The tone is way too preachy (don’t lie, stay in school, be nice to your parents, work hard, bla bla bla), Pinocchio way too annoying, there’s too much senseless violence in the story and in the end, the final message that is pushed (when Pinocchio after being reformed turns into a proper boy) just pisses me off. In my humble opinion, he should’ve stayed a Burattino (as the world of Pinocchio is inhabited by speaking animals, fairies and other magical stuff), he didn’t need to become human to get the point across, but maybe that’s just me. Children literally shouldn’t have to change who they are (what makes them unique), they should change their actions if they're disrespectful but that’s it.
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July 16, 2022
TESTA-DI-LEGNO
Tom Hanks è il prossimo, e speriamo ultimo, Geppetto, per la regia di Robert Zemeckis.
Forse dovrei cominciare dicendo che io con le favole, con la favola in genere, vado poco d’accordo. Dal mio punto di vista si tratta di metafore esasperate, simbolismo e moralismo a go go. Not my cup of tea.
Quella che le batte tutte – se di favola davvero si tratta – quella che ho sempre detestato da piccolo e da grande, da bambino e da adulto, è quella nostra nazionale, il maledetto Pinocchio.
Forse perché è di legno, a cominciare dalla testa. Le teste di legno non sono il massimo della simpatia.
Forse perché era bugiardo e le bugie sono prima di tutto faticose. Da dire, da sostenere, da accettare. Solo che lui – ecco un esempio di moralismo – per le bugie viene punito, e poi ricompensato quando smette di dirle. Invece una ‘sana’ bugia al momento giusto può salvare un matrimonio, un rapporto, forse perfino una guerra. Insopportabile quelli (e quelle) che si vantano di non avere peli sulla lingua, quando invece sarebbe tanto auspicabile c’avessero una foresta.
Pinocchio e Geppetto visti da Matteo Garrone.
Forse perché era un burattino.
Forse perché si muove molto nel circo, e io col circo ho lo stesso rapporto che con le favole (negli anni – tanti – in cui ho frequentato quelle stanze con il lettino non ho mai trovato né tempo né voglia per sviscerare questa mia idiosincrasia per le favole e il circo: c’era sempre qualcosa di più importante da sviscerare).
Forse perché è circondato da personaggi insopportabili. A cominciare dal padre Geppetto che si “crea” un figlio di legno.
Ho evitato la serie di Comencini (figuriamoci poi se avrei mai retto Manfredi/Geppetto), ho visto il film di Benigni, modesto e cinematograficamente bruttino come tutti i suoi, ma l’ho visto solo per accompagnare mio figlio che aveva l’età giusta per vederlo. Amo molto il cinema di Matteo Garrone, ma il suo Pinocchio l’ho evitato a piè pari.
Pinocchio e l’insopportabile Fata Turchina visti da Roberto Benigni.
Di recente ho scoperto che qualcun altro condivide la mia antipatia per il burattino e il romanzo. Per esempio lo scrittore Aurelio Picca che all’argomento ha addirittura dedicato un intero libretto intitolato per l’appunto Contro Pinocchio nel quale lo definisce insopportabile, furbinoo e falso, edulcorato, consolatorio, scemo, egoista, cattivo, violento, ingannatore. Ed è chiaro, almeno per me, che gli attributi includono il suo creatore.
Anche se Picca sembra prendersela soprattutto col finale riscritto per soddisfare i lettori delusi dal primo nel quale il burattino moriva impiccato: e così, salvato e redento, trasformato in bravo bambino per vendere di più. Ma è un terreno sul quale lo seguo a disagio perché del doppio finale nulla sapevo, io ho letto solo quello “classico”, la versione più nota.
Picca demolisce l’opinione che si tratti di un romanzo di formazione: Pinocchio rimane un “cuore di legno” anche diventato bambino in carne e ossa. Per lui, Geppetto è un onanista, e quando si accompagna a Mastro Ciliegia gli viene da pensare a Pacciani e Vanni, i compagni di merenda mostro-di-Firenze.
Ho regalato la mia copia del Pinocchio a Pepe Carvalho, lui ovviamente l’ha usata per accendere il fuoco nel caminetto, e poi mi ha preparato un suo piatto d’interiora che ancora mi lecco i baffi.
Pinocchio e Geppetto secondo Luigi Comencini.
Tom Hanks è il prossimo, e speriamo ultimo, Geppetto, per la regia di Robert Zemeckis.
Forse dovrei cominciare dicendo che io con le favole, con la favola in genere, vado poco d’accordo. Dal mio punto di vista si tratta di metafore esasperate, simbolismo e moralismo a go go. Not my cup of tea.
Quella che le batte tutte – se di favola davvero si tratta – quella che ho sempre detestato da piccolo e da grande, da bambino e da adulto, è quella nostra nazionale, il maledetto Pinocchio.
Forse perché è di legno, a cominciare dalla testa. Le teste di legno non sono il massimo della simpatia.
Forse perché era bugiardo e le bugie sono prima di tutto faticose. Da dire, da sostenere, da accettare. Solo che lui – ecco un esempio di moralismo – per le bugie viene punito, e poi ricompensato quando smette di dirle. Invece una ‘sana’ bugia al momento giusto può salvare un matrimonio, un rapporto, forse perfino una guerra. Insopportabile quelli (e quelle) che si vantano di non avere peli sulla lingua, quando invece sarebbe tanto auspicabile c’avessero una foresta.
Pinocchio e Geppetto visti da Matteo Garrone.
Forse perché era un burattino.
Forse perché si muove molto nel circo, e io col circo ho lo stesso rapporto che con le favole (negli anni – tanti – in cui ho frequentato quelle stanze con il lettino non ho mai trovato né tempo né voglia per sviscerare questa mia idiosincrasia per le favole e il circo: c’era sempre qualcosa di più importante da sviscerare).
Forse perché è circondato da personaggi insopportabili. A cominciare dal padre Geppetto che si “crea” un figlio di legno.
Ho evitato la serie di Comencini (figuriamoci poi se avrei mai retto Manfredi/Geppetto), ho visto il film di Benigni, modesto e cinematograficamente bruttino come tutti i suoi, ma l’ho visto solo per accompagnare mio figlio che aveva l’età giusta per vederlo. Amo molto il cinema di Matteo Garrone, ma il suo Pinocchio l’ho evitato a piè pari.
Pinocchio e l’insopportabile Fata Turchina visti da Roberto Benigni.
Di recente ho scoperto che qualcun altro condivide la mia antipatia per il burattino e il romanzo. Per esempio lo scrittore Aurelio Picca che all’argomento ha addirittura dedicato un intero libretto intitolato per l’appunto Contro Pinocchio nel quale lo definisce insopportabile, furbinoo e falso, edulcorato, consolatorio, scemo, egoista, cattivo, violento, ingannatore. Ed è chiaro, almeno per me, che gli attributi includono il suo creatore.
Anche se Picca sembra prendersela soprattutto col finale riscritto per soddisfare i lettori delusi dal primo nel quale il burattino moriva impiccato: e così, salvato e redento, trasformato in bravo bambino per vendere di più. Ma è un terreno sul quale lo seguo a disagio perché del doppio finale nulla sapevo, io ho letto solo quello “classico”, la versione più nota.
Picca demolisce l’opinione che si tratti di un romanzo di formazione: Pinocchio rimane un “cuore di legno” anche diventato bambino in carne e ossa. Per lui, Geppetto è un onanista, e quando si accompagna a Mastro Ciliegia gli viene da pensare a Pacciani e Vanni, i compagni di merenda mostro-di-Firenze.
Ho regalato la mia copia del Pinocchio a Pepe Carvalho, lui ovviamente l’ha usata per accendere il fuoco nel caminetto, e poi mi ha preparato un suo piatto d’interiora che ancora mi lecco i baffi.
Pinocchio e Geppetto secondo Luigi Comencini.
June 23, 2015
I don’t have kids. I read this for pleasure as a 32-year-old man. And, surprisingly, I definitely enjoyed it. As I made my way through the book, though, I kept trying to picture what a kid would think. It’s very weird. VERY weird, and kind of dark too. I’m not very familiar with the Disney version of this story, but I’m sure Pinocchio doesn’t murder that singing cricket with a hammer like he does on page 13. And things like the growing of his nose when he lies are not major plot points in the book at all. In fact, it only happens twice and both times it is addressed for only slightly more than a paragraph.
Basically, the story is about an insolent little marionette who - through folly, disobedience, and naivety - is subjected to a constant slew of misfortunes, each one more ridiculous and over-the-top than the last. And although the overarching moral to this tale (that being GO TO SCHOOL YOU DUMB LITTLE DONKEYS!) is rather reductive and simplistic, the story is odd enough and the imagination of the author is unruled and unbound enough that the well-worn lesson is not a hindrance.
Here’s a personal note: I love books translated from other languages into English. Sentence structure and word choice are often juxtaposed and arranged in ways that you normally don’t get to see when reading things originally written in English. Part of this is undoubtedly due to the translator as they struggle to preserve the story in its original form, and part of it is due to the fact that often there is often not an analogous term for certain words or phrases. It creates a certain patchwork of language that, for whatever reason, tickles me. Almost as if the charm lies in its sloppiness, or imperfection. I actually downloaded two different translations of this to my Kindle and read the first chapter of each before deciding on which translator’s voice I preferred.
In the end, I can’t really say if your kids will like this. All I can say is I did. And I’m kind of like a giant kid.
Basically, the story is about an insolent little marionette who - through folly, disobedience, and naivety - is subjected to a constant slew of misfortunes, each one more ridiculous and over-the-top than the last. And although the overarching moral to this tale (that being GO TO SCHOOL YOU DUMB LITTLE DONKEYS!) is rather reductive and simplistic, the story is odd enough and the imagination of the author is unruled and unbound enough that the well-worn lesson is not a hindrance.
Here’s a personal note: I love books translated from other languages into English. Sentence structure and word choice are often juxtaposed and arranged in ways that you normally don’t get to see when reading things originally written in English. Part of this is undoubtedly due to the translator as they struggle to preserve the story in its original form, and part of it is due to the fact that often there is often not an analogous term for certain words or phrases. It creates a certain patchwork of language that, for whatever reason, tickles me. Almost as if the charm lies in its sloppiness, or imperfection. I actually downloaded two different translations of this to my Kindle and read the first chapter of each before deciding on which translator’s voice I preferred.
In the end, I can’t really say if your kids will like this. All I can say is I did. And I’m kind of like a giant kid.
August 21, 2020
بچهی فامیل اومده بود خونه مون و خواستم براش داستان تعریف کنم تا بشینه و وسایل اتاقم نفس بکشن ، گفتم چی تعریف کنم برات؟ فرمود : پینوکیو
خواستیم داستان گفتنمون فانتر بشه، گفتم اسم شخصیتها رو عوض کنیم . انتخاب با شما (بچه فامیل)
فرمود به جای پدر ژپتو بگو کیان ایرانی( مختار داره مجدد پخش میشه؟) به جای پینوکیو بگو اصغر و به پری آبی هم بگیم پری زرد فسفری پوش.
هرجا میرسیدیم به اصغر، این بچه از اعماق وجود میخندید و غش میکرد. انقدر کیف کردیم و بهش خوش گذشت که تا عصر سه بار همون قصه رو براش گفتم . آخرش هم با لگد از خونه رفت بیرون .
نکته اخلاقی: به بچه ها رو ندید مگه اینکه برای نگهداری ازشون بهتون پول بدن .
خواستیم داستان گفتنمون فانتر بشه، گفتم اسم شخصیتها رو عوض کنیم . انتخاب با شما (بچه فامیل)
فرمود به جای پدر ژپتو بگو کیان ایرانی( مختار داره مجدد پخش میشه؟) به جای پینوکیو بگو اصغر و به پری آبی هم بگیم پری زرد فسفری پوش.
هرجا میرسیدیم به اصغر، این بچه از اعماق وجود میخندید و غش میکرد. انقدر کیف کردیم و بهش خوش گذشت که تا عصر سه بار همون قصه رو براش گفتم . آخرش هم با لگد از خونه رفت بیرون .
نکته اخلاقی: به بچه ها رو ندید مگه اینکه برای نگهداری ازشون بهتون پول بدن .
November 1, 2024
Eu am copilărit cu Buratino sau Cheița de aur, care e o rescriere a povestirii lui Collodi. Așadar, am crezut multă vreme că inventatorul păpușii de lemn vorbitoare e Alexei Tolstoi. Mă înșelam amarnic. Cîțiva ani mai tîrziu, am dat peste Pinocchio într-un raft al bibliotecii de la Palat*. Am citit cartea și mi-am spus că seamănă cam mult cu povestirea rusească. Oare Collodi nu s-a inspirat din Tolstoi?
Exemplarul meu din Buratino - bogat ilustrat ce-i drept - nu avea prefață și n-aveam de unde să știu că lucrurile stăteau exact pe dos: Alexei Tolstoi îl „adaptase” pe Collodi (1826 - 1890), care, săracul, era oale și ulcele cînd a fost rescris de prozatorul rus. Alexei Nikolaevici Tolstoi (1883 - 1945) era rudă de foarte departe cu marele Lev Tolstoi...
Nu-mi amintesc ce am înțeles din Buratino și, apoi, din Pinocchio. Probabil, am reținut ideea că un copil nu se cuvine să-și trateze părinții cu dispreț. Pinocchio e cam irascibil, îl ironizează cam des pe meșterul Geppetto, e mereu cu nasul pe sus, și din pricina asta are cîteva aventuri nefericite. Mult mai tîrziu am dat peste o discuție amuzantă, cu accente polemice, între exegeți. Oare ce trebuie să rețină un cititor tînăr din povestea lui Collodi? Că nu e bine să minți, fiindcă îți crește nasul (aspect subliniat îndeosebi de filmul produs de Walt Disney în 1940)? Sau că nu e recomandabil să fugi de școală?
Răspunsul e unul singur, dar nu mai am energia să-l divulg. Recomand eseul lui Alberto Manguel intitulat How Pinocchio Learned to Read.
* Palatul ăsta e în Iași.
Exemplarul meu din Buratino - bogat ilustrat ce-i drept - nu avea prefață și n-aveam de unde să știu că lucrurile stăteau exact pe dos: Alexei Tolstoi îl „adaptase” pe Collodi (1826 - 1890), care, săracul, era oale și ulcele cînd a fost rescris de prozatorul rus. Alexei Nikolaevici Tolstoi (1883 - 1945) era rudă de foarte departe cu marele Lev Tolstoi...
Nu-mi amintesc ce am înțeles din Buratino și, apoi, din Pinocchio. Probabil, am reținut ideea că un copil nu se cuvine să-și trateze părinții cu dispreț. Pinocchio e cam irascibil, îl ironizează cam des pe meșterul Geppetto, e mereu cu nasul pe sus, și din pricina asta are cîteva aventuri nefericite. Mult mai tîrziu am dat peste o discuție amuzantă, cu accente polemice, între exegeți. Oare ce trebuie să rețină un cititor tînăr din povestea lui Collodi? Că nu e bine să minți, fiindcă îți crește nasul (aspect subliniat îndeosebi de filmul produs de Walt Disney în 1940)? Sau că nu e recomandabil să fugi de școală?
Răspunsul e unul singur, dar nu mai am energia să-l divulg. Recomand eseul lui Alberto Manguel intitulat How Pinocchio Learned to Read.
* Palatul ăsta e în Iași.
August 13, 2017
This was a challenge and a treat — reading the original story of Pinocchio in Italian! It’s been a long time since I saw the Disney movie, but it was obvious to me that Disney, er, Disney-fied the story quite a bit. The original tale is a lot darker and a lot funnier. I loved the fight with Gepetto and the woodcutter at the beginning, where they are tearing off each other’s wigs. Pinocchio is indeed a rascal, a scamp, and all the other things they call him. I think I would have throw him in the fire a long time ago. I was also shocked to laughter when we meet Grillo-Parlante, the Talking Cricket who becomes Jiminy Cricket in the movie, and Pinocchio immediately gets tired of his advice, throws a hammer at the cricket, and smashes him flat against the wall, killing the poor insect instantly. I must say, I had the same urge when Jiminy Cricket started to sing in the movie. Talking animals, ridiculous incidents and escapes — I loved it! Would have been an easy read in English, but even in Italian it didn’t take me very long. Well worth checking out.
November 25, 2017
المجد للمخيّلة العظيمة التي خلقت لنا بينوكيو.
July 16, 2022
كلاسيكيه خفيفة أوي لكنها ممتعه في نفس الوقت
عن دميه عايزه تبقى ولد حقيقي
المزايا:
1- فكره متميزه
2- على الرغم من انها موجهة للأطفال إلا أنها مناسبه لكل الأعمار
3- ممتعه
العيوب:
1- الرسايل الموجهة واضحه وأقرب لمواعظ
عن دميه عايزه تبقى ولد حقيقي
المزايا:
1- فكره متميزه
2- على الرغم من انها موجهة للأطفال إلا أنها مناسبه لكل الأعمار
3- ممتعه
العيوب:
1- الرسايل الموجهة واضحه وأقرب لمواعظ
June 21, 2012
As is the case with many great and memorable children's tales, Pinocchio is predominated by the threat of violence and death. At one point the incorrigible puppet is actually lynched by a Fox and a Cat who are after his gold coins. The Talking Cricket (the model for Disney's Jiminy Cricket) is killed by Pinocchio, using a mallet to smash him against the wall, as early as chapter four. The Cricket's primary offense? Giving some lame moralistic advice to the anarchic puppet. (The Talking Cricket was a social conservative, apparently.) Later the magical fairy, a strange deus ex machina with blue hair and an even bluer temperament, is introduced as the ghost of a dead child. I could go on and on, but you get the picture here. If you don't behave, children, and do your schoolwork, you'll probably suffer ghastly and various permutations of misery, including but not limited to being eaten by a giant shark. The tension lies in Collodi's celebration of (in Rebecca West's hyperanalytic parlance) 'transgression' set against the book's explicit moralizing and voluble tsk-tsking and pooh-poohing. Although the anonymous narrator states outright that peril and misfortune are the consequences of bad behavior, Collodi makes Pinocchio's adventures oddly exhilarating. One wonders if the story is less proscriptive than it is a subtle lamentation of the freedoms we must surrender to become 'human.'
Collodi's world is troubling, to say the least. We are conditioned to expect the magical in storytelling—so long as there is an internal consistency. Collodi, however, doesn't bother with logic. Why does Pinocchio seem human and vulnerable in some predicaments but resilient and indomitable in others? Why are the fairy's powers arbitrary and situational? Why does Pinocchio turn into a donkey—other than in the service of a metaphor? I'll admit I'm a stickler for details, but the simplicity and surprising humor of Pinocchio distracts me from the fundamental realization that Collodi has created a world without rules that is overly indebted to coincidence and/or providence. In other words, I liked it—despite everything.
Collodi's world is troubling, to say the least. We are conditioned to expect the magical in storytelling—so long as there is an internal consistency. Collodi, however, doesn't bother with logic. Why does Pinocchio seem human and vulnerable in some predicaments but resilient and indomitable in others? Why are the fairy's powers arbitrary and situational? Why does Pinocchio turn into a donkey—other than in the service of a metaphor? I'll admit I'm a stickler for details, but the simplicity and surprising humor of Pinocchio distracts me from the fundamental realization that Collodi has created a world without rules that is overly indebted to coincidence and/or providence. In other words, I liked it—despite everything.
October 20, 2023
What a jerk! Everyone who comes into contact with him will be the worse for it! I have to confess...the Disney version is so engrained in my mind that I find it hard to believe it originated from this story... the fate of the Talking Cricket (Jiminy Cricket) is unusually cruel. Still glad I read this - but the little boy in me wants to go back to the Disney version.
July 23, 2022
هو صبي كسول كذوب..متعالى احمق ..عاق شقي..يريد ان يحظى بمزايا الانسانية..دون متاعبها..و لآ مسؤوليتها..لكن..لا :بينوكيو ليس مجرد عروسة خشبية..بل هو نموذج نصطدم به مرارا في حياتنا اليومية
هو من يقابل كرمك اليومي بالجحود..و المحبة بالامبالاة..و الاهتمام بالاستهتار..ها هو جيبيتو صانع اللعب و مانح السعادة للاطفال..يتوق "لابن" فيصنع عروسة خشبية..و يتمنى لو كان صبيا' و بالفعل يتحول لصبي خشبي متكلم متحرك..لكن لن يستحق إنسانيته الا بعد فعل الخير 🎄
مجرد قصة قصيرة صدرت عام 1881 لتحقق نجاحا ساحقا..و صار المؤلف مطاردا ليقدم مغامرات جديدة لبينوكيو..لتتحول لقصص منفصلة متصلة.. لبطل خيالى من نوع خاص جدا..لا يبحث عن الكنز و لا سيد الخواتم..و لا الأميرة..بل بطولته تتلخص في جهاد النفس لكي لا يكذب..
تتحول إلى القصة التربوية المفضلة للأسر على مستوى العالم..تترجم ال 50لغة و تصبح الاكثر مبيعا لمائة عام
امتلك انا عروسة ماريونيت حقيقية لبينوكيو اعلقها في مكان عالي و بارز بمنزلي ..لاتذكر دائما
ان ما بُني على غش فهو وهم من قش💥
هو من يقابل كرمك اليومي بالجحود..و المحبة بالامبالاة..و الاهتمام بالاستهتار..ها هو جيبيتو صانع اللعب و مانح السعادة للاطفال..يتوق "لابن" فيصنع عروسة خشبية..و يتمنى لو كان صبيا' و بالفعل يتحول لصبي خشبي متكلم متحرك..لكن لن يستحق إنسانيته الا بعد فعل الخير 🎄
مجرد قصة قصيرة صدرت عام 1881 لتحقق نجاحا ساحقا..و صار المؤلف مطاردا ليقدم مغامرات جديدة لبينوكيو..لتتحول لقصص منفصلة متصلة.. لبطل خيالى من نوع خاص جدا..لا يبحث عن الكنز و لا سيد الخواتم..و لا الأميرة..بل بطولته تتلخص في جهاد النفس لكي لا يكذب..
تتحول إلى القصة التربوية المفضلة للأسر على مستوى العالم..تترجم ال 50لغة و تصبح الاكثر مبيعا لمائة عام
امتلك انا عروسة ماريونيت حقيقية لبينوكيو اعلقها في مكان عالي و بارز بمنزلي ..لاتذكر دائما
ان ما بُني على غش فهو وهم من قش💥
August 9, 2022
لقد كان صبي كسولاً.. بليداً وعنيداً ، وكلما تعاهد على انه سيصبح مهذباً مطيعاُ ، لا يصون كلمته ..ولكنه كان يملك قلباً طيباً ، ولكن هذا ليس كافياً ليأمن عواقب تصرفاته الحمقاء والطائشة..
توقفت عند استطالة انفه كما لو كانت عصا مستدق رفيع ممتدة امام ناظريه كلما اصطنع الأكاذيب ، هذا يعني انه دوماُ هنالك ما يقع خارج مجال رؤيته ، لن يتمكن من رؤية الأشياء على حقيقتها، كما ان هناك دوماً مسافة تنأى به بعيداً ووحيداً ، وسيصادم كل ما يواجهه ، وماذا لو تعثرت خطاه ووقع أرضاً ، لابد وستكون سقطة عنيفة موجعة ، لا أكاد احتمل تصور الألم الذي بانتظاره ...
لقد ابدع الكاتب الايطالي " كارلو كولودي" في تصوير عاقبة من يختلق الاكاذيب ليس للصغار فحسب بل للبالغين كذلك ..
توقفت عند استطالة انفه كما لو كانت عصا مستدق رفيع ممتدة امام ناظريه كلما اصطنع الأكاذيب ، هذا يعني انه دوماُ هنالك ما يقع خارج مجال رؤيته ، لن يتمكن من رؤية الأشياء على حقيقتها، كما ان هناك دوماً مسافة تنأى به بعيداً ووحيداً ، وسيصادم كل ما يواجهه ، وماذا لو تعثرت خطاه ووقع أرضاً ، لابد وستكون سقطة عنيفة موجعة ، لا أكاد احتمل تصور الألم الذي بانتظاره ...
لقد ابدع الكاتب الايطالي " كارلو كولودي" في تصوير عاقبة من يختلق الاكاذيب ليس للصغار فحسب بل للبالغين كذلك ..
October 7, 2022
Is this YA? Children's literature? God only knows. If it can be seen one way by children and another by adults, it's... God only knows.
So let's dispense with labels, boxes, and kindling why don't we. I read this book's 160 pages in no-time (myspeak for "two days"). It was simplistically compelling. Or compellingly simple. Wood. Boy. Dummy. No, make that puppet. One who out-lazies Tom Sawyer, even. The rural Italian word for him, then, is "scamp." Or "rascal," if you will.
The best part about reading Pinocchio for the first time is unlearning Disney. Not that I can recall watching the Disney movie. I cannot recall watching many Disney movies at all. But I surely HAVE seen clips from it. As clips, Disney fare is unavoidable.
Imagine my delight, then, when the cricket appears early in this book without the name of "Jiminy." Imagine my further delight, then, when said talking cricket (called, ingeniously enough, "Talking Cricket") chastises young (unseasoned?) Pinocchio only to have the upstart puppet nail him on the wall with a mallet.
Crunch.
And the cricket's last words are "cree-cree-cree" before it unpeals from the wall and dies.
Fear not, however. Most every critter that dies in this book is born again. The Buddhists would be proud. As they would about Pinocchio's samsara-like travails, wherein he constantly tries and fails to be good, tries and fails to be obedient, tries and fails to be industrious and loyal and kind. Puppets will be puppets, after all.
Another enjoyable aspect to this wonderfully-art-worked text from nyrb is its sly, tongue-in-wooden cheek moments. When the rogue boys are attacking Pinocchio with their hated schoolbooks, one of them hurls a text written by some Collodi fellow. (Wink.) Collodi (pen name) even takes a shot at a group that gets away with murder in this country but is more distrusted in others (and certainly in the past): doctors.
"[The doctor] felt Pinocchio's pulse, then he felt his nose, then he felt his little toe, and when he had finished feeling all these things very carefully, he solemnly pronounced these words: 'It is my opinion that the puppet is quite dead. But if by some strange chance he is not dead, then that would be a sure sign that he is still alive.'"
Doctors. They're never wrong. Said doctor (a crow, in Collodi's tale) follows up with even better:
"'When a dead person cries, it's a sign that he's on the mend.'" As they say in hockey: "Sco-o-o-o-ore!!!"
OK, so a fun and easy read. One that sets the record straight -- the book has succeeded all these years because of its violence and dark undertones. And it's talking animals. And its admirable little scamp of a rogue chunk of wood. If he barks up another tree and turns all treacly-good at the end, oh well. The same happened to Tolstoy, and no one held it against him any....
So let's dispense with labels, boxes, and kindling why don't we. I read this book's 160 pages in no-time (myspeak for "two days"). It was simplistically compelling. Or compellingly simple. Wood. Boy. Dummy. No, make that puppet. One who out-lazies Tom Sawyer, even. The rural Italian word for him, then, is "scamp." Or "rascal," if you will.
The best part about reading Pinocchio for the first time is unlearning Disney. Not that I can recall watching the Disney movie. I cannot recall watching many Disney movies at all. But I surely HAVE seen clips from it. As clips, Disney fare is unavoidable.
Imagine my delight, then, when the cricket appears early in this book without the name of "Jiminy." Imagine my further delight, then, when said talking cricket (called, ingeniously enough, "Talking Cricket") chastises young (unseasoned?) Pinocchio only to have the upstart puppet nail him on the wall with a mallet.
Crunch.
And the cricket's last words are "cree-cree-cree" before it unpeals from the wall and dies.
Fear not, however. Most every critter that dies in this book is born again. The Buddhists would be proud. As they would about Pinocchio's samsara-like travails, wherein he constantly tries and fails to be good, tries and fails to be obedient, tries and fails to be industrious and loyal and kind. Puppets will be puppets, after all.
Another enjoyable aspect to this wonderfully-art-worked text from nyrb is its sly, tongue-in-wooden cheek moments. When the rogue boys are attacking Pinocchio with their hated schoolbooks, one of them hurls a text written by some Collodi fellow. (Wink.) Collodi (pen name) even takes a shot at a group that gets away with murder in this country but is more distrusted in others (and certainly in the past): doctors.
"[The doctor] felt Pinocchio's pulse, then he felt his nose, then he felt his little toe, and when he had finished feeling all these things very carefully, he solemnly pronounced these words: 'It is my opinion that the puppet is quite dead. But if by some strange chance he is not dead, then that would be a sure sign that he is still alive.'"
Doctors. They're never wrong. Said doctor (a crow, in Collodi's tale) follows up with even better:
"'When a dead person cries, it's a sign that he's on the mend.'" As they say in hockey: "Sco-o-o-o-ore!!!"
OK, so a fun and easy read. One that sets the record straight -- the book has succeeded all these years because of its violence and dark undertones. And it's talking animals. And its admirable little scamp of a rogue chunk of wood. If he barks up another tree and turns all treacly-good at the end, oh well. The same happened to Tolstoy, and no one held it against him any....
March 31, 2009
I have been slowly reading a stack of children's classics to my twins (thus far to combat the poor movie adaptations that are out there), but I have been less than impressed.
I found Peter Pan (both the character and the story) insufferable; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory offended me ideologically; and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was too heavy handed. So I had little hope for Carlo Collodi's Pinnochio.
Even though I had been slightly disabused of my belief that Pinnochio would be overly moralistic by The Old Trouts' brilliant stage adaptation (they're a Canadian puppet theatre company based out of Calgary), and despite the fact that Disney's Classic adaptation maintains most of the creepier elements from Collodi's classic, I approached Pinnochio with serious doubt and attitude.
I almost dared it to be good.
And shock of shocks it actually was. Yes there's a talking cricket, but his name isn't Jiminy and he doesn't sit on Pinnochio's shoulder and act as his conscience. Yes there is a thread of moralism running through the book, and yes some of the things Collodi teaches, such as his focus on one's duty to obey one's parents, run contrary to what I believe, the book actually steers clear of preachiness and simply lets a fun story unfold in a fun way with a couple of decent lessons cropping up here and there.
Playland (known as Pleasure Island in Disney parlance) is almost as creepy as Walt's uber-spooky version, particularly the slimy man who rounds up the kiddies and turns them into donkeys. Monstro is a gigantic, mile long Shark-with-no-name, rather than a massive whale. The blue haired fairy is a huge character, far more important than the talking cricket, and she can change shape into a goat at will. And if these elements weren't enough fun there are times when Pinnochio is collared and tied to a dog house to watch hens, hanged from a tree to die in the forest, nearly used as kindling, has his donkey flesh eaten away by nasty little fish, and is even thrown in prison by a Judge who happens to be a talking Ape.
E. Harden's translation seems superb and is eminently readable (although my friend Manny might no better how accurate a translation it is), and even though the book comes in at a pretty steep 200+ pages (impressive for a kids' book) it never tires its reader or his listeners. My kids wanted more every time we stopped for the night, and if Collodi leaves the kids wanting more that has to be a good thing.
Our next stop is Alice in Wonderland, but I may hunt down some more Collodi. He deserves to be read.
I found Peter Pan (both the character and the story) insufferable; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory offended me ideologically; and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was too heavy handed. So I had little hope for Carlo Collodi's Pinnochio.
Even though I had been slightly disabused of my belief that Pinnochio would be overly moralistic by The Old Trouts' brilliant stage adaptation (they're a Canadian puppet theatre company based out of Calgary), and despite the fact that Disney's Classic adaptation maintains most of the creepier elements from Collodi's classic, I approached Pinnochio with serious doubt and attitude.
I almost dared it to be good.
And shock of shocks it actually was. Yes there's a talking cricket, but his name isn't Jiminy and he doesn't sit on Pinnochio's shoulder and act as his conscience. Yes there is a thread of moralism running through the book, and yes some of the things Collodi teaches, such as his focus on one's duty to obey one's parents, run contrary to what I believe, the book actually steers clear of preachiness and simply lets a fun story unfold in a fun way with a couple of decent lessons cropping up here and there.
Playland (known as Pleasure Island in Disney parlance) is almost as creepy as Walt's uber-spooky version, particularly the slimy man who rounds up the kiddies and turns them into donkeys. Monstro is a gigantic, mile long Shark-with-no-name, rather than a massive whale. The blue haired fairy is a huge character, far more important than the talking cricket, and she can change shape into a goat at will. And if these elements weren't enough fun there are times when Pinnochio is collared and tied to a dog house to watch hens, hanged from a tree to die in the forest, nearly used as kindling, has his donkey flesh eaten away by nasty little fish, and is even thrown in prison by a Judge who happens to be a talking Ape.
E. Harden's translation seems superb and is eminently readable (although my friend Manny might no better how accurate a translation it is), and even though the book comes in at a pretty steep 200+ pages (impressive for a kids' book) it never tires its reader or his listeners. My kids wanted more every time we stopped for the night, and if Collodi leaves the kids wanting more that has to be a good thing.
Our next stop is Alice in Wonderland, but I may hunt down some more Collodi. He deserves to be read.
January 20, 2022
“What shall I call him?” he said to himself. “I think I’ll call him PINOCCHIO. This name will make his fortune.
The Adventures of Pinocchio was a compelling reading that brought me back to my childhood, since I used to be a huge fan of the classic Disney movie when I was a little kid. Besides, my father gave me an abridged edition of Pinocchio (I was probably 6) as a gift, and I remember how I loved spending time reading it every now and then. This edition belongs to me so far, and it is still in my bookcase.
Now, reading this book as a young adult, it has been a beautiful, fun and quite remarkable experience. Pinocchio’s behavior and personality sometimes reminded me of that child who we used to be way back when. Perhaps I am wrong if I say everyone’s behavior was exactly the same as Pinocchio’s one – actually, I hope so; however, the fact that a book evokes memories of your childhood, for instance, when you just wanted to have fun and nothing else cared, to go outside and spend hours playing with your friends, and the like, actually means that that book is worth giving a try as soon as you can.
I'm sure everyone knows what The Adventures of Pinocchio is about: it's basically the story of an animated marionette, made by a carpenter named Geppetto, and how he (Pinocchio) ends up having exciting adventures and visiting so many places. That's it, simple but not plain.
Every chapter of the novel is really short and precise (5 or 6 pages per chapter on average), which makes the story easy to read, and furthermore, you certainly want to know the events that are going to take place in the next chapters. The narrative, as I said before, is concise and straightforward, yet really entertaining and enjoyable.
There is a particular sense of humor which reminded me of another book I've read recently: Candide, or Optimism. In fact, not only the sense of humor, but the way both books are written as well as their similar structure were some elements in common as well.
Maybe I am wrong about my last statement, but the fact that both Candide and Pinocchio are protagonists who were going through a series of events throughout their own novel, and whose lives ended up being different from what they used to be at the beginning, made me think about how similar their stories are. (By the way, how is this genre called in English? Bildungsroman, isn't it?)
In short, The Adventures of Pinocchio is a story about a marionette (or a child) who has to learn how to change his mind and attitudes in order to become a responsible and sensible person. Obviously, I'd wholeheartedly recommend reading this book.
The Adventures of Pinocchio was a compelling reading that brought me back to my childhood, since I used to be a huge fan of the classic Disney movie when I was a little kid. Besides, my father gave me an abridged edition of Pinocchio (I was probably 6) as a gift, and I remember how I loved spending time reading it every now and then. This edition belongs to me so far, and it is still in my bookcase.
Now, reading this book as a young adult, it has been a beautiful, fun and quite remarkable experience. Pinocchio’s behavior and personality sometimes reminded me of that child who we used to be way back when. Perhaps I am wrong if I say everyone’s behavior was exactly the same as Pinocchio’s one – actually, I hope so; however, the fact that a book evokes memories of your childhood, for instance, when you just wanted to have fun and nothing else cared, to go outside and spend hours playing with your friends, and the like, actually means that that book is worth giving a try as soon as you can.
I'm sure everyone knows what The Adventures of Pinocchio is about: it's basically the story of an animated marionette, made by a carpenter named Geppetto, and how he (Pinocchio) ends up having exciting adventures and visiting so many places. That's it, simple but not plain.
Every chapter of the novel is really short and precise (5 or 6 pages per chapter on average), which makes the story easy to read, and furthermore, you certainly want to know the events that are going to take place in the next chapters. The narrative, as I said before, is concise and straightforward, yet really entertaining and enjoyable.
There is a particular sense of humor which reminded me of another book I've read recently: Candide, or Optimism. In fact, not only the sense of humor, but the way both books are written as well as their similar structure were some elements in common as well.
Maybe I am wrong about my last statement, but the fact that both Candide and Pinocchio are protagonists who were going through a series of events throughout their own novel, and whose lives ended up being different from what they used to be at the beginning, made me think about how similar their stories are. (By the way, how is this genre called in English? Bildungsroman, isn't it?)
In short, The Adventures of Pinocchio is a story about a marionette (or a child) who has to learn how to change his mind and attitudes in order to become a responsible and sensible person. Obviously, I'd wholeheartedly recommend reading this book.
May 19, 2024
[in fondo: aggiunta 30 novembre 2017]
Storia (della lettura) di un burattino
Forse ci fu una prima lettura diretta, nella notte dei tempi, chi lo sa; di sicuro ci fu il bombardamento delle revisioni dell’immagine e del mito (anche il film di Disney? No, non mi sembra ma proprio non ricordo). Ma ho detto storia, non preistoria; e allora la prima lettura è quella a quindici anni, al liceo.
Dovete sapere, miei piccoli lettori, che chi qui scrive ha avuto la fortuna di incontrare non pochi insegnanti molto capaci. Come questa maestra dai capelli turchini (o forse il ricordo si sta un po’ confondendo?) che a quindicenni diceva di leggere Pinocchio. E noi tutti giù a ridere sul libro per bambini. Poi, voglio vedervi ad essere all’altezza, nel capire bene.
E adesso rileggo, per motivi miei, e scopro alcune cose:
1) che mi ricordo molto di più del previsto, considerato che si tratta di una rilettura a trent’anni di distanza, quindi la forza delle invenzioni è certo efficace;
2) che è scritto benissimo (nei primi capitoli si prova proprio anche questo tipo di godimento);
3) che si sente che è uscito prima a puntate (e dopo un po’ le continue ricapitolazioni, per quanto movimentate dalla divertente frenesia di Pinocchio, rompono);
4) che la morale pesante è davvero fastidiosa (bisogna fare il bene – che poi vuol dire sacrificarsi e obbedire ciecamente – per crasso utilitarismo, perché altrimenti finisci con la pancia vuota, non perché ci sia magari qualcosa in sé di divertente e di positivo nei libri, ad esempio…);
5) ma che se la leggiamo come elemento autobiografico questa morale diventa interessante (Collodi conduceva una “vita disordinata”, era un “accanito quanto sfortunato” giocatore, si “abbandonava al bere” ma era anche un bravo patriota che aveva combattuto a Curtatone e Montanara, e poi segretario alla Prefettura. E forse allora diventò alla fine anche lui "un ragazzo come tutti gli altri" ma certo non un padrefamiglia con tutte le caratteristiche richieste...);
6) ma se Pinocchio finisce nel ventre di un grosso pescecane (e Giona finiva in un grosso pesce), perché tutti si ricordano: “balena!”??
7) – Portatemi almeno qualche cosa da mangiare, perché mi sento rifinito. – Subito! – disse la Lumaca. Difatti dopo tre ore e mezzo, Pinocchio la vide tornare con un vassoio d’argento in capo. (Difatti! :-)).
[30 novembre 2017]
Vista ieri sera la reinvenzione teatrale di Antonio Latella: molto consigliata.
Ambientato in una segheria, sotto una nevicata di trucioli (quindi già di per sé con effetto ipnotico, quell'attrazione della neve che cade e non smetteresti mai di guardarla); costumi e scenografia azzeccati. Il testo di partenza è in gran parte seguito e ripreso ma fin da subito reinterpretato .
Gli attori bravi: a parte Christian La Rosa, un Pinocchio che deve scoprire e reinventare il linguaggio quasi per ogni parola, e Fabio Pasquini, un grillo parlante con efficace costume con lunghissime antenne, tutti gli altri fanno almeno tre o quattro personaggi. Massimiliano Speziani è Geppetto, Mangiafuoco, il giudice scimmione, il pescatore verde e il padrone del circo; Anna Coppola la fata, ma anche Maestro Ciliegia, la donnina, il tonno, ecc.
La scelta principale è di una netta divisione in due parti: la prima, oltre che apprezzabile e coinvolgente, è anche divertente, allegra; si ride pure. Ottimo l’incontro con le marionette (Arlecchino, Pulcinella e Colombina). E Speziani ha anche un’improvviso straordinario momento di dichiarazione poetica teatrale in difesa del momento, dell’adesso del teatro, del corpo attoriale, del rapporto con il pubblico e dello spazio scenico, contro l’attore che pensa solo ad entrare nella pelle del personaggio (“ma che schifo! Che prurito… tutti che si grattano la pelle… quante psoriasi…”) e che si preoccupa solo delle parole da dire: “andiamo a braccio, non andiamo a memoria!”
La seconda parte è molto più cupa e disperata; Latella coglie benissimo il lato “gotico” del Pinocchio di Collodi: la bambina morta alla finestra, l’impiccagione… Insomma, sì, convincente.
Storia (della lettura) di un burattino
Forse ci fu una prima lettura diretta, nella notte dei tempi, chi lo sa; di sicuro ci fu il bombardamento delle revisioni dell’immagine e del mito (anche il film di Disney? No, non mi sembra ma proprio non ricordo). Ma ho detto storia, non preistoria; e allora la prima lettura è quella a quindici anni, al liceo.
Dovete sapere, miei piccoli lettori, che chi qui scrive ha avuto la fortuna di incontrare non pochi insegnanti molto capaci. Come questa maestra dai capelli turchini (o forse il ricordo si sta un po’ confondendo?) che a quindicenni diceva di leggere Pinocchio. E noi tutti giù a ridere sul libro per bambini. Poi, voglio vedervi ad essere all’altezza, nel capire bene.
E adesso rileggo, per motivi miei, e scopro alcune cose:
1) che mi ricordo molto di più del previsto, considerato che si tratta di una rilettura a trent’anni di distanza, quindi la forza delle invenzioni è certo efficace;
2) che è scritto benissimo (nei primi capitoli si prova proprio anche questo tipo di godimento);
3) che si sente che è uscito prima a puntate (e dopo un po’ le continue ricapitolazioni, per quanto movimentate dalla divertente frenesia di Pinocchio, rompono);
4) che la morale pesante è davvero fastidiosa (bisogna fare il bene – che poi vuol dire sacrificarsi e obbedire ciecamente – per crasso utilitarismo, perché altrimenti finisci con la pancia vuota, non perché ci sia magari qualcosa in sé di divertente e di positivo nei libri, ad esempio…);
5) ma che se la leggiamo come elemento autobiografico questa morale diventa interessante (Collodi conduceva una “vita disordinata”, era un “accanito quanto sfortunato” giocatore, si “abbandonava al bere” ma era anche un bravo patriota che aveva combattuto a Curtatone e Montanara, e poi segretario alla Prefettura. E forse allora diventò alla fine anche lui "un ragazzo come tutti gli altri" ma certo non un padrefamiglia con tutte le caratteristiche richieste...);
6) ma se Pinocchio finisce nel ventre di un grosso pescecane (e Giona finiva in un grosso pesce), perché tutti si ricordano: “balena!”??
7) – Portatemi almeno qualche cosa da mangiare, perché mi sento rifinito. – Subito! – disse la Lumaca. Difatti dopo tre ore e mezzo, Pinocchio la vide tornare con un vassoio d’argento in capo. (Difatti! :-)).
[30 novembre 2017]
Vista ieri sera la reinvenzione teatrale di Antonio Latella: molto consigliata.
Ambientato in una segheria, sotto una nevicata di trucioli (quindi già di per sé con effetto ipnotico, quell'attrazione della neve che cade e non smetteresti mai di guardarla); costumi e scenografia azzeccati. Il testo di partenza è in gran parte seguito e ripreso ma fin da subito reinterpretato .
Gli attori bravi: a parte Christian La Rosa, un Pinocchio che deve scoprire e reinventare il linguaggio quasi per ogni parola, e Fabio Pasquini, un grillo parlante con efficace costume con lunghissime antenne, tutti gli altri fanno almeno tre o quattro personaggi. Massimiliano Speziani è Geppetto, Mangiafuoco, il giudice scimmione, il pescatore verde e il padrone del circo; Anna Coppola la fata, ma anche Maestro Ciliegia, la donnina, il tonno, ecc.
La scelta principale è di una netta divisione in due parti: la prima, oltre che apprezzabile e coinvolgente, è anche divertente, allegra; si ride pure. Ottimo l’incontro con le marionette (Arlecchino, Pulcinella e Colombina). E Speziani ha anche un’improvviso straordinario momento di dichiarazione poetica teatrale in difesa del momento, dell’adesso del teatro, del corpo attoriale, del rapporto con il pubblico e dello spazio scenico, contro l’attore che pensa solo ad entrare nella pelle del personaggio (“ma che schifo! Che prurito… tutti che si grattano la pelle… quante psoriasi…”) e che si preoccupa solo delle parole da dire: “andiamo a braccio, non andiamo a memoria!”
La seconda parte è molto più cupa e disperata; Latella coglie benissimo il lato “gotico” del Pinocchio di Collodi: la bambina morta alla finestra, l’impiccagione… Insomma, sì, convincente.
February 8, 2019
Now I do realise that with regard to Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel Pinocchio there is indeed (and like with many 19th century novels for children) more than a bit of moralising and so-called teaching moments and messages present and featured throughout. However, and at least in my humble opinion, much of the latter actually seems to rest rather on the surface so to speak, and yes indeed, if one actually delves a bit deeper and thoroughly reads between the proverbial lines of Pinocchio, alongside of the moral dictates admonishing children to listen to their parents, to stay in school, to not tell lies etc. lest terrible punishments happen, there are also more than enough criticisms of both society in general and precisely those parental attitudes which on the surface of Pinocchio do seem oh so "cut-and-dry" and unassailable. For while Pinocchio is most definitely mischievous and "full of the Devil" so to speak, I for one have also never really found his pranks all that inherently viciously nasty, and yes, quite a number of the punishments meted out against Pinocchio for simply wanting to enjoy his "childhood" have therefore always felt so extreme and exaggerated to and for me that I for one at least as an adult reader now consider much of Pinocchio to be rather parodistic and satiric in nature (at least down below so to speak) and as such, the trials and tribulations Pinocchio must endure are also in my opinion often so over-done that they are also and yes more like a condemnation and chastisement of society, of the fact that society seems to consider children as objects and as such not only totally under the control of grown-ups, of family, teachers and so on and so on but also as basically regarded and approached as exploitable resources (for in Pinocchio, it becomes rather obvious that his "father" Gepetto, and unlike in the Disney movie of the same name, is first and foremost carving his little puppet boy in order for it/him to work for and do his bidding, to be a tool to be made use of for monetary gain and not really because Gepetto is lonely and desires company, that he actually wants a son for emotional reasons).
And therefore, while I do very much recognise the late 19th century morality tale aspects and that they are most definitely always present and accounted for in Pinocchio, for one, they truly are a sign of the times, of the 19th century, and for two, as I hope to have shown above, there is most certainly and especially considerably more to Carlo Collodi's children's classic than that, that with Pinocchio, there are multiple layers of intent and thematics and yes, while if one only peruses the novel simply and without reading all too deeply and intensely, the educational, the message-heavy admonishments and criticisms do abound, below that there also rests and equally flows what I can and will only call a critical appraisal and dissection of the same (and really, for me, the by Collodi always and continuously presented arguments in Pinocchio regarding the power and importance schooling and education, these are not just the dictates of society, of family, but are actually and yes in fact also a way that the young can, if they consider the latter as something inherently positive and important for their own personal development and self growth, an important and necessary tool and a resource to advance themselves and even perhaps end up having power and influence over and above society and the generally quite restricting moral mandates imposed by it, in the form of family members, teachers and other similar authority figures.
And finally, if you are going to be reading Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio in the Penguin Classics edition (which I do very much recommend), I would strongly suggest that you do NOT read Jack Zipes' excellent and informative introduction until AFTER you have actually finished perusing the novel itself, so as to avoid possible spoilers (and really, I personally do wish that Penguin Classics and other such series of classic literature would consider not having the analyses of the featured novels etc. appear as introductions, but as afterwords, for almost all of the introductions I have read to date in the Penguin Classics books series ALWAYS tend to contain quite a large number of content spoilers and indeed, they also can very easily influence how one then decides to read and approach what follows, which I definitely do find potentially problematic in and of itself, as especially and in particular one's first perusal of a given piece of literature should in my opinion be free of and from the musings of others, at least as much as possible).
And therefore, while I do very much recognise the late 19th century morality tale aspects and that they are most definitely always present and accounted for in Pinocchio, for one, they truly are a sign of the times, of the 19th century, and for two, as I hope to have shown above, there is most certainly and especially considerably more to Carlo Collodi's children's classic than that, that with Pinocchio, there are multiple layers of intent and thematics and yes, while if one only peruses the novel simply and without reading all too deeply and intensely, the educational, the message-heavy admonishments and criticisms do abound, below that there also rests and equally flows what I can and will only call a critical appraisal and dissection of the same (and really, for me, the by Collodi always and continuously presented arguments in Pinocchio regarding the power and importance schooling and education, these are not just the dictates of society, of family, but are actually and yes in fact also a way that the young can, if they consider the latter as something inherently positive and important for their own personal development and self growth, an important and necessary tool and a resource to advance themselves and even perhaps end up having power and influence over and above society and the generally quite restricting moral mandates imposed by it, in the form of family members, teachers and other similar authority figures.
And finally, if you are going to be reading Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio in the Penguin Classics edition (which I do very much recommend), I would strongly suggest that you do NOT read Jack Zipes' excellent and informative introduction until AFTER you have actually finished perusing the novel itself, so as to avoid possible spoilers (and really, I personally do wish that Penguin Classics and other such series of classic literature would consider not having the analyses of the featured novels etc. appear as introductions, but as afterwords, for almost all of the introductions I have read to date in the Penguin Classics books series ALWAYS tend to contain quite a large number of content spoilers and indeed, they also can very easily influence how one then decides to read and approach what follows, which I definitely do find potentially problematic in and of itself, as especially and in particular one's first perusal of a given piece of literature should in my opinion be free of and from the musings of others, at least as much as possible).
October 7, 2022
I guess people who pretend that the book is so different than the original Disney adaptation have big noses.
July 5, 2020
Seriously, I never thought the real story of Pinocchio would be somewhat cruel and violent like this. I don’t think it is appropriate for children when it’s known as a classic story for children. It’s similar with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which adapted differently for the movie. So, what’s wrong with these classic authors for children literature? Was their lives full of nightmare their imagination became dark and twisted? And why Mastro Geppetto was described as a grumpy and vicious old man here? I thought he was compassionate especially to children because he didn’t have one. This is what hurt me the most.
While I enjoyed the plot of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the adventures of Pinocchio fell kinda confusing for me. There was a storyteller in the beginning of the story. I bet he’s Mr. Collodi himself. To me, a storyteller never really prepares the plot, so this is why this story became unreasonable, disorganized and "messy" at some point. There was no consistency. At least it has moral values spread everywhere and they are very specific. Easy to understand for children. I like the bigger picture of this classic story, but i was disappointed with how the story went. That’s all. And although I gave an unsatisfying review for this popular classic book, I still love Pinocchio as how I remember it from my childhood mind.
Review bahasa Indonesia bisa dibaca di blogku: https://mollusskka.wordpress.com/2017...
While I enjoyed the plot of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the adventures of Pinocchio fell kinda confusing for me. There was a storyteller in the beginning of the story. I bet he’s Mr. Collodi himself. To me, a storyteller never really prepares the plot, so this is why this story became unreasonable, disorganized and "messy" at some point. There was no consistency. At least it has moral values spread everywhere and they are very specific. Easy to understand for children. I like the bigger picture of this classic story, but i was disappointed with how the story went. That’s all. And although I gave an unsatisfying review for this popular classic book, I still love Pinocchio as how I remember it from my childhood mind.
Review bahasa Indonesia bisa dibaca di blogku: https://mollusskka.wordpress.com/2017...
March 2, 2012
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. . 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.
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. . 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.
April 19, 2020
بدأت في قراءتها البارحة، وأتممت الربع الأخير منها اليوم، وقد كنت مبتهجة أشد الابتهاج في رفقتي معها؛ إذ أنني ممن ترقص قلوبهم فرحاً ونشوة لحظة يسمعون العبارة الشهيرة جالبة المسرات " كان يا ما كان "، وهذا ما كان..
اجتُذبت وغبت بكلّيتي في عالم الخيال رفقة صديقي الصغير المشاغب ذو القلب الطيب بينوكيو، وابتسمت أعذب ما يكون الابتسام من براءته وحبه النقي لأبيه الذي لم يمنعه من إيلامه بالوقوع في المشاكل.. وبقيت على هذا الحال من الانسجام السعيد حتى أن بقي لي عدة صفحات، أبى عندها عالم الواقع إلا أن يستعيدني إليه بقسوة حين حدث أمر ما سرق مني بريق تلك الساعات المباركة وأضاع كل كلمات البهجة التي ملأت نفسي بها وتهيأت لنثرها في المراجعة..
وكأن الكون يقول لي : سأحرص دوماً على إفشال كل مخططاتك للهرب نحو دنيا الأحلام الجميلة.
وأنا لا سلاح لي في مواجهته إلا الكتب، والسخرية.
اجتُذبت وغبت بكلّيتي في عالم الخيال رفقة صديقي الصغير المشاغب ذو القلب الطيب بينوكيو، وابتسمت أعذب ما يكون الابتسام من براءته وحبه النقي لأبيه الذي لم يمنعه من إيلامه بالوقوع في المشاكل.. وبقيت على هذا الحال من الانسجام السعيد حتى أن بقي لي عدة صفحات، أبى عندها عالم الواقع إلا أن يستعيدني إليه بقسوة حين حدث أمر ما سرق مني بريق تلك الساعات المباركة وأضاع كل كلمات البهجة التي ملأت نفسي بها وتهيأت لنثرها في المراجعة..
وكأن الكون يقول لي : سأحرص دوماً على إفشال كل مخططاتك للهرب نحو دنيا الأحلام الجميلة.
وأنا لا سلاح لي في مواجهته إلا الكتب، والسخرية.
April 6, 2019
منذ الصغر ونحن نشاهد المسلسل الكرتوني "ماجد لعبة خشبية"
وفيلم ديزني أيضاً باسم "بينوكيو"
وبالتأكيد لم نعرف في ذلك السن الصغير بأن هذه الأعمال مأخوذة عن رواية "بينوكيو: قصة دمية متحركة" لكارلو كولودي.
بينوكيو، الدمية الخشبية الشقيّة جداً والتي تجلب المتاعب وتحب خوض المغامرات دائماً، ورغم كل شقائها وتمرّدها على أبيها وعلى الحورية، فهي تملك قلباً طيباً وتحلم بأن تتحوّل إلى إنسان.
بالنسبة لي، أحب بين كل فترة وأخرى أن اقرأ أعمالاً كهذه، تعود بي إلى أيام الطفولة البريئة وتجمح بخيالي وبفكري وبنفسي بعيداً عن تعقيدات الحياة ومصاعبها.
استمتعت جداً مع بينوكيو ومغامراته التي لا تنتهي.
...
"ماجد.. دائماً متواجد
ماجد.. لعبة خشبية
ماجد .. موهبة ربانية
أعطاني الله صوتاً ولسان.. أسمع وأرى.. أصحو وأنام
أحب الله.. وأحب الكون
وأريد أن اصبح يوماً إنسان!"
وفيلم ديزني أيضاً باسم "بينوكيو"
وبالتأكيد لم نعرف في ذلك السن الصغير بأن هذه الأعمال مأخوذة عن رواية "بينوكيو: قصة دمية متحركة" لكارلو كولودي.
بينوكيو، الدمية الخشبية الشقيّة جداً والتي تجلب المتاعب وتحب خوض المغامرات دائماً، ورغم كل شقائها وتمرّدها على أبيها وعلى الحورية، فهي تملك قلباً طيباً وتحلم بأن تتحوّل إلى إنسان.
بالنسبة لي، أحب بين كل فترة وأخرى أن اقرأ أعمالاً كهذه، تعود بي إلى أيام الطفولة البريئة وتجمح بخيالي وبفكري وبنفسي بعيداً عن تعقيدات الحياة ومصاعبها.
استمتعت جداً مع بينوكيو ومغامراته التي لا تنتهي.
"بينوكيو يمكن أن يُعاش كما نرغب. ككابوس، حلم، عاصفة، بطيخة، الحياة، الموت، كلها ملائمة لأنه أسطورة... بينوكيو هو شخصية ساحرة، مذهلة، مليئة بالنشاط، بالحيوية، بالخيال، بالمتعة، بالشاعرية وبالشناعة أيضاً. إنها تحتوي كل حياة الكائنات الحية، إيماءات كل أرواح العالم، كل البهجة التي يمكن أن نعيشها، لهذا السبب رواية بينوكيو عمل عظيم لا ينتمي لأي زمن. العذاب، المأساة، الحيوات، أسلاك الحديد، قطع الخشب... إنها تحتوي على الحياة نفسها التي تحيط بها."
-روبرتو بينيني
...
March 2, 2019
Read as part of:
• Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge
• Disney Classics Rewatch
I always like reading the original story of films that I enjoy.
Just like Disney did when adapting Snow White, they made this sinister tale with a little more sparkle and charm.
I knew I was in for something completely different when Pinocchio accidentally kills the talking cricket in retaliation for speaking about the pitfalls of disobedience quite early on in the story.
There were plenty of recognisable moments for those that are more familiar with the film, such as the fox and cat that try to lead the puppet astray.
I felt that the message of education and working hard to succeed was much stronger in the novel, as playing games all day will just turn you into an ass!
• Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge
• Disney Classics Rewatch
I always like reading the original story of films that I enjoy.
Just like Disney did when adapting Snow White, they made this sinister tale with a little more sparkle and charm.
I knew I was in for something completely different when Pinocchio accidentally kills the talking cricket in retaliation for speaking about the pitfalls of disobedience quite early on in the story.
There were plenty of recognisable moments for those that are more familiar with the film, such as the fox and cat that try to lead the puppet astray.
I felt that the message of education and working hard to succeed was much stronger in the novel, as playing games all day will just turn you into an ass!
October 8, 2014
What a lively book! and also what a strange book, in its nimble flirtations with death and grotesqueries that add many layers of deftly handled complexities to a seemingly simple tale.
Collodi was clearly conflicted about who Pinocchio actually was. The afterword informs us that the book is actually two parts that have now fused into one. What is now the first half of the book was originally a complete tale in itself, and ended with Pinocchio dying after being hung from a tree. But then due to the character's popularity, Collodi was goaded by an editor to add another installment. Fortunately in tales such as these there's no problem in simply resurrecting a character in order to carry on with the story.
Pinocchio is a bundle of contradictions - at once caring and compassionate and supremely egocentric and even cruel. He can also be at once naively gullible and manipulative. At heart he's a free spirit, cluelessly tied to no moral system; but throughout the book he's periodically tormented by the knowledge that out of love and respect for his "father" he should go to school and become a responsible son.
Everyone knows he becomes a human boy in the end, and it is sweet and touching, but then does he lose his anarchic dynamism that always left him on the ecstatic knife's edge of danger and adventure?
Collodi was clearly conflicted about who Pinocchio actually was. The afterword informs us that the book is actually two parts that have now fused into one. What is now the first half of the book was originally a complete tale in itself, and ended with Pinocchio dying after being hung from a tree. But then due to the character's popularity, Collodi was goaded by an editor to add another installment. Fortunately in tales such as these there's no problem in simply resurrecting a character in order to carry on with the story.
Pinocchio is a bundle of contradictions - at once caring and compassionate and supremely egocentric and even cruel. He can also be at once naively gullible and manipulative. At heart he's a free spirit, cluelessly tied to no moral system; but throughout the book he's periodically tormented by the knowledge that out of love and respect for his "father" he should go to school and become a responsible son.
Everyone knows he becomes a human boy in the end, and it is sweet and touching, but then does he lose his anarchic dynamism that always left him on the ecstatic knife's edge of danger and adventure?
December 29, 2007
let's get this straight - pinocchio is an asshole. but in that, he's a regular adolescent trying to figure out how the world works and, more importantly, how he can navigate it. kids aren't always angels and ice cream - they're lying, cheating, selfish demons - i sometimes think there's nothing meaner than a 5th grader - but who can blame them? i think that was the appeal to me of reading this book versus watching the disney movie (which is my favorite disney movie, and i will have the argument with anybody who says it totally candy-coats the "darkness" in the original). it's an honest view of kids and their troubles, both internal and external. oh, and by the by, if you read this expecting a blow by blow with the movie, you'll be horribly surprised - pinocchio is lynched, the cats lose their fingers, and "jiminy" cricket is killed (by pinocchio!) very early on in the story. take that, focus on the family!
July 16, 2018
كتابي ال (76) لعام 2018.
ما أجمل أن نرتاح من معارك الحياة اليومية وهمومها وتعبها، بأن نعود صغاراً تشع البراءة من وجوهنا وتتلألأ أعيننا فرحاً حين نقرأ عن شخصياتنا الكرتونية المفضلة😍
بينوكيو الدمية، صديق طفولتي... ولقبي الدائم في العائلة (بسبب أنفي الطويل😂😂) أعادني إلى أيام الصغر، وأدخلني في حالة من السعادة التي لا توصف أثناء القراءة... فتحولت إلى طفلة صغيرة تتحمّس لمعرفة ما سيحصل له وكيف سيتصرف في كل مأزق يقع به🤕😂
التقييم:
🌟🌟🌟 3نجوم.
ما أجمل أن نرتاح من معارك الحياة اليومية وهمومها وتعبها، بأن نعود صغاراً تشع البراءة من وجوهنا وتتلألأ أعيننا فرحاً حين نقرأ عن شخصياتنا الكرتونية المفضلة😍
بينوكيو الدمية، صديق طفولتي... ولقبي الدائم في العائلة (بسبب أنفي الطويل😂😂) أعادني إلى أيام الصغر، وأدخلني في حالة من السعادة التي لا توصف أثناء القراءة... فتحولت إلى طفلة صغيرة تتحمّس لمعرفة ما سيحصل له وكيف سيتصرف في كل مأزق يقع به🤕😂
التقييم:
🌟🌟🌟 3نجوم.
May 30, 2019
Meglio rileggerlo da adulti
- In questa casa non c'è nessuno. Sono tutti morti.
- Aprimi almeno tu! - gridò Pinocchio piangendo e raccomandandosi.
- Sono morta anch'io.
- Morta? e allora che cosa fai costì alla finestra?
- Aspetto la bara che venga a portarmi via.
Non so voi, ma io ho sempre provato un profondo terrore nel leggere Pinocchio da piccolo! Solo una novella per bambini? Secondo me andrebbe invece studiato alle superiori, come testo di sagace critica alla società italiana post unitaria...
- In questa casa non c'è nessuno. Sono tutti morti.
- Aprimi almeno tu! - gridò Pinocchio piangendo e raccomandandosi.
- Sono morta anch'io.
- Morta? e allora che cosa fai costì alla finestra?
- Aspetto la bara che venga a portarmi via.
Non so voi, ma io ho sempre provato un profondo terrore nel leggere Pinocchio da piccolo! Solo una novella per bambini? Secondo me andrebbe invece studiato alle superiori, come testo di sagace critica alla società italiana post unitaria...
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