Pinocchio

This is a wonderful edition of the everlasting story of Pinocchio. The book is a pleasant print on nice paper. It has the Italian text in front and the drawings of the original version of the story, that was published in short episodes in an Italian magazine. The story has values for both, the multiple levels that you can read about Pinocchio's adventures (for example the symbolism, as you can find in other stories such as "Alice's adventures in wonderland") and the language and social meaning. Collodi originally did not intend to have the book published for children, it contains topics that reflect the man understanding of its human nature and of civilized life. For all these reasons Pincchio was adapted from Collodi, and later on many versions were made for children entertainment. Although this edition would probably appeal more a 12 years old than a younger infant, it remains a classic in literature history.

I bought this book thinking it was an original version, and was surprised to see it was a very simplified edition. I've studied Italian for two years and this book was easy for me. The grammar starts out simply in the present tense and moves into past and future tenses as the book progresses. Each chapter (about 2 - 3 pages) starts with a few colloquial expressions used in the chapter and there is a fairly comprehensive dictionary in the back of the book, which saves time looking up unfamiliar words. The reading style is about a 3rd grade level. The first chapters have very short simple sentences and the paragraphs become longer and grammatically more difficult as the chapters progress. This book seems targeted for someone with one year of study and going into their second year of study.

Since another reviewer has already stated why this edition/transation is the best one to buy, my review will focus on the story, which is a charming allegory for children, no matter what language is used to tell it.Children identify with Pinocchio because of all his troubles. They understand what it is like to want to and mean to do well, only to fail miserably. They are also very capable of matching his extremes of emotion. Childhood is so full of humiliations that they don't think, "Oh, what an idiot not to have gotten it by now" or "He's overreacting terribly." (In fact, these are things said about _them_.) Instead, they cheer Pinocchio, who commits blunder after blunder--and is rewarded at the end of the book, for finally getting it right.Also endearing are the puppet's "parents," old woodcarver Geppetto and the "fairy with blue hair." Despite their scapegrace's repeated failures, they forgive him again and again, giving him countless chances to redeem himself. As for the villains who prey on Pinocchio's naivete, they are perfect representations of what children find threatening. Some characters resemble playground bullies; others are more like the monsters under the bed. The talking animals are a little exasperating, but very nice."The Adventures of Pinocchio" is as whimsy as Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland": in both novels, anything goes. Unlike Carroll, however, Collodi injected moral lessons into the storyline. Pinocchio does not get into one humiliating episode after another just to amuse young readers; with every mistake he makes, he learns a moral lesson. The plot structure is "poor"--which works to the book's advantage. This is what-happens-next kind of reading. Children care foremost about what new agonies a protagonist can propel himself into, and so will like the pace.Accept no abridgements or adaptations. There are wonderful details that are often cut out for economy--or rewritten for somebody's idea of style. For the real Pinocchio, read this book.

My 3 and 4 year old daughters love this story, and we frequently have to read it. One loves the presence of Jiminy Cricket, while the other is captivated from the first to the last page. This is a wonderful classic story, that has been enjoyed by children for generations and generations. Always a winner!!