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    The Adventures of Pinocchio
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    The Adventures of Pinocchio
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    The Adventures of Pinocchio
    Ebook171 pages2 hours

    The Adventures of Pinocchio

    By C. Collodi

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Join Pinocchio as he learns what it means to be a real boy. Often his adventures are as harrowing and dangerous as real life. This is not the gentle world of Walt Disney, but a darker, richer world in which the good guy doesn't win just by showing up.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStart Publishing LLC
    Release dateFeb 18, 2013
    ISBN9781625586384
    Unavailable
    The Adventures of Pinocchio

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    Reviews for The Adventures of Pinocchio

    3.5/5

    563 ratings43 reviews

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    • 3/5
      (Original Review, 1981-05-20)I am reading the English version of Pinocchio; I read it, obviously many times in my language and the other day I found a small book with this title and I was curious to see how it was in a different language from mine. I also want to "invite him for dinner" as it is the title of a context of a famous Italian newspaper (writing an invitation for a character of a book at your choice) but I have not yet written a word. I am not too keen on inviting to meals, it means extra work and I did it enough. But maybe by reading it I’ll get inspired.I read Pinocchio in a dual English/Italian text. My Italian is pretty much limited to what I have gleaned from endless listening to the Mozart/da Ponte operas, so I only occasionally referred to the original language. I did come away with the word (and concept) “tornagusto”, a kind of appetizer taken mid-meal, between courses. The word occurs in the scene in which the Fox buys an elaborate meal with Pinocchio’s gold. I’ve since learned that it isn’t a common word in Italian and may be a Collodi coinage. It’s likely that a tornagusto is only needed for overindulged appetites, which definitely happens in my reading from time to time. That’s proven a useful concept in my reading life – having temporarily exhausted my interest in a particular branch of reading, I turn to a short work or essay collection as a kind of mental “tornagusto.”The peculiarity of Pinocchio is that his nose grows when he tells lies (I bet you didn’t know this…); imagine what would happen if it was so also for us? Particularly politicians...there would be real fun, I suppose.[2018 EDIT: Tornagusto is a sort of" feel the taste again", the flavour and the pleasure of life, of reading and of many things, in the end. Nice, I think that from time to time we all need a tornagusto. But the pleasure of music do not need one : it is all over, I can hear the chirping chirping sound of a bird conversation in the garden through my open window and I do not need tornagusto to appreciate the beauty of spring, here again after a long period of cold and rain. And Mozart...I love, I adore him. Since I was a little boy, I always found him absolutely marvellous, and it helped me in several life instances...tornagusto listening to the serenata in sol magggiore opera etc., and it’ll all melt into that fascinating air.]
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed reading this to my daughter, it was the first time for both of us. Yes, there is a talking cricket, but thankfully his name is not Jiminy. The Blue Fairy has a very prominent role in the original story, she is whimsical, complex character.

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

      I personally believe that children should not only be exposed to sugar-coated stories, so we always aim to read fairy tales in their original form. Pinocchio was no exception, and this was a delightful read.
    • 4/5
      As everyone knows, Pinocchio is a Liar who is penalized (or possibly rewarded in length of nose) every time he lies, very like the current US President, whose silk tie grows longer with every lie.Here's another, my second comparison to our President Pinocchio, Liar-in-Chief. The carpenter who fashioned Pinocchio, Gepetto, forgot to give him ears; nor does the President listen to anyone. Comparison three: neither the President nor Pinocchio reads, but Pinocchio sacrifices to purchase an Abecedario in order to learn to read. And in fact, Pinocchio admires books, later becomes the best student in his class, so good that he will be turned into a real human boy in one day, but a friend leads him away to where there are no books or schools, and Pinocchio and his friend first grow donkey's ears, and eventually get all grey skins, asses. Pinocchio becomes a donkey in a circus.(Ch.11)Comparison four: both Pin and Prez are puppets, who have torn away from their puppeteers, Gepetto and Putin. Or maybe only Pinocchio has left his puppeteer.Comparison five: at one point, Pinocchio limps, and of course the Trumpster has trouble with steps, tries grabbing his wife's hand, who doesn't want to support a 300 lb man going down steps.For comparison six, see my penulitimate paragraph below.The first carpenter who started carving the wood into the puppet was called Maestro Ciliegia/ Cherry because his nose was red as one. As in Dr Seuss, several characters share nasal distinctions.Pinocchio is convinced to bury his five pieces of gold into the Campo dei miracoli, to result in thousands the next day according to a Limping Wolf and a Blind Cat (both faked, though later in the story they become what they faked). When he tries to dig up his treasure, thieves approach and he runs and runs. Several references to thieves, "ceffi" or "ladri."Towards the end Pinocchio turns back from an over-worked donkey to himself, when he swims in the sea and is swallowed by a (whale?) shark, where he finds his Gepetto, old and frail. He escapes with his babbo, who cannot swim, and carries him on his back to shore. When he needs money in Ch 9 (2/3 the way through), he doesn't dare ask for charity, because his Dad Gepetto always said only two kinds of people have the right to beg charity: "i vecchi e i malatti," the old and the sick (p. 61, Aschehoug, 1972). So Collodi in the 19C moralizes directly, didactically.His book ends with Pinocchio turning from a wooden puppet into a real boy, and his babbo is healed, through Pinocchio's reform: Babbo tells him, "When bad boys become good, they give an entirely new and joyful aspect to their house, their entire family." (p.96) Would that the Prez had learned this from his Dad.I recall thinking it has fairly small vocabulary, but it's much longer than Seuss. Theodor Seuss Geisel lived in my hometown of Springfield, MA, on Mulberry St, and set a goal of books with 225-240 different words. Turns out, Easy Reader (Mondadori) edition sorts Pinocchio under 1200 word vocabulary as Collodi (Carlo Lorenzini) wrote it.
    • 3/5
      The story of "Pinocchio" is told as a graphic novel. It is a classic fiction of a story told a long time ago. A lonely carpenter made a boy out of wood and by tickling that boy with his paint brush, the boy came to life. Like all other boys in this life, he had an urge to find adventure and fun in life and so that little wooden Pinocchio runs away. One of the hard things that Pinocchiio has found out is that if he lies - his nose will grow. Very embarassing to him because he now knows that other people see him lying. He needs to have fun in life and as a young boy too but he needs to grow up and realize that the true part of life is telling the truth and being loved by your family.The scenes in this book are very dramatic and moving. They show a colorful feeling picture that allows the reader to go with the story. At times you will feel that you are a part of Pinocchio. The feelings that he has will flow on to the reader and move your heart. The illustrator showed each part of the characters with the paint brush and pencil. One thing that adds to this story and the illustrations are the colors added to each picture. Not black and white, but happy colors - yellow, red and green. But at times when Pinocchio has reached a hard part, the colors change to brown, dark blue and dreary grey. It helps the reader to understand the true feelings of being in the story. Try it and the reader will understand.
    • 3/5
      Classic tale.
    • 3/5
      Ok, longer than others by Powell and it has chapters. Like illustrator Alfonso Ruiz. Good for ESL.
    • 5/5
      The Disney Movie, Pinocchio, was my first exposure to the character and the story when I was a child. It terrified me. I acquired this edition in Florence some years back and hadn't read it until now. To put it mildly, it makes the Disney version look like Toy Story. Granted, it is well-written (even in translation) and beautifully illustrated. And I do appreciate its allegorical themes and hero's quest motifs. That being said, Pinocchio kills the cricket (aka Jiminy in my childhood memory) with a hammer; the marioneteer wants to burn him alive; Pinocchio falls asleep by the fire and burns his feet off; the fox and the cat hang him from a tree to die. Bad boys turning into Donkeys is hardly the worst of it.Seriously, I think it is one of the best (still terrifying) examples of episodic literature ever written, with timeless characters and a strong moral compass. I am sorry I waited so long to read this version, and I plan to seek out others.
    • 4/5
      This Pinocchio is much darker than Disney's version. Pinocchio is much less attractive at the start -- clearly self-centered, unthinking and dumb. It is fascinating to watch the transformation from irresponsibility to responsibility. Along the way, Pinocchio loses his money, believes he has contributed to killing a playmate, betrays the blue fairy's trust, lies, etc. My sister said she has read a C.S. Lewis commentary on Pinocchio which claims the story is a metaphor for the creation of man and his attempt to be good. I think that probably there is also an allegory about Italian nationalism there too that I could understand if I knew more about the subject. There is a new scholarly edition of the text in English, annotated by an Italian professor from the University of California. Both children loved the story and actually thought about how their behavior compared with Pinocchio's (mostly favorably, thank goodness). We discussed whether Pinocchio deserved what he got or not in each instance. They felt that the ending happened too quickly -- that it wasn't paced right. Perhaps this was a consequence of the original serial presentation. The kids also enjoyed figuring out when Pinocchio was being tricked and being wiser than he was.
    • 5/5
      This story conceals an exceptional spíritual allegory, that is based on esoteric teachings, and contains plenty of metaphysical aspects. The 'universal' character of Pinocchio beautifully represents the fundamental human motifs of our experience as we evolve; it captures archetypal patterns and really complex themes of conscience, valour, and the search for identity, in an outstanding and yet simple narrative. Not many people are aware of the underlying meaning of this story of a wooden puppet, who is trying to become a good boy. This is a deeply spiritual story that is rooted from the Mystery schools of occultism.
      This Children's book of wisdom that teaches children to 'Not lie', finds a route and becomes a man’s quest for wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. It takes a little more work to understand the hidden gnostic meaning behind this, and going through Collodi's background and literary references, helps a lot.

      Giovanni Malevolti once said:
      "There are two ways to read Pinocchio. The first is what I would call “profane” where the reader, most probably a child, learns about the mishaps of the wooden puppet. The second is a reading from a Masonic point of view, where heavy symbolism will complete, without replacing, the simple and linearly narration of events."

      About the movie, there are many differences between the Disney movie and the original text. The movie was obviously over-simplified, and Pinocchio is an innocent and jolly character, instead of a little more grim depiction (of a stubborn and ungrateful misfit) from the book. Disney has an old habit of turning originally dark, grim, and twisted children’s fables into sickeningly sweet happily ever afters. I mean like as some people say for the Sleeping Beauty , that it is based on a story where a married king finds a girl asleep, and can’t wake her, so rapes her instead. Heard this one? Me neither.

      Anyways, I strongly recommend going with this particular version (ISBN: 0520246861), as it has the complete text in both Italian and English, with the original Black & White illustrations by Enrico Mazzanti.





      A famous literary critic once said:
      “Pinocchio is the testing ground for foreigners; whoever understands the beauty of Pinocchio, understands Italy.”
      —
    • 3/5
      I've read the Collodi novel once before when I was a teenager and I remember being put off by both by Pinocchio's arrogance and the surrealism of the world in which the marionette lives. Were it not for Roberto Innocenti's gorgeous illustrations I would have set Collodi's story aside without finishing it.Like so many of the classics from the late 1800s, Pinocchio was serialized in Il Giornale dei Bambini (Children's Journal), starting in 1880. Each installment was a short allegory to teach children how to be independent thinkers (Wiki). Keeping in mind the method of publication and the reason behind it helps to put the disjointed nature of the chapters and the surreal world into perspective. Innocenti's illustrations then bring this world to life.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable, if a little repetitive. It's hard to read it through anything other than the Disney version, but it is reasonably different--including a Pinocchio who is meaner and more problem ridden (e.g., within the first few pages he hits the cricket with a hammer), a cat/wolf that are more persistent and interesting than the Disney ones, and an even more moving ending about how Pinocchio finally becomes a boy.
    • 4/5
      The book is better than the Disney movie -- which was still a good movie. I've also seen a wonderful theatrical production at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Another one I ought to reread.
    • 2/5
      On the whole, this has to be the least satisfying classic I've read over the past couple of months. I genuinely disliked nearly every character in the book, with special emphasis on Pinocchio. I was rooting for the fireplace rather than the real boy angle.
    • 4/5
      I read this aloud to my girls and we all loved it! A great book with so many great lessons. :) Much better than the movie. Like usual. ;)
    • 5/5
      I love to read the stories as they are written not as Disney has envisioned them. Pinocchio had no real conscious, he killed the cricket with a hammer... I love literature but hate to see what mainstream media has done to it.
    • 5/5
      Greg Hildebrandt's tremendous illustrations accompany this edition of the children's classic, and the art brings the wooden boy to life on its own. There are twenty-one full color paintings with colors that simply dash out at you. This volume is the Little Unicorn edition, which means the original story is abridged so the illustrations can take center stage. Simply wonderful. This book begs for a cold cloudless night and a hot steaming mug of hot cocoa.

      Sized for small hands

      Book Season = Winter
    • 5/5
      Good edition, good artwork, good story. The stories in this Classic Collection are well-done. The story is told in clear but lively language meant to ensure children stay captivated. On every facing page is good artwork.
    • 5/5
      Great translation of a wonderful story that is as bleak as it is amazing! Who says fairy tales cannot be brutal? Grimm right...
    • 2/5
      This is book is awesome. In the first 13 pages, Gepetto gets into a fist fight, Pinocchio gets Gepetto sent to prison, then he kills Jiminy Cricket with a hammer. This is great!As you can tell this book is far removed from the Disney version. Everybody's a jerk. Must be an Italian thing. I'm not sure who this book was audienced to -- little boys maybe? -- but the language still holds up. The culture does not. It's super easy to read, but the plot is not terribly coherent, and there's no unifying force. It seems like 65% of the book is just Pinocchio being bad, then, when he realizes he's about to get burnt or hanged or shot, he suddenly cries, "oh no, I'll never be bad again", and he is saved. Then he goes and does it again. Reminds me of the American prison system. Must be required reading for lawyers. The storytelling is terribly unpolished and jagged. There's no unifying story, just Pinocchio running around getting into trouble. After about halfway, it starts getting obnoxious, because he has no real goal. He has nothing he wants.I'm really on the fence about the value of this book in terms of today. Would I recommend it for anyone? Would they get anything out of it? Maybe, since the chapters are short and the characters dynamic, they'd get more out of it than I did.
    • 1/5
      It is always a dicey affair to criticise a popular book: and when it is an acknowledged classic for children, it is even more dangerous. So I agonised a lot over my impressions of Pinocchio: Is it only a matter of personal taste? Am I missing something? Should I rethink my rating based on learned opinions spanning more than a century? In the end, I decided to go with my original evaluation.

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

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

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

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

      I would recommend reading it to children with the morality edited out: but why bother? There are better books out there. Or let them read it as a comic book, or watch the Disney movie.
    • 5/5
      PINOCCHIO. THE ADVENTURES OF A MARIONETTE (2013 : 220 PAGES. LARGE PRINT FOR EASY READING - Original edition)Anyone interested in the role of education and a child’s place in society will be well-served to read or reread this timeless classic. As Umberto Eco has argued, although it is written in simple language, Pinocchio is not a simple book. It doesn’t limit itself to one simple, basic moral, but rather deals with many meanings and it is, thus, not only moving and beautiful, but profoundly educational.WHO IS PINOCCHIO?Pinocchio is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883), by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi. Carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a small Italian village, he was created as a wooden puppet, but dreamed of becoming a real boy. Pinocchio refers to a character who is prone to telling lies and fabricating stories for various reasons. Pinocchio learns to control his impulsive personality and shows moral and intellectual growth. Collodi's "Pinocchio", as a fable, doesn’t impose answers on the readers, but rather poses stimulating questions. Non simply a children’s book, "Pinocchio" helps readers to reflect on issues of freedom vs. authoritarianism, what system of education is most effective, how young people can be helped to develop their vocations, and how should we approach adolescent development. Pinocchio has become an icon of modern culture, and one of the most re-imagined characters in the pantheon of children's literature. Pinocchio is known for having a nose that becomes longer when he tells lies (chapter 3). His clothes are made of flowered paper, his shoes are made of wood and his hat is made of bread. Aspects of Pinocchio's character vary, depending on the interpretation, although basic aspects such as his creation as a puppet by Geppetto and the size of his nose changing due to his lies or stress remain present across the various formats. In Collodi's original tale, "Le Avventure di Pinocchio" (1883), Pinocchio, as a child, exhibits obnoxious, bratty, and selfish traits, which will eventually change after being exposed to his father Geppetto's love, the Blue Fairy's benevolent guidance, public education and, most of all, to his direct experience of good and evil.“It must be said that, though written in the nineteenth century, the original children's novel, "Pinocchio", remains as readable as if it had been written in our century, so limpid and simple in its prose, and so musical in its simplicity.” (Umberto Eco)
    • 3/5
       I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I enjoyed the description used throughout the chapters however in the beginning of the book some details seemed too straight forward. Depending on the student's maturity level and ability to handle such concepts as death and greed this book could be tough for some readers. Although the ending is a pleasant one with Pinocchio and his father being reunited once more, the many adventures Pinocchio endures are scary at times. In addition there is a scene depicted in the text describing the burning off of Pinocchio's feet, the attempted murder of a marionette because of lack of obedience, and the trickery of the fox and cat. These scenes show some very cruel aspects of the world we live in although not many readers would pick up on this at first glance. Overall the message of this story is to follow your inner voice when deciding to do something which may be good or bad. In the end telling the truth is the best policy even if feelings get hurt.
    • 3/5
      I don't think I even meant to download the ebook for Pinocchio -- it's not something I had on my mental list of books I intended to read. I don't know who translated the version I read, but it was easy enough to read. It reads like quite a light story, but Pinocchio isn't a terribly nice character. He's, well. A boy. A little boy, selfish and without much of a moral compass to call his own. I couldn't really root for him, to be honest, and his moments of compassion and caring for other people seemed just that... moments. I guess he reminded me of Peter Pan a little, in his selfishness and his boyishness. I can imagine a little boy really being somewhat like Pinocchio, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. If the book had been longer or less lightly written, I daresay I wouldn't have liked it at all.

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

      It was enjoyable as a quick read, as a break from doing essays, and I wonder if I'd have liked it more if I'd read it as a kid, but it didn't really arouse strong feelings either way.
    • 5/5
      I read the ebook version from the library. This story was so cute and so well written. It reminded me of my childhood when I'd watch the movie and listen to my little record of the soundtrack. It has such a good moral lesson too.
    • 4/5
      The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio a marionette; and his poor father, a woodcarver named Geppetto. Pinocchio was created as a wooden puppet but dreamed of becoming a real boy. Its main theme is that of a naughty child who must learn to be good, not just for his own sake but for the sake of others around him too. The thing to keep in mind is that this is not your Disney’s Pinocchio. This classic flirts with death and disasters that Pinocchio can’t seem to stay away from. At various points in the story Pinocchio is hung from a tree until he dies, he bites a cat's paw off, his leg is caught in a bear trap, he gets arrested and he is turned into a donkey. Oh My! Despite this and the moral lessons being “taught”—the adventures are really quite fun. Despite some of moralizing and the gruesomeness of the story I found myself really liking this tale. 4 out of 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Although it is an old story, it still catching and a good read. I sometimes had some problems, since some of the sentences had a (to me) strange structure, but all in all I had no problems reading the book.Maybe not for smaller children (in newer edition it should be better), but for everyone else this is a nice book, especially with the illustrations, that run along nicely with the story.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable, if a little repetitive. It's hard to read it through anything other than the Disney version, but it is reasonably different--including a Pinocchio who is meaner and more problem ridden (e.g., within the first few pages he hits the cricket with a hammer), a cat/wolf that are more persistent and interesting than the Disney ones, and an even more moving ending about how Pinocchio finally becomes a boy.
    • 4/5
      I borrowed this one from the library to have a look at Roberto Innocenti's work, which I've admired in another book called Rose Blanche. His highly detailed watercolour illustrations are a thing to behold, and imbued with both a sense of realism and real poetry, a combination very rarely achieved successfully in visual arts. The story itself was filled with surprises. I must have only been exposed to the Disney version in my childhood, because the original by Carlo Collodi was so filled with twist and turns, violence, unfortunate adventures, and reversals of fate, that it stretched credulity beyond the limit. At times the didactic aspect of the story that the author never fails to drive home became truly annoying, but there's no denying the tale of a puppet who wished more than anything to become a boy is highly original.
    • 5/5
      From the moment Geppetto first carves him out of a piece of wood, the puppet Pinocchio is a trouble-maker. He doesn’t want to go to school or learn a trade. It is only after many zany misadventures—involving trickster cats, giant snails, and a cricket whom Pinocchio attacks with a wooden mallet—that Pinocchio begins to realize that being a puppet isn’t enough.The Adventures of Pinocchio is an unforgettable classic. Collodi's novel includes a rich commentary on growing-up and taking responsibility completely overlooked in the Disney story with which most of us are more familiar. In his slow quest to become a real boy, the puppet Pinocchio learns what it truly means to be free.
    • 5/5
      I first wanted to read Pinocchio after seeing the 1970’s Italian animated movie A Puppet Named Pinocchio. It was much more faithful to the book than the Disney movie we are all most familiar with, much darker than what Disney showed me (not that I'm dumping on Disney's classic movie).I think it's safe to say that everyone is familiar with Pinocchio: Gepetto, an old wood-carver creates a puppet that is alive. Pinocchio (which, the book explains, stands for ‘pine cone’) is a willful, mischievous and naughty child, but he has a good heart and wants to become a real boy.His adventures are varied and always interesting and surprisingly dark. Pinocchio is a true a children’s book. While Disney was very good at giving parents what they think their children want: colorful characters, singing, magic and a puppet that was a clean-cut all-American boy. Carlo Collodi gives kids what they really want: very scary, life-threatening situations, shady characters and a puppet who starts off as a very bad and selfish boy. There are important lessons to be learned here and it is the journey that does the teaching. Though the ending is the same, in the book the reward feels more genuine and deserved rather than saccharine.As an adult reader, I did have a number of issues with the book. It was originally written as a series of short stories, published in a children's newspaper. It might be better to think of them as 'episodes'. There's a certain formula that many of the chapters follow: This time, Pinocchio has learned his lesson. Then an opportunity comes up. Pinocchio follows it. A character (often an animal) will appear and warn Pinocchio. He ignores the advice and trouble ensues. Pinocchio doesn't seem to grow as a character. Also from time-to-time, the book will stop to summarize everything that has happened before. As a result the 'chapters' tend to feel repetitive after a while. It also makes the book feel overly preachy (though I suppose that was part of the point of the book).However, I do remember reading and loving the book as a child. I did notice some of those issues even then, but they don't drag the book down. I think more kids should read the book today. Parents will feel hesitant because of the book's at times unrelentingly dark tone, but realistically, that helps draw the reader in. While following Pinocchio on his scary adventures, they will also learn to respect their parents, not to take what they have for granted and the value of both a good education and hard work. Not a bad thing for kids to read if you don't want them to turn in to donkeys.