I became interested in this because I read a blurb that talked about how in the first portion of the book, when the cricket appears to Pinocchio and tells him to be good, he smashes it with a hammer.

Now, it’s not that I have a morbid thing going, I am merely interested in fairy tales and their original versions so when I heard this was coming out I was more than excited.

The original tale is quite interesting and VERY different than the version most are familiar with, the Disney film. While I enjoy the Disney movie I was really taken by the things in the original version that I never knew. Like, the Blue Fairy being a little girl with sky blue hair, or Pinocchio speaking while he was being carved.

Also, some central characters are different. Like I said, The cricket, who has no name, is a ghost after the hammer incident, The infamous whale is a shark and there is even a gorilla judge.

As for plot, well, a lot of the familiar things are there but it is apparent that this was a tale written as many fairy tales are, as a cautionary tale to children. Pinocchio finds himself in many a situation. He never learns, until the end of course.

The book clocks in at 160 pages. It’s like a full fledged novel. This version also comes with a great informative introduction by Umberto Eco and an incredible afterward by Rebecca West regarding Pinocchio and the way the story has affected our culture. The new English translation is by Geoffrey Brock. Eco in his forward, sings his praises regarding his translation.

I recommend this to everyone. It’s a super fun read and you’ll feel like you know more about the story than anyone else.

Also, afterward, I drew this.

Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 1:13 am.
Filed under: Art, Book Review.