Pinocchio

Disney's Pinocchio is considered a classic, but it is not a faithful adaptation of the tale. In Carlo Collodi's original story, first published in 1881, the cutesy cat Figaro does not exist, Pinocchio attacks the Talking Cricket (not named Jiminy) with a hammer, and the puppet-boy is hanged by assassins midway through the book. Inspired by the commedia dell'arte, Collodi's Pinocchio is both a lively adventure tale for children and a very adult social critique. It attacks poverty and the hypocrisy of the medical and judicial establishments while emphasizing the importance of education. In this faithful newly translated and illustrated version, Collodi's vision, praised by Italian critics as on par with that of Dante and Boccaccio, is preserved to appeal to readers of all ages.