Customer Reviews

Pinocchio

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
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Before Disney Studios produced their version of "Pinocchio" there was the original by Carlo Collodi, and it's a story everyone should read. The little wooden head didn't start out as the adorable creature you are probably used to; this is a bad boy with a deeply buried heart of gold. In fact, there is a veritable mountain of bad deeds and decisions for Pinocchio to climb out of to redeem himself and earn humanity. Collodi's dry, sly wit is what has kept this book in print since the 1800s. The author took chances and subjected his characters to torments The Mouse would never dare to draw. Fortunately for readers, the perfect tonic for erasing those whimical images is found in the twisted illustrations of Gris Grimly. One look at the cover and you know right away this is hardwood troublemaker just looking for some dilemna to jump into. Grimly's...well...grim creations find a perfect home in this tale of coming-of-age and losing-of-wood.

No matter how much you think you love your "Pinocchio" DVD, give this faithful treatment a try. You'll find yourself distressed that you have been missing out on the wickedly funny original all these years. And, you'll be a Grimly fan for life!

Carlo Collodi remembered his childhood and realized that children must learn responsibility to truly become people.This is the ultimate lesson the story of Pinocchio teaches-while entertaining at the same time.

Getting Gepetto out of the whale was only the first step in Pinocchio's tranformation.He became a hard worker,working for a farmer whose donkey was ill.(This donkey had been a friend of Pinocchio's,who'd conned him into going to that place where boys became donkeys.)Pinocchio rebuffed the Fox and the Cat,apologized to the Talking Cricket and really helped support Gepetto- and later gave the money he'd been saving to a snail who said that the Fairy with Blue Hair needed money.This proved how changed Pinocchio was because this time selfish intentions were swept away by a wish to help others-instead of the other way around.Pinocchio became a real boy not long afterwards.

Today's society pampers children much much more than Collodi's society did in the mid-19th century.Children are supposed to be nice little boys and girls who only have fun and play with all kinds of toys(and Madison Avenue wants to keep them that way as long as possible).Thus,the Pinocchio story was reconstructed by adapters- including that Walton Dizzy fellow-to fit today's society.But children haven't really changed.Perhaps there is more of a need than ever for them to realize that everything cannot be handed to them on a silver platter.The real Pinocchio should become more well-known again.

To the reader in Wisconsin-this is not our fathers' Pinocchio,alright.This is our great-great-grandfathers' Pinocchio.

I grew up with a sanatized Pinocchio.

Walt Disney had presented a charming little boy, who had a little cricket friend, who learned his lesson and lived happily ever after.

A bit shocking to learn that Pinocchio is a brat.

The story itself is not at all what I expected, having been told for years that "Pinocchio" was a pleasant little tale. There is a dark side to the little wooden puppet -- a selfishness that is not usually portrayed in cartoons.

There is a lesson to be learned here; however, the lesson did not come as I expected it to. The book was definitely worth reading; just be prepared for a Pinocchio of a different color.

I can't say how surprised I was by this book. As a father of a toddler, I've began reading some of the classic children's stories for future consideration, and I was shocked at just how good this was. Prepare your child (or yourself) for a tale that is darker, comical, and so much more rich than the Disney adpatation. For children, Pinnochio has a few nice moral lessons nestled inside. For anyone else, it's a very entertaining read.

I have to say, my only previous experience with the story of Pinocchio is through the Disney classic cartoon...and boy is this a LOT different than the Disney version! I'm not saying that's a bad thing...far from it in fact, I was just surprised at how selfish and, well...disobedient this little wooden boy was. In this book, Pinnochio isn't a naive boy who gets led astray; he's a selfish, lying, bad-tempered puppet who (for the most part) can't see past his own immediate wants and needs. He constantly makes bad decisions based on spur of the moment desires without thinking about any long term implications. Naturally, he's apologetic and supremely sorry when he gets caught or something bad happens to himself or others as a result of his actions, but he doesn't seem to learn very quickly from these lessons and must repeat them many, many times before he finally "gets it." Similarly, Geppetto isn't 100% of the time a kindly old man; he too has his moments of anger with Pinocchio's behavior. Even the Blue Fairy isn't as kindly and beneficent as Disney made her...she too isn't above pulling a nasty prank or two to show Pinnochio the error of his ways. I think these personality elements resonate with young readers...I think we can all admit that most children push the limits, do things they know they are not supposed to and generally find disobeying to be more fun than obeying (at least at times)...and in that way, Pinocchio is the embodiment childhood. He does all the things they've been told not to and reaps the rewards or pays the price for it! I think that is what makes this a timeless classic that has been loved for generations. I think that there are a lot of dark humor and plot points in this book (the blue fairy's death, Geppetto's getting lost as sea, the attempted assassination of Pinocchio, etc.), that it's effective and riveting (especially for young readers) and enjoyable...it also makes his final transformation into a real boy all the more rewarding when it finally happens. I have to admit I enjoyed reading this far more than ever enjoyed watching the Disney cartoon version. Overall, it's a rich, dark, and sometimes humorous tale that is illustrated wonderfully in this version by Gus Grimly. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading the non-sanitized versions of Grimm's Fairy Tales (and other similar stories). It has all the familiar plot elements of the one we grew up watching (in America, at least) but is a much darker story than Disney gave us. I give it 4 stars and I would definitely buy it for my permanent library.

Great story. Way more than what Disney made it out to be. Stuck with me since childhood. I have this Italian cartoon movie from the 70s translated into English. It's more accurate to the book, if you can find it.

I absolutely LOVED this book. The story is a classic. Collodi words paint beautiful pictures in your head and with an awesome sense of humor. The morals of the story are priceless. Reading the book actually made me want to be a better person! Sounds kind of silly, but it's true. It's beautiful! And I absolutely love Gris Grimly's illustrations. He has such a unique style which adds to the fantasic air of the story. It's a very good, fun book. Highly recommended if you're looking for a dark adventure with a moral :)

My two 8-year-old girls are enjoying hearing me read one chapter a night of Pinocchio. The vocabulary is just a tiny bit above them so it provides a good opportunity to learn new words. The Grimly illustrations fascinate them.