"First published in serial form from 1881 to 1883 in Il Giornale dei bambini, the many adventures of Pinocchio, Geppetto's wooden puppet who came to life to laugh, cry, and dance like a real boy, garnered immediate acclaim as a children's story. Today Italians consider the novel, along with The Divine Comedy and The Decameron, one of their most important works of literature. Readers familiar only with the Disney adaptations of Collodi's classic will be surprised by this dark masterpiece.

There is no cuddly cat named Figaro. Pinocchio hurls a wooden hammer at the Talking Cricket (who is not named Jiminy) to close their first encounter. And Pinocchio himself endures harrowing cruelty at the hands of two assassins.".

"Collodi did more than merely weave a captivating tale. Through metaphor and allusion he summed up the national character of Italy and made biting commentary on many of the prominent social concerns of the nineteenth century, including the despair and hunger of poverty, the importance of an education, and the hypocrisy of the judicial and medical establishments. The result is a suspenseful saga that can be read to children and appreciated by adults for its many levels of meaning.".

"This vibrant new translation fully renders Collodi's subtle and sarcastic wit, and the evocative illustrations are as delightfully refreshing as the story itself."--BOOK JACKET.