I haven’t seen the Disney version of _Pinocchio_ (1940) as an adult. In my memory, it is a sad, dark film. There must have been happy moments, and a happy ending, but I have retained only those moments when Pinocchio is punished and humiliated. This shouldn’t be surprising; after all, the main purpose of the story is to teach children that they should be obedient and that they should not give in to low impulses or peer pressure. In any case, it took me years to pick up a copy of the book. I have finally read it, and I now realize there is much more to this story than meets the eye. Even the overall moral is more complex than I had realized.
_The Adventures of Pinocchio_ (1883) is the kind of book that needs no description. Everyone knows the story: a kind woodcarver makes a puppet that comes alive only to misbehave and suffer the consequences. Contrary to my impression of the protagonist before I read the story, Pinocchio is not necessarily bad; it seems to me that he is all too human, more human than he realizes. He is tempted many times along the way, but his weakness is understandable. The Marionette Theater promises entertainment; the Fox and the Cat promise him a fortune; Lamp-Wick promises a life of leisure in the Land of Toys. The real world, on the other hand, offers toil and trouble.
Pinocchio is a puppet both in the literal and the figurative sense: he is easy to manipulate because he lacks willpower. The Talking Cricket is the voice of conscience, but it is external. Collodi’s novel traces the journey from puppet to human being, which is complete when the voice of conscience has been developed and united to the person. This is done with the help of the Fairy, who is a mother figure. Hence both the Fairy and the Cricket have exited the scene before the story ends; they are no longer necessary.
I would describe _Pinocchio_ as a bildungsroman for children. “Bildung” means education, formation, and it sounds very similar to “building.” Collodi’s novel suggests that as long as one has not developed a conscience and a strong sense of individuality, one is not truly free. This is a timeless issue. Peer pressure is a big problem in our society, and one need only look around to see how it affects not only children and adolescents, but also adults. How many adults in our society can truthfully claim to think and act freely? According to Collodi, one is truly free only when one has developed the ability to make decisions after carefully considering their possible consequences. Pinocchio becomes human once he learns to think for himself and act according to a clear vision of the potential results of his actions. Work and self-sacrifice are also important, Pinocchio learns, as ways to give meaning to our lives. What we have here is, in many ways, an existentialist text.
_Pinocchio_ depicts the human condition in all its harshness and fragility. Poverty is a reality, and danger is always around the corner. Verismo was en vogue when the novel was published, and it is no coincidence that neorealism originated in Italy. The novel also features social commentary and satire; consider, for instance, the portrayal of physicians (the Crow and the Owl, with their conflicting diagnoses) and of the justice system (the judge, a gorilla, imprisons Pinocchio because he is innocent, and sets him free when the puppet pronounces himself a thief). Pinocchio nevertheless desires to be human: the novel is, in spite of all, life-affirming. I was reminded of Steven Spielberg’s 2001 film _A.I. Artificial Intelligence_, an obvious metatext, even a re-imagining, of Collodi’s novel. There are also the androids of _Blade Runner 2049_ (Denis Villeneuve, 2017), who wish they could be human (or even “more human than human”), and the holographic Joi, who would like to die for K, “like a real girl.”
Right after I finished the novel, I watched Matteo Garrone’s 2019 film adaptation, starring the hilarious Roberto Benigni as Geppetto. The movie’s imdb rating does not do justice to it. It is a visually stunning adaptation that follows the text quite closely. Some images are quite bizarre, and the atmosphere is rather dark, but this reflects the source material. I highly recommend this film, and Garrone’s interpretation of some of Giambattista Basile’s dark stories, _Tale of Tales_ (2015). I intent to re-watch the Disney movie tomorrow. And of course, we shall see what next year brings: two adaptations, by Guillermo del Toro and Robert Zemeckis (the latter for Disney), are set for release in 2022.
_The Adventures of Pinocchio_ is highly relevant, unforgettable, and thoroughly enjoyable. I wish I had read it earlier, but then, I do believe some books come to our lives at the moment when we are ready for them.
Next on my list, another book about growing up: _Peter Pan_ (1911), by J. M. Barrie.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!
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Reviews with images
Beautiful Edition with Creepy Illustrations (Macmillan Collector's Edition)
First, The Adventures of Pinocchio by Collodi is a fantastic read-aloud for young kids, and bears repeated readings in order to catch more and more symbolism. My 8-year-old kept yelling "Don't do it, Pinocchio!" 5 stars, Signore Collodi.The Macmillan Collector's Library edition is beautiful. It is a pocket-sized hardback with embossed cover and a dusk-jacket with adorable illustrations. Though I wasn't expecting or needing illustrations, I was optimistic about the illustrations based on the cover. (You might predict the moral of this story.) Again, I was not interested in illustrations as I intended to read it to my kids, but they have become something of a distraction from the story. Basically, the illustrations are creepy. Those aren't my words. They are the words of my 8-year old daughter. I wasn't going to say anything because who cares about the illustrations? I do...now. The illustrator for this edition is Charles Folkard. Probably a great guy, and most likely even a good artist, but these drawings didn't do it for our family.
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Mark Dymond
Better than any other retelling.
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2019
