The Adventures of Pinocchio

What a liar I am. Just two hours after complaining about children's books and promising to mix things up with a nonfiction book or two, I have instead completed this 1883 classic from Italian author Carlo Collodi. But I'm really glad I chose to do so. This book was great. Rarely do I ever find myself truly unwilling to put a book down, but this one completely held my interest from beginning to end. If you're like me, and have only seen the Disney version of Pinocchio, you'll be just as shocked as I was to learn that the "Talking Cricket" - the second most important character in Disney's film - gets killed in the original Italian version in only the fourth of thirty-something chapters. His assassin? None other than Pinocchio himself! In fact, the book was hardly child-friendly by today's standards at all, as Pinocchio dealt with thieves, hangings, stabbings, and the deaths of close friends. It included fairy tale elements to an extent, like talking animals and fairies, but it also did not neglect to show the harsh realities of the need to make a living, such as dealing with hunger, homelessness, and imprisonment. The book manages to convey some surprisingly biting irony and dark humor at times, and I was very much reminded, at certain points, of my favorite book of all time, Catch-22, as the same kind of twisted and bizarre logic abounds in both. For instance, Pinocchio is jailed for being the victim of a con, and is only let out when he claims to have been a thief rather than a victim. At another point, a self-proclaimed medical expert pronounces Pinocchio dead, but when Pinocchio begins to cry upon hearing news of his own death, the doctor, refusing to admit that he has made an incorrect diagnosis, states that when a corpse begins to weep, it is a sign that it may be coming back to life. I of course have done no favors for Collodi or his book here, clumsily spoiling some excellent lines and moments. But fear not, for plenty others abound. I guess I'll stop blabbering now, leaving my not currently extant readers with an obvious recommendation: this book. I doubt there are many people out there who will find it less than likable.