The original story by Carlo Collodi rewritten in simple and modern Italian for intermediate-level Italian students (B1-B2).
by Laura Tegazzin, Simplicio Stella
Pinocchio
The Original Italian Classic Rewritten in Easy, Modern Italian for Beginners and Intermediate Learners
The original novel by Carlo Collodi, adapted by Laura Tegazzin and Simplicio Stella
Discover the Pinocchio you may not know
Everyone knows Pinocchio, but many people have never read the original story. Films and later adaptations have changed and softened both the character and the world created by Carlo Collodi.
The original Pinocchio is more surprising, darker and often more ironic than the familiar versions. Pinocchio lives in a world of thieves, swindlers, bullies and dangerous strangers, where friendly words cannot always be trusted and even judges, policemen and doctors may offer little protection. Yet humour, fantasy, talking animals and extraordinary characters keep the story lively and entertaining.
This edition gives students of Italian the opportunity to discover Collodi’s real story in clear, modern language. You are not reading a summary or a new version inspired by Pinocchio: you are reading Collodi’s story in an accessible form.
The story
Geppetto, a poor carpenter, makes a wooden puppet and calls him Pinocchio. To his astonishment, the puppet comes to life. Curious, impulsive and easily distracted, Pinocchio wants to discover the world, but he rarely thinks about the consequences of his choices.
His adventures bring him into contact with extraordinary creatures, dishonest people, unexpected dangers and tempting promises. Again and again, he must learn whom to trust, how to recognize deception and what it means to take responsibility for his actions.
Children can enjoy the fantasy, humour and adventure, while adult readers can also discover the social criticism and the much harsher view of life that lies beneath the surface of Collodi’s story.
Why read this edition?
The Adventures of Pinocchio was published as a book in 1883, after first appearing in episodes in a children’s magazine. Its short, episodic chapters make it particularly suitable for learners who prefer to read a little at a time.
The original text, however, contains nineteenth-century Italian, Tuscan expressions and sentence structures that can be difficult for modern students. In this edition, the language has been simplified and updated while preserving the events, characters, humour and atmosphere of Collodi’s work.
The focus is on the pleasure of reading and following the story, rather than on exercises. It is designed for learners who want to improve their Italian through extensive reading and experience a genuine work of Italian literature.
Collodi and Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi created one of the most famous characters in world literature. Pinocchio has been translated, filmed and adapted countless times, but many of those versions are very different from the original book.
Reading Collodi today means discovering not only the adventures of a wooden puppet, but also a story about temptation, poverty, injustice, freedom, responsibility and growing up — a story whose humour and sharp observations can still speak to adult readers as well as children.
Read the free preview and discover how different the original Pinocchio really is.