“I’m sending you this simple thing—do what you will with it. If you publish, pay me well so I can keep going,” Carlo Collodi urged his colleagues when he handed over the tale that would become Storia di un burattino. The work, known in English as The Adventures of Pinocchio, follows a wooden puppet crafted by a humble woodcarver named Geppetto. Despite Geppetto’s affection, the boy’s behavior proves rebellious: he scorches his feet in a brazier, misleads others even when they offer guidance, and even tries to sell his schoolbooks. He longs to see a circus, eager for a life beyond the shop floor.
When it first appeared in the Giornale per Bambini in 1881, Collodi’s tale met with swift success. The author had to improvise as the story published in installments quickly gained traction, and the ending was radically altered to resurrect Pinocchio after his demise at the hands of the Fox and the Cat, who hung the wooden boy from an oak branch.
“Good news: Pinocchio is still alive and can share more remarkable adventures,” Ferdinando Martini, editor of the Giornale per Bambini, wrote in the December 1881 issue. He noted that a wooden figure like Pinocchio has stubborn bones and finding a way to the afterlife is not so simple. By 1883 the deliveries were gathered into a book that no longer bore the original title Storia di un Burattino, but remained the same character we know as Pinocchio.
“Pinocchio is more than a story; it is a modern legend,” explains the author and university professor Pablo Maurette in his book Why We Believe Stories. He notes how myths emerge from stories, acquire semantic depth, and enter popular culture, becoming part of the collective unconscious. The origin of Pinocchio lies with a Florentine author, and the puppet’s fame grows beyond its creator, as new versions multiply and circulate across generations.
Literary and metaphorical journey
Today Pinocchio ranks as the third most translated book in world literature, surpassed only by the Bible and The Little Prince. More than a century after its creation, the tale continues to resonate and attract fresh readers who discover its layers anew.
Maurette suggests the fascination derives from two elements. First, the narrative structure is timeless, presenting a journey that moves from the lowest depths to the peaks of human potential. The hero faces trials, crosses into the supernatural, contends with good and evil, and undergoes a fundamental transformation. Second, the myth’s modern relevance shines through references akin to classic epics like The Odyssey, The Golden Donkey, and The Divine Comedy. The central figure is a child, and the historic concept of childhood as a distinct phase only emerged in the 19th century, thanks to writers such as Dickens, Hugo, and Carroll. Pinocchio’s enduring appeal ties to our shared cultural identity.
Alongside Joseph Campbell’s framework of the Hero’s Journey and evolving views of childhood, the tale also probes controversial human behaviors such as lying.
Lie is examined as a complex linguistic and cognitive act that creates a falsified reality in another’s mind. While some animals deceive, humans display a uniquely sophisticated intentionality. Early lies often begin as games or experiments in social signaling, blending fantasy with reality as children test boundaries.
In Collodi’s narrative, Pinocchio originates from a talking piece of wood that can cry and laugh. The craftsman Geppetto brings him to life, and Pinocchio’s habit of lying emerges not to test reality but to gain advantage or avoid consequence, a choice that can shape his fate, even risking Geppetto’s future as a consequence.
Lie and trust
Experts emphasize that deception undermines trust, a foundation of social bonds. Pinocchio’s adventures highlight the harm caused by lying and its social repercussions. In a world where misinformation and superficial filters abound, the tale offers a timeless invitation for readers of all ages to reflect on honesty and its consequences. Classical fables, with universal themes like lies, remain relevant as moral mirrors for both children and adults.
What makes Collodi’s work so enduring is its openness to multiple readings. It can be seen as a social critique, a coming-of-age tale, or a religious allegory. It has inspired Marxist readings about alienation and liberation, psychoanalytic interpretations of inner conflicts, and even esoteric analyses. The modern myth invites diverse interpretations, proving that Pinocchio’s journey remains a versatile template for storytelling across eras.
From Jiminy Cricket to ‘lie to me Pinocchio’: myth reinterpreted
Disney’s 1940 adaptation helped cement Pinocchio in global cinema, though it softened some harsher aspects of the original. The film established a lasting iconography that influenced countless later versions. Contemporary creators, including Matteo Garrone and Guillermo del Toro, respond to Disney’s influence, offering darker, more nuanced visions while paying homage to the core tale.
The Pinocchio story has proven remarkably adaptable across political climates, technological shifts, and changing consumer tastes. Del Toro’s adaptation even places the character within a fascist era, while other versions recast the boy against different ideological backdrops. Pinocchio has permeated culture—from theme parks in Tuscany to souvenirs and art forms ranging from photonovels to ballets, radio dramas to video games. In modern reinterpretations, even experimental takes reimagine Jiminy Cricket or present Pinocchio in bold, new settings, underlining the tale’s vast reach and enduring appeal.
As Maurette concludes, Pinocchio is not a single story but a spectrum of possibilities that can be watched, reinterpreted, and reimagined for generations to come.