Pinocchio

Pinocchio remains a universal icon and a metaphor of the human condition. The book is considered a canonical piece of literature and has had great impact on world culture. The 'Pinocchio' is a story about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio and his father, a poor woodcarver named Geppetto. The setting of the story is the Tuscan area of Italy. Geppetto carves the block of pinewood into a puppet and names him 'Pinocchio'. As soon as Pinocchio's nose has been carved, it begins to grow with his congenital impudence. Before he is even built, Pinocchio already has a mischievous attitude. Once the puppet has been finished and Geppetto teaches him to walk, Pinocchio runs out the door and away into the town. Pinocchio goes through numerous adventures and misadventures before he turns into a real boy.

Carlo Lorenzini (1826-1890), better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian author, humorist, and journalist, widely known for his fairy tale novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. During the Italian Wars of Independence in 1848 and 1860 Collodi served as a volunteer with the Tuscan army. His active interest in political matters may be seen in his earliest literary works as well as in the founding of the satirical newspaper. During this period he composed various satirical sketches and stories. Collodi became disenchanted with Italian politics afterward so he turned to children's literature and his first works involved translating French fairy tales into Italian. He became fascinated by the idea of using an amiable, rascally character as a means of expressing his own convictions through allegory. In 1880 he began writing Storia di un burattino (Story of a Marionette) which became Pinocchio.