Is “Pinocchio” The Scariest Fiction of Them All?

Even Disney’s 1940 animated classic has given children — and some adults — nightmares for years.

Disney’s “Pinocchio” horrified me as a kid.

I thought I was the only one so afflicted.

Over the years, however, as a writer and cineaste I discovered I was part of a very large club.

And then I read the source material.

Oh, boy.

The Novel

Under the pseudonym C. (Carlo) Collodi, Carlo Lorenzini’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio” was originally published as a serial. Beginning on July 7, 1881 in the Giornale per i bambini, a weekly Italian magazine for children, the serial did not initially end well for the title character. In this early version, the “ungrateful” and “wretched” Pinocchio was hung for his flaws at the conclusion of Chapter 15. At the request of his editor, Collodi added an additional 21 chapters to the story for a total of 36. As the tale resumed, Pinocchio was rescued by the Fairy with Turquoise Hair, who transformed the puppet into a real boy once and for all.

The serial was collected and published in 1883 to resounding commercial success, though initial reviews were mixed.