Story Of A Puppet, Or The Adventures Of Pinocchio Collodi, Carlo Classics

First edition of PINOCCHIO in English. After a career in journalism, Collodi turned to children's literature, first translating a collection of Perrault's fairy tales into Italian. Soon he would conceive of a distinctly Italian fairy tale, complex and fantastical: "Its lessons are simple, but it is not a simplistic text" (Wunderlich & Morrissey). A shorter version of the story first appeared serially in a children's magazine in Italy from July 7, 1881 to January 1883 and was first published in its full-length book form in Italy in 1883. This first edition in English, a title in the Children's Library, is charmingly illustrated by Enrico Mazzanti, the illustrator of the Italian 1883 edition. "Mary Alice Murray's translation has stood the test of time [.] It faithfully conveys the directness, ironic humour, and pathos of the original as Collodi leads Pinocchio through the twists and turns of his captivating story" (Oxford History). 16mo. 6.25'' x 4''. Original decorative cloth with the blue floral design repeated on the text block edges and endpapers. Half title and title printed in red and black. Illustrated by E. Mazzanti (incorrectly printed as "C. Mazzanti"). [8], 232 pages. Bookseller blindstamp to front endpaper, 1899 ink inscription on verso of title page. Housed in custom blue quarter goatskin clamshell box. Expert repair to hinges, slight lean, toning to spine, bottoms of lower corners rubbed: interior clean.