STORY OF A PUPPET, OR THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO

New York: Cassell, 1892. Very good plus.. First edition of PINOCCHIO in English, the rare American issue, simultaneous with the British and bound in the U.S. from British sheets. 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 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). A title in the Children's Library, this Cassell imprint is hard to find. 16mo. 6.25'' x 4''. Original decorative cloth with blue design repeated on edges. Illustrated by E. Mazzanti (incorrectly printed as "C. Mazzanti"). [8], 232 pages. The Bradley Martin copy with Mildred Greenhill's bookplate. Cloth age toned - though less than usual; tiny stain on edge of title, small inner hinge mend, else really a nice copy.