# Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

6 Hacker News commenters recommended Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a rewarding reread for adults and a strong read for ages 10 to 15. Critics find the title character unlikeable and the moralising heavy.

## Why people recommend it

- Reads well for ages 10 to 15 (1 comments): "I would dearly recommend it to a 10- to 15-year-old. I reread it as an adult and loved it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48060959))
- Rewarding on a reread as an adult (1 comments): "I would dearly recommend it to a 10- to 15-year-old. I reread it as an adult and loved it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48060959))
- Gripping enough to devour quickly (1 comments): "Absolutely devoured it and had nightmares for a long time." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48061240))
- 1940 Disney film called a masterpiece (1 comments): "The Pinocchio movie by Walt Disney from 1940 is a masterpiece." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48063922))

## What people warn about

- Left readers with lasting nightmares (1 comments): "Absolutely devoured it and had nightmares for a long time." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48061240))
- Title character is unlikeable (1 comments): "Pinocchio is a selfish little shit. I can't like him." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48059401))
- Heavy-handed, individualistic moralising (1 comments): "Pinocchio is very individualistic and moralising" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48061107))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Computer Engineering for Babies by Hacky Labs](https://hackerapproved.com/p/computer-engineering-for-babies.md): 15 recommend
- [The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis](https://hackerapproved.com/p/chronicles-of-narnia.md): 8 recommend
- [The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame](https://hackerapproved.com/p/wind-in-the-willows.md): 5 recommend
- [Redwall by Brian Jacques](https://hackerapproved.com/p/redwall.md): 5 recommend
- [Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne](https://hackerapproved.com/p/winnie-the-pooh.md): 5 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812567021?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780812567021) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi", https://hackerapproved.com/p/pinocchio/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).