Why people recommend it
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi is the classic Italian children's novel about a wooden puppet whose nose grows whenever he tells a lie, ultimately striving to become a real boy through moral trials. On The Ezra Klein Show, legendary musician Patti Smith vividly recalled reading the tale avidly during her childhood alongside other fairy tales and classics. Smith reaffirmed the publication as her ultimate go-to recommendation, noting that she had read it over one hundred times, and she enthusiastically advised the listening audience to read it alongside Frankenstein for literary continuity. The narrative's deeper allegorical weight also surfaced during a conversation on The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, where Jordan B. Peterson cited the adventures of the wooden protagonist—specifically referencing Pleasure Island—to illustrate how succumbing to hedonic impulses ultimately strips an individual of true freedom, reducing them to a state of metaphorical slavery rather than achieving genuine happiness. Through these varied discussions, Collodi's timeless story transcends simple children's literature, functioning simultaneously as a profound psychological warning against hedonism and a cherished masterwork of personal resilience and transformation beloved by generational icons.
Who recommended it
- Patti Smith Recommended
- Jordan B. Peterson Discussed
Patti Smith — 3 mentions
“but I swiftly started reading books and Uncle Wiggly and the Bobsy Twins and Pinocchio and Alice and Wonderland and all the Elves and Fairy books. I mean, I've read them all.”
“Um well, my head is swirling so much with a million books, but just for like little continuity, I would say read Pinocchio and Frankenstein.”
“But Pinocchio is my go-to book. I've read it a 100 times.”
Jordan B. Peterson — 1 mention
“That's why Pinocchio discovers nothing but slavery on Pleasure Island, by the way.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“like you know he talks about Harry Potter a lot or the story of Pinocchio or just different things”