Knock on wood. . .

Here's a real delight for readers of all ages. NYRB Classics will be re-issuing a new translation of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio, translated by Geoffrey Brock and with an introduction by Umberto Eco (don't you absolutely adore the clever cover?) This is definitely not the Disney version. Edwin Frank, the editor of NYRB Classics, writes about the differences between the two here. This edition also includes a terrific afterword by Rebecca West (a professor of Italian studies at the University of Chicago, not the wonderful - but alas, dead - British novelist) in which she writes about different fiction and film treatments of the original story. And Alberto Manguel is a big fan of this book as well, using it as the basis for his keynote speech at last June's Canadian library conference. You can read about it here - scroll down the piece for the links to his full speech.