The Swallowed Man Summary
Edward Carey

The Swallowed Man Overview

The Swallowed Man is a novel that retells the Pinocchio story from the point of view of Pinocchio's father, the wood carver Geppetto. When the novel begins, Geppetto has been swallowed by a great sea beast during his attempt to reunite with Pinocchio and must now struggle for survival within the beast's belly. In his captivity, Geppetto writes about his previous life, including his family, romances, and Pinocchio, and makes art out of the material available to him. One night, he inadvertently creates a being he will call the ill-face, which haunts his days from then on.