diff --git a/Lib/pathlib/__init__.py b/Lib/pathlib/__init__.py
index f4668ab3270e51..4f2dfd908cfe35 100644
--- a/Lib/pathlib/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/pathlib/__init__.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
             cls = PureWindowsPath if os.name == 'nt' else PurePosixPath
         return object.__new__(cls)
 
-    def __init__(self, *args):
+    def _load_args(self, args):
         paths = []
         for arg in args:
             if isinstance(arg, PurePath):
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args):
                         "object where __fspath__ returns a str, "
                         f"not {type(path).__name__!r}")
                 paths.append(path)
-        super().__init__(*paths)
+        return paths
 
     def __reduce__(self):
         # Using the parts tuple helps share interned path parts
diff --git a/Lib/pathlib/_abc.py b/Lib/pathlib/_abc.py
index 4808d0e61f7038..160840497f4065 100644
--- a/Lib/pathlib/_abc.py
+++ b/Lib/pathlib/_abc.py
@@ -206,10 +206,14 @@ class PurePathBase:
     )
     pathmod = os.path
 
-    def __init__(self, *paths):
-        self._raw_paths = paths
+    def __init__(self, *args):
+        self._raw_paths = self._load_args(args)
         self._resolving = False
 
+    def _load_args(self, args):
+        # overridden in pathlib.PurePath
+        return args
+
     def with_segments(self, *pathsegments):
         """Construct a new path object from any number of path-like objects.
         Subclasses may override this method to customize how new path objects