The rewrite of the classic. Selection issues
Fabiana Savorgnan di Brazzà
Today children’s literature is embarking on a new path to provide children of the age group between six and twelve years or so the opportunity to get close to the great classics of Italian literature. Getting in touch with Dante, Ariosto, Manzoni, to name some of the best-known, or with the most famous characters that literature celebrated is certainly a courageous action, especially considering how many hard choices the author, i.e. the «translator», must have made to rework the text. Publishing houses now offer on the market books that are and may seem «reductions», with sharp cuts of the original texts and a revision of the language that simplify the narrative discourse. The author, therefore, has made stylistic and content choices which are offered to debate and critical reflection. We wonder: Is it fair to make this kind of choice? Would it not be more appropriate to wait until the age «of reason» of reading, so that the boy/girl can enjoy the text in its integrity? This contribution aims at investigating, through some examples which are circulating on the book market (e.g. Umberto Eco’s, Ermanno Detti’s books, etc.), the transactions underlying the revision and the re-writing of these texts, trying to identify the reasons of these choices. The paper proposes some conclusions and an initial evaluation on the «failed» editorial product, keeping in mind the popularity among young readers.
Keywords
Classics, literature, writing, publishing, teaching.