Gogol' fuori con-testo: leggere un 'classico' senza schemi

Gogol Out of Con(with)-Text. Reading a Classic Beyond Pre-established Frameworks. The present paper presents the results of a reading laboratory specifically designed to examine, on the basis of a sample of readers, the effect (reception) of Gogol’s Dead Souls in Italian translation in a decontextualized manner, i.e. without considering, as far as possible, paratexts and prior knowledge providing information about era, author, and poetics. The study focused on the following topics: starting from a reading as an end in itself, what images does Gogol’s novel produce in its Italian translation? What factors emerge from reading or listening to the ‘Other’ in translation? After reading without predefined frame - works, readers had access to a guided reading of a selection of texts in the original language: how does readers’ perception change? Which aspects emerge in the transition from one linguistic code to another? Does individual (and collective) imagination change in relation to the work? For this purpose, special monitoring questionnaires were administered, followed by a debate among readers. Meanwhile, the researcher-coordinator of the reading helped to outline a picture – albeit a partial one – of the reception of a Russian classic among contemporary Italian readers.