On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Manzoni’s death, translator Michael F. Moore will present The Betrothed, his new translation of I Promessi sposi. In the more than two centuries that have passed since Manzoni first started to write I Promessi sposi, in 1821, the novel has acquired almost Biblical status in Italy. Required reading in school, to the despair of many students, and copiously annotated by some of the country’s great philologists and literary scholars, the novel has acquired a thick crust of erudition and reverence that obscure its best qualities. Manzoni states it quite simply in his introduction, “It was as a story, although the reader might disagree, that I found it beautiful, I repeat, quite beautiful.”
In this talk, Michael F. Moore will discuss how his new translation of The Betrothed into modern American English restores the popular appeal of the novel. Using illustrations from the original 1840-42 edition and excerpts from his own translation, he will highlight how Manzoni’s constant interjections, hybrid style, and compelling story-telling make him a thoroughly modern writer.
Followed by a conversation with Professors Giancarlo Tursi and Claudio Fogu.
Date and time: May 18, 2023 | 5:30 PM-7:30PM
Venue: UCSB Mosher Hall Boardroom
MICHAEL F. MOORE is a translator from the Italian. He received his Ph.D in Italian from New York University. His published translations range from twentieth-century classics – Agostino by Alberto Moravia and The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi – to contemporary novels, most recently Live Bait by Fabio Genovesi and Lost Words by Nicola Gardini. Moore is the chair of the Advisory Board for the PEN-Heim Translation Fund. In addition to his work as a translator, he is an interpreter at the United Nations and freelances for Italian cultural events in New York City and for major American news broadcasters.
He is currently working on a new translation of Alberto Moravia’s short story collection, Rome Tales.