What is a classic--in translation? "Of all my books, I like this the best," Dickens admitted in the Preface to the Charles Dickens Edition of David Copperfield (1867). Dickens' s fondness for this particular novel finds unmistakeable echoes in Italy. In 1965, Italian television broadcast an abridged version of David Copperfield. The TV series--which was somewhat boldly presented as "David Copperfield by Charles Dickens"--reached an audience of about 15 million viewers. More recently, scheduled amidst a dismal season of prolonged reality shows and cloned formats, the novel featured again as the source of a new series in two episodes, released in April 2009. In a word, Italian culture seems to share Dickens's predilection for a book that (he admits) is in his "heart of hearts a favourite child." The countless "refractions" (1) of David Copperfield --from TV adaptations to children's versions, from newspaper reviews to graded readers aimed at school students, not to mention a considerable number of unabridged translations for the general public--confirm its appeal, and testify to its immense popularity in Italian culture both highbrow and lowbrow.
