Falso movimento (Moretti 2022): Memories and Translations

The last monograph of Franco Moretti – Falso movimento – was published more than a year ago, in January 2022, but has so far only been translated in German, and not in English. Regarding the international success of La letteratura vista da lontano (2005), this fact is surprising. Several reasons could explain the delay in publishing an English translation; this paper will highlight a point that could make the reception of this new monograph uncomfortable in English language scholarship: it clearly expresses doubts about how the distant reading has shaped the humanities. These doubts can only surprise a large part of English language scholarship: it majorly considers La letteratura vista da lontano as a pertinent and iconoclast history of literature. Paying attention to Moretti’s heritage and reception in diverse languages highlights the importance of Falso movimento: it should be considered as challenging to scholars both within and outside of the digital humanities.