Italian Paragraphs
64 viewsI don’t know if others have noticed this, and I imagine they have, but many Italian writers construct some of the longest paragraphs I have ever seen. These paragraphs seemingly never ending walls of text tend to put me off reading Italian newspapers and books.
As I understand from my own research into writing skills, psychologists who have studied the way in which Americans and Britons write, have determined that written texts are more readable and easier to understand if they are short. By short I mean around five or so sentences long or around 75 words.
I know at times I write paragraphs which stretch acceptable limits, but I do try to keep my paragraphs quite short. I also leave a line between each paragraph, partially because I think this makes things look a little better, and partially because I have read that this improves readability.
Now what I would like to hear is whether Italians would prefer to see shortish paragraphs and a good amount of space, or whether they prefer paragraphs which are longer than this post.
I have heard it said that Italians are not the world’s greatest readers, and I wonder if the block like walls of text put many Italians off.
Judge for yourselves. Here is the post I have just written, without paragraphs and spaces. See which you prefer:
I don’t know if others have noticed this, and I imagine they have, but many Italian writers construct some of the longest paragraphs I have ever seen. These paragraphs seemingly never ending walls of text tend to put me off reading Italian newspapers and books. As I understand from my own research into writing skills, psychologists who have studied the way in which Americans and Britons write, have determined that written texts are more readable and easier to understand if they are short. By short I mean around five or so sentences long or around 75 words. I know at times I write paragraphs which stretch acceptable limits, but I do try to keep my paragraphs quite short. I also leave a line between each paragraph, partially because I think this makes things look a little better, and partially because I have read that this improves readability. Now what I would like to hear is whether Italians would prefer to see shortish paragraphs and a good amount of space, or whether they prefer paragraphs which are longer than this post. I have heard it said that Italians are not the world’s greatest readers, and I wonder if the block like walls of text put many Italians off.
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Definitely the first one is easily to read … then again I’m not italian so it’s natural for me to think so?
I find I just skim over big blocks of text like that and read thoroughly only if something catches my eye.
In my own writing, which leaves a lot to be desired thanks to too many reports and grant applications, I have to fight a tendency to chop it up too much in an effort to make it readable.
@Jan - that’s the response the psychologists expect - you are normal;)
@A - thanks for dropping in. You too react as expected, I believe. I think you come from an ‘Anglo Saxon’ culture!
And I know from all my own writing, not just this blog, that finding a happy balance is not always easy.
The experts say write short sentences - 10 to 15 words, and write only four or five sentences per paragraph - but this is not easy, and I often write sentences which are too long.
Nice photos on your blog by the way.
All the best to both of you,
Alex
Well, Italian is a bit convoluted. It was born that way: if you read Mnazoni’s “I Promessi Sposi” you can find paragraphs that last for pages.
I agree that the press, at least, should follow the “short paragraph” rule.
Cristian,
Paragraphs that last for pages! Wow. That’s frightening.
Question is though: Why are paragraphs so long in Italian?? Who started this?
Kind regards,
Alex
Yes, very frightening. The longest paragraph that I can remember is in Chapter 8: in my book it starts on page 244 and it ends on page 249. Quite a block of text.
Now imagine a 15 years old student forced at school to read that beast (no, actually “I promessi sposi” is a great novel, but it’s kind of hard to read, especially if you are young, I think): that poor guy may or may not have a great love for books, but he must read that for almost half a year at school.
He opens the book, looks at the first sentence (the famous incipit “Quel ramo del lago di Como che volge a mezzogiorno, etc.”) and finds a thing that goes on for almost twelve lines, with a lot of commas, semicolons, colons, and no full stops on sight.
The only thing that he had to read previously because of the programs is the Divine Comedy, another easy book. If he is studying English, the next thing that is going to read is something by Shakespeare or The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge (in English, of course. Let’s point out that if he followed the class untill that moment, he may be barely able to “ask Mr Brown how old is his wife” - that is a bit impolite, by the way: one shouldn’t discuss about the age of a lady); all of those flavoured with some cold notion and nothing else.
I think that if he isn’t already a great reader, after this treatment, every last shard of his love for literature can be gone forever.
It seems that the school puts great efforts into destroying one’s passion for books.
It’s about nine years that I’ve finished high schools, so maybe somthing can be changed (but I don’t think so
I don’t have many ideas about why paragraphs are so long (maybe the fact that Manzoni was part of the Committee for the Unification of the Language founded after the unification of Italy can be a clue :D)
Hi Cristian,
Many thanks for the long reply!
I understand your point of view completely. I’ve never understood why our educators do their very best, or so it would seem, to discourage reading.
Why books that would appeal to 15 year olds cannot be chosen, is beyond me.
And it always amazes me to hear my students, who, in general, cannot speak English too well, tell me that they have studied Shakespeare at school. What a waste of time.
I mean, the time devoted to studying old English would be much better spent studying modern English - through the use of well written contemporary literature, even if, personally, I think the time would be even better spent attempting to develop speaking skills.
By the time I was reading Shakespeare etc, I could speak and write English, so I was not confused by olde English, unlike, I fear, Italian students who are required to study Shakespeare even though they cannot speak the language.
I feel your pain, I really do!
As for the length of Italian paragraphs - dai, diamo la colpa a Manzoni! - Let’s blame Manzoni! Until someone comes up with a better explanation/idea!
Kind regards,
Alex
hi! I’ve passed quite an hour reading this blog (wich i found casually), it’s really interesting. I’m italian (my written english can prove it hehe) and it’s so interesting to me see external points of view, or better, what strangers think about us. And you well understood italian way to live, driving and thinking.
About paragraphs, this comment too is space-free eheh
I think it’s quite instinctive writing like this, maybe because at school, on newspapers and in evry book we read, there are only block of sentences. Or maybe, italians secretely hates paragraphs. Actually, before reading this post, i never thought about it!
bye bye,
Stefano
Hi Saya,
Sorry I did not reply sooner, but your comment was eaten by the spam system.
Thanks for visiting. Good to hear that you enjoy hearing how others view Italians.
As for these paragraphs, maybe you are right - Italians may hate paragraphs!
Not sure why, but that famous English writer Dickens loved long paragraphs too!
All the best,
Alex