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156 The Translator’s Invisibilityin contrast to other countries. Amid much praise for English,American, German and French writers, Manzoni is degraded assecond-rate:Non vi ha luogo a dubitare che I promessi sposi sieno finora ilmigliore romanzo italiano, ma non occorre dimostrare come essonon sia che un mediocre romanzo in confronto dei capolavori dellealtre nazioni.There is no room to doubt that I promessi sposi has so far been the bestItalian novel, but it is unnecessary to demonstrate that it is amediocre novel compared to the masterpieces of other nations.(Tarchetti 1967, II:528)Tarchetti repeats a list of defects in Manzoni’s novel and attributesthem to its realist discourse:in quanto all’accusa mossagli da taluno, che in quel libro via siapoco cuore, che quell’eterno episodio (quantunque bellissimo)della monaca, nuoccia più che altro al romanzo, e desti nel lettoretanto interesse senza appagarlo, che quel Don Abbondio si facciapiu disprezzare per la sua viltà che amare per l’amenità del suocarattere, che quel Renzo e quella Lucia sieno due amantiterribilmente apati e freddi, giova in parte osservare che il Manzonivolle dipingere gli uomini quali sono, non quali dovrebbero essere,e in ciò fu scrittore profondo e accurato.As for the charge moved by someone, that the book contains littleheart, that the eternal episode of the nun (although very beautiful)damages the novel more than anything else, and arouses in thereader such interest as is not satisfied, that Don Abbondio becomesmore disparaged for his cowardice than loved for the agreeablenessof his character, that Renzo and Lucia are two terribly apathetic andcold lovers, it is worth in part observing that Manzoni wanted topaint men as they are, not as they should be, and in that he was aprofound and accurate writer.(ibid.:528–9)Tarchetti’s laconic defense comes off weakly against his detailedstatement of the charge, and realism appears very unattractive indeed:it is incapable of representing extreme emotional states and containsideological contradictions in its representation of the priest Don