Multivoiced interaction in English and Italian academic review discourse: a cross-cultural analysis

The study presented in this chapter is based on an analysis of historical book review articles in English and Italian and investigates the way the genre across national academic cultures represents the typical discursive procedures through the activity of the reviewer and of other voices in the texts. The analysis reveals interesting linguistic features which can shed light on the dialogic and argumentative dimension of the genre under examination. As a result of the analysis carried out, it emerges that both English and Italian historical book review articles are characterised by a plurality of textual voices involved in argumentative dialogue with the reviewer – reviewed book author, discourse community, reader. These voices are powerfully active in the interaction and become the reviewer’s partners in a scientific ‘conversation’.