What we happen to overhear from a secret place can sometimes profoundly change the course of our lives. In his book "Dietro la porta," the author introduces us to the life of the protagonist, who lives in Ferrara and attends his first year of high school there between 1929 and 1930. Within his class, a curious contrast arises between two schoolmates: the impeccable and diligent Carlo Cattolica, who excels in every way and is both admired and envied, and the insinuating Luciano Pulga, poor and cunning. Becoming friends with Cattolica would be like flying too close to the sun, while the initial discomfort the protagonist feels in his interactions with Pulga slowly but surely transforms into a close friendship, almost like a contagion. However, Carlo offers an unexpectedly friendly overture by proposing to lure Pulga into a trap: the protagonist can hide unnoticed behind a door and thus overhear all the slander Pulga will utter about himself.