
The Novelist Who Tried to Make It Look Cool to Be Fascist
'Fascism' is notoriously difficult to define. It insisted on conformism while attracting bohemians and subversives, fused manic idealism with brutal cynicism and combined elements of modernism and pastoral nostalgia. The critic and philosopher Walter Benjamin once wrote that 'fascism is the introduction of aesthetics into political life.' In 'Malaparte,' Maurizio Serra's outstanding biography of the Italian dandy, journalist, playwright, would-be diplomat and filmmaker Curzio Malaparte, the author makes clear that Benjamin was correct. Whatever else it was, 20th-century fascism was a project more of imagination than reason; it was driven by aspiring European elites who presented themselves as populists in their pursuit of grandeur and greatness.
Malaparte showed the first glimmers of his prodigious writerly talent as a young man in the early 1920s, and although he was once an ardent champion of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, his literary reputation has hardly been confined to the fringes of the far right. The admirers of his enduring novels 'Kaputt' (1944) and 'The Skin' (1949) include Milan Kundera, Edmund White and Gary Indiana. The Premio Malaparte, an Italian prize bearing his name, has been proudly accepted by novelists like Rachel Cusk and Karl Ove Knausgaard.
The sociologist Michael Mann once wrote, 'Fascism was a movement of the lesser intelligentsia,' but Malaparte was a first-rate talent as both journalist and fiction writer. Still, he struggled to put his creative energy to constructive use: He looked down on losers, but, in his misbegotten schemes and futile projects, he found himself among their ranks.
There is a pathetic aspect to Serra's account of Malaparte's life, a solipsism that despaired of finding anything worthwhile in life other than movement and adventure. The anti-intellectual intellectual, the macho man who wore makeup and sported perfectly coifed hair; physically courageous as a soldier and war correspondent but in politics and his personal life a moral coward; the militant anti-communist fascinated with Lenin's Russia and, eventually, Mao's China; the bourgeois snob who hated the bourgeoise and idealized both proletarians and aristocrats: Malaparte embodied, almost perfectly, the contradictory impulses of the fascist generation.
Malaparte was not among fascism's top ranks. He was not one of the chief ideologues, like his fellow writer Giuseppe Bottai. But, as his literary fame spread during the interwar period, he showed fascism's seductive side and cultivated a fraught relationship with Mussolini that continued into the 1930s. 'Malaparte' demonstrates that fascism was not only a collective enterprise and cult of the leader, but an individual one: a narcissistic worship of the self and a chance for ambitious young men from the provinces, dissatisfied with their place in liberal society, to embark upon a career.
The most important client of Malaparte's propaganda was always himself, and, in later years, he worked to make it seem that he had been an antifascist dissident the whole time. Serra tells us not to buy it: Malaparte's apparent political transformations were opportunistic or driven by whim. And if he abandoned the Fascist Party when he had to, he remained a fascist at heart. 'From beginning to end, one finds in him a fascistic strain that he never belied under any regime,' Serra explains, 'in particular a taste for force, the only real ideology of a man who disdained all ideologies.'
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Geek Girl Authority
22 minutes ago
- Geek Girl Authority
New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out on July 8
There are a lot of new books coming out every week. With New Release Radar, I'll help you narrow down the week's new book releases into the titles you should get excited about. This week, I have eight great new books to share with you, including tons of great debuts and a sequel 10 years in the making. Read on! How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen dies, a group of writers gather at his eerie manor, expecting to inherit part of his vast fortune. Each guest has a personal connection to the literary icon, and most have long dreamed of filling his shoes. But instead of a will, they're offered a game. Solve the riddle and move forward, or the house will claim one of them. Built on generations of secrets and sacrifice, the Queen's estate isn't just haunted: it's hungry. Saw meets Agatha Christie in Mallory Arnold's nail-biting debut. How to Survive a Horror Story is a campy, thrilling locked room mystery. RELATED: New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out on July 1 Such Good People by Amy Blumenfeld April's life changes forever after a fateful night, her freshman year ends with her friend Rudy's arrest and her own expulsion. Fifteen years later, April is married to a rising political star and seemingly has it all, until Rudy's parole and resurfacing headlines threaten to upend everything. As past and present collide, April must choose between protecting the life she's built or honoring the friend who once sacrificed everything for her. Such Good People is a powerful story about how fast mistakes can change lives and how long it can take for justice to be restored. Amy Blumenfeld writes truly compelling characters and complex themes with care. Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar Two years after Pride and Prejudice , Caroline Bingley is bored of country life. Things get a little more exciting when Georgiana Darcy's maid vanishes and Georgiana herself disappears in pursuit. Racing to London, Caroline stumbles upon a murder that pulls her into the city's dangerous underworld. With the help of Georgiana and Caroline's loyal manservant, she uncovers secrets tied to the East India Company and the human cost of empire. Armed with wit, wealth and a keen mind, Miss Bingley proves she's more than society ever expected, especially when there's a killer to catch. If you're looking for a fun, cozy historical mystery, you'll love Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator . Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar wrote a classic work of Jane Austen fanfiction, perfect for some light summer reading. RELATED: Book Review: Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle 18-year-old Stella Sedgwick dreams of independence in 1860s England, but as a sharp-tongued, dark-skinned girl, her prospects are limited. When an aristocrat unexpectedly leaves her a grand estate, Stella is thrust into London society, and a legal battle that would be easier to win with a husband. Reconnecting with her childhood friend Nathaniel Fitzroy and secretly reviving her mother's scandalous advice column, Stella navigates suitors, secrets and social prejudice. As the pressure mounts, she must choose between following society's rules or forging her own path to love and freedom. The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick is Bridgerton for young adult readers. S. Isabelle doesn't shy away from the darker reality of 1800s England, but still created a fun, romantic and enthralling novel. The Gryphon King by Sara Omer As a child, Bataar became a legend for slaying a gryphon. Now a warlord chosen by god, he sets his sights on conquering Dumakra, a kingdom ruled by warrior princesses who ride winged, man-eating horses. When Dumakra falls, Princess Nohra vows revenge, but her bond with Qaira, Bataar's wife, complicates everything. As riots erupt and ancient monsters awaken, Nohra and Bataar must fight side by side to save their world, even as loyalties and hearts hang in the balance. Inspired by the Turkic cultures of Southwest Asia, Sara Omer's new book release is the start to a unique, exciting new fantasy trilogy. The Gryphon King is full of morally gray characters, slow-burn romance and terrifying monsters. RELATED: Book Review: A Far Better Thing All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride In 1999, college freshman Cora Belle is determined to reinvent herself, until first love with charming Lincoln turns her world upside down. Years later, still scarred by heartbreak and a tragedy that reshaped her life, Cora reconnects with Aaron, a man who sees her deeply—and complicates her feelings even more. Now, 20 years on, both men return, forcing Cora to confront her past, her heart, and the woman she's become. All the Men I've Loved Again is a heartfelt exploration of love's lasting echoes and the roads not taken. Christine Pride's solo debut is perfect for anyone still thinking of a past love or looking for a second chance. Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie Alex Lyons is a sharp theater critic known for his black-and-white reviews – either five stars or one, nothing in between. When he writes a scathing one-star review of actress Hayley Sinclair's show and then has a one-night stand with her, their collision sets off a public war. Hayley reinvents her act as a viral takedown of Alex, exposing his privileged, predatory persona, while Alex refuses to apologize, dragging his colleague Sophie into the drama. Charlotte Runcie's new book release shows that there are two sides to every story. Told through multiple perspectives, Bring the House Down is a sharp, funny exploration of art, power, misogyny and the messy dance between reality and performance. RELATED: Book Review: Just Emilia The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware Lo Blacklock, a journalist eager to revive her career after motherhood, receives an invitation to the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel owned by the elusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann. The chateau is a dream come true, but Marcus proves elusive. Things take a turn when a late-night call pulls Lo into a dangerous game when she finds a woman claiming to be his mistress in life-threatening danger. What follows is a high-stakes chase across Europe, forcing Lo to confront how far she's willing to go to save a stranger, and whether she can there's anyone she can truly trust. Nearly 10 years after her bestseller The Woman in Cabin 10 , Ruth Ware is back with a sequel. Just as twisty and dramatic as its predecessor, The Woman in Suite 11 will keep you guessing until the end. You can check out these new book releases at or your local bookstore. What July 8 new release are you most excited to read? Let us know below, and tune in next week to grow your TBR. Book Review: THE ROM-COM COOKBOOK
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Johnny Depp: ‘I was shunned, dumped, cancelled – however you want to define it'
The first time I see Johnny Depp, he is holed up in a caravan on a Budapest backstreet. Smoking a roll-up, wearing a woollen cap, and hunkered down over a script, the troubled Hollywood star is attempting to do something he hasn't done in 20 years: direct a film. Modìgliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madness is a biographical snapshot of the Italian artist, set in Paris during the First World War in 1916. As a piece of film-making it is compellingly chaotic; a quality reflected in both its subject and its harum-scarum director. The film, which will be released on Friday July 11, also marks a big next step for Depp: it is his first work of any substance since he was, in his own words, 'shunned, dumped, booted, deep-sixed, cancelled – however you want to define it,' by Hollywood after potentially career-ending allegations were made by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, during a succession of trials that aired some very dirty laundry in courts on both sides of the Atlantic. To recap, Depp and Heard, an actress 22 years his junior, married in 2015 and then divorced a year later. Heard claimed that Depp had abused her physically, an allegation he denied. A year later Depp sued The Sun for an article that labelled him a 'wife beater'. The judge ruled against Depp. Then in 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post that referred to 'sexual violence' and 'domestic abuse' without naming Depp. He sued for defamation, leading to a 2022 trial in Virginia that Depp won. A cynic might suggest that taking the reins of an art-house project like Modigliani is the calculated act of a 62-year-old man keen to shift focus off his personal life and back on to his work. Yet, everyone I speak to on set in Budapest suggests this is not the case, that Depp the director is driven by passion not strategy. 'Johnny loves risk,' says Riccardo Scamarcio, the Italian actor who plays the lead role in Modigliani. 'He knows that real creativity comes hand in hand with the danger that you can fall down.' Al Pacino, who helped bring the film to the screen and appears in it as an American art collector, tells me that ever since he and Depp first worked together on the crime drama Donnie Brasco (1997) there's been an understanding between them. 'I've kept up with his work and artistry through the years and just knew he had the right instruments and creative acumen to suit the very essence of this film in order to direct it,' he says. On set in Budapest, we are introduced only briefly. But recently, in London, Depp and I meet again, this time in a Soho bolthole that is serving as his temporary base while he works on the editing and post-production of the film. It also appears to function as an ad hoc studio for his painting and music-making, and has the feel of a secret hideout. When I walk in, my eye is immediately drawn to a gigantic wine glass sitting in the window. On the side, someone has scrawled the words 'mega f---ing pint'. From his perch behind a desk, surrounded by canvases, guitars and vintage bric-a-brac, Depp catches me staring. 'That,' he says, 'might be the closest to art that I've ever gotten'. It suggests that, whatever else he says, his three years of very public court proceedings – which followed a loose trajectory from humiliation through to a form of vindication – have left their mark. The 'mega pint' is a reference to an episode in which Heard's lawyer asked Depp a question about a video which appeared to show him destroying cupboards while drinking a large glass of wine. When the lawyer described the glass as a 'mega pint', Depp couldn't hold back a smile – and an internet-breaking meme was born. In conversation today, Depp growls and mutters: at times he skirts close to incoherence; at others, he makes magnetic, amusing company. He is keen to talk more about the film, and his unconventional approach to casting it. 'I cast Riccardo first, based on a photograph,' he says. 'His eyes reminded me of Oliver Reed. I f---ing love Oliver Reed. He was dangerous and he was funny and he was cool. So I went, 'That's the dude [for Modigliani].'' His gamble paid off; Scamarcio is excellent in the film. Depp says now that he only agreed to direct because his old friend Pacino had asked him to. 'I told him I ain't a director per se but I'll give it a shot. I mean he's nuts and he knows that I'm nuts.' But Depp also saw a kindred spirit in Modigliani – the troubled, hard-living, misunderstood artist. He takes me through a brief biography – he knows his stuff – before coming back, as he often does, to his late friend, the writer Hunter S Thompson. 'Hunter used that quote from Dr Johnson at the beginning of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: 'He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.' That's the definition of Hunter and it's the definition of Modigliani.' The statement hangs in the air for a second before Depp jumps in with a hasty clarification. 'It's not that men are more in pain, but just in general,' he adds. 'You can apply it to a woman too, of course.' For though Depp can meander, he is not un-self-aware. He knows that the long-running skirmishes with Heard painted him as misogynistic, violent and drunk – the man who had it all exhibiting all the worst traits of the over-entitled alpha male. He also knows that, had he wanted to, he could have stepped out of the limelight for good, played his guitars, done his art, opted for the quiet life. With decades of film-making behind him, as he says, 'I don't have anything to prove'. So why on earth is he taking the risk of putting himself out there again? One explanation is that, as he says himself, he's 'nuts'. But it seems more likely that it's because there's a streak in Depp that cannot resist inviting trouble. He describes his experience on 21 Jump Street, the American cop show that first brought him fame in the late 1980s. It made him an instant teen idol but he was soon feeling boxed-in by the multi-series contract and chafing against being 'considered to be a TV actor, which was the last thing I wanted'. He recalls how, in the early 1990s, he was asked by an interviewer why American kids should pay any attention to a young actor playing an undercover cop busting drug gangs. 'And I said, 'Well, that's easy. 'Cause I started taking drugs when I was about 11.' And then I went through the whole thing. And she asked me, have you tried marijuana? I went uh-huh. Cocaine? Uh-huh. Heroin? Uh-huh. I mean you name it because that's how I grew up. By the time I was 15, 16, I had a pretty decent chance at a doctorate in pharmacology and alcohol mixing and drinking.' That probably wasn't a great career move, but what he couldn't stand, he says, was people trying to make him into something he wasn't. 'I didn't like the labels. What they were desperate to do was just make me a poster boy: 'He's the new James Dean.' No, I'm not.' Of course, Depp soon shrugged off those labels, and left television behind to become one of the biggest film stars of his generation, nominated three times for the Best Actor Oscar. Mike Newell's Donnie Brasco, a series of memorable collaborations with Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and perhaps, above all, a career-defining role channelling Keith Richards as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean films, which earned him many millions of dollars and fans. Through it all, however, a major part of the Depp persona has been a punk-rock attitude. He doesn't care what people think, and he wants you to know that. 'Listen, they've said all kinds of things out there in the world about me, and it doesn't bother me. I'm not running for office.' But, I say, surely it starts to matter when what people are saying stops you from doing the work you want to do? In 2020, after he lost his libel case against News Group Newspapers, he was dropped from the third film in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts franchise. He was replaced by the Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, having filmed just one scene. 'It literally stopped in a millisecond,' Depp says, 'like, while I was doing the movie. They said we'd like you to resign. But what was really in my head was they wanted me to retire'. His response? 'F--- you. There's far too many of me to kill. If you think you can hurt me more than I've already been hurt you're gravely mistaken.' When I ask Depp what he means by already being hurt, he tells me about his mother, Betty Sue. Depp was born in Kentucky in 1963, the youngest of Betty Sue and her husband John Depp's four children. The family would often move around, eventually settling in south Florida when Johnny was seven. Betty Sue, who died in 2016 aged 81, was a waitress. She was also, Depp now says, violent and unpredictable. 'She beat me with a f------ stick, a f------ shoe, an ashtray, a phone, it didn't matter, man. But I thank her for that. She taught me how not to raise kids. Just do the exact opposite of what she did.' When it came, fatherhood was not something he planned, Depp has said, being instead 'part of the wonderful ride I was on'. That ride began in the early 80s, when having dropped out of school, he moved to Los Angeles with his rock band and married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band's bassist. As a make-up artist, she inadvertently launched his film career by introducing him to Nicholas Cage (another actor who has documented his struggles with drink and drugs), with whom Depp would go out carousing. Cage recommended Depp for a bit part in the Wes Craven horror movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and without any experience, but with his famous good looks reportedly catching the eye of Craven's daughter, Depp won the part. Soon his accidental career as an actor had overtaken his intended path as a musician, with his teen idol status enhanced by engagements (following his divorce from Allison) to stars Jennifer Grey (of Dirty Dancing) and Sherilyn Fenn (of Twin Peaks). His partnership with Burton, which started in 1990 with Edward Scissorhands, also led to Depp proposing to Winona Ryder, his co-star in the movie (famously, when their relationship foundered three years later, he had his tattoo reading 'Winona Forever' altered to 'Wino Forever'). Later, Depp dated the model Kate Moss and then the French singer Vanessa Paradis, with whom he had his two children, Lily-Rose, 26, also an actor, and Jack, 23, an artist and musician. Today he looks back on his 'wonderful ride' and acknowledges that much of it, especially recently, has not been so wonderful. But he says his tough childhood has also helped him develop a skin so thick that he has been able to brush off even the worst accusations slung at him in court. 'I've been accused of the deepest unpleasantries that you can be hit with. And for what reason? I think that's probably pretty clear,' he says, rubbing together finger and thumb in the international mime for money. 'This sounds like horses--- but one can simply hold hate [until it] inspires some species of malice in your skull. Makes you think of revenge. But hating someone is a great big responsibility to hang on to. The real truth of it, that I won't allow, is that in order for me to hate, I have to care first. And I don't care. What should I care about? That I got done wrong to [by others]? Plenty of people get done wrong.' So why did he bother to fight those perceived wrongs in court? 'I fought it because had I not then I wouldn't have been me,' he says. 'Of course everyone tells you, 'Don't do it. You're crazy.'' But, he says, if the allegation made against him – 'a lie!' – of which he was cleared was going 'to be the deciding factor of whether or not I have the capability of making movies in Hollywood? F--- you'. The longer Depp talks, the clearer it becomes that the trials of the past few years have left him somewhere between defiance and acceptance. Whatever the case, Depp appears once again capable of making movies in Hollywood. This year, he is rumoured to be embarking on The Carnival at the End of Days, another collaboration with Terry Gilliam, who directed him in the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Then there's Day Drinker, from The Amazing Spider-Man director Marc Webb, in which Depp is reunited with Penelope Cruz, his former co-star in Blow; Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; and Murder on the Orient Express. At the height of the trial, when Heard's fans were baying for his blood, such a fully fledged return for Depp seemed almost inconceivable. So much time was lost on his legal battles; now he's eager to make up for it. 'Going through all that in real time amounted to seven or eight years,' he says. 'It was a harsh, painful internal journey. Would I rather not have gone through something like that? Absolutely. But I learnt far more than I ever dreamed I could.' Modigliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madness is in cinemas from July 11. Special nationwide previews on July 10 will feature a discussion with Depp and Riccardo Scamarcio, recorded at Tate Modern Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.


Vogue
29 minutes ago
- Vogue
Isabel Marant Resort 2026 Collection
When Isabel Marant, the brand, goes in for romance, it's always with a touch of grit. Take florals: garden blooms may be the classic trope for spring, but here creative director Kim Bekker grafted them with a lashing of Victoriana and the Far West to come up with a different, more nuanced attitude. 'We wanted to create a compelling contrast between delicate and tough elements,' Bekker offered during a showroom preview. She wasn't just talking about the women's pre-collection; the men's lineup was plenty poetic, too. When treated as all-over motifs, florals cropped up sprinkled like polka dots over a draped jersey dress, or as a kind of a hybrid between an ikat and a tie-dye motif. More impactful, however, were abstractions rendered through laser cutting on a white leather minidress or etched in metal studs and gradient eyelets on a black velvet jacket. Fans who go in for a little cowboy inspo will have fun with the western-leaning blouse and black dress here. But this collection is just as much about Victoriana, with cinched waists, ruffles, and revisited mutton sleeves-as-power shoulders. Refreshingly, save a couple of very pretty numbers in densely-enough worked lace, the brand isn't leaning hard on transparency. 'Sexiness doesn't need to be nakedness,' Bekker quipped. Instead, soft fabrics, faux fur, and lace made for easy, feminine silhouettes muscled up a bit with strong statement earrings. Edginess came in staples like raw denim, leather jackets, and boots that nodded westward but were carefully dosed and filtered by way of the Place des Victoires. Speaking of Parisian chic, the cult, slouchy, minuscule-heeled Edrik boot is back for tucking in billowy trousers or pairing with stick-straight jeans, now with laser-cut moons that wink as the wearer walks. But there's a new low ballerina boot in town, too: the Ferix seems to be Isabel Marant's answer to mesh. Take a closer look, and you'll see those cut-outs are tiny hearts—how in the world they pulled that off without going 'cute' is the brand's secret sauce.