ITALY: Grande Romanzo

The first and only novel by Signor Benito Mussolini appears this week, translated into English for the first time.

The Dictator is now a ripe 45 and world-great. But he was only a raw 26 and a nobody, when, with galloping quill, he dashed his novel upon foolscap, in weekly installments, for a Socialist newspaper.

Naturally the serial had to have a catch-eye title—one that would help sell the paper—and Young Benito called it, with sonorous sacrilege: Claudia Particella, L'Amante del Cardinalel; Grande Romanzo dei Tempi del Cardinale Emanuel Madruzzo.*

The newspaper which Claudia...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!