Bontempelli, Massimo

Bontempelli, Massimo mäsˈsēmō bōntĕmpĕlˈlē [key], 1878–1960, Italian writer and critic. One of the first of the intellectuals to support fascism, he was also a convert to futurism for a time. He is best known for his fiction—bizzare, intellectual, and beautifully written—which was influential in the development of magic realism. Among his works are the novels La vita operosa [the active life] (1920) and Il figlio di due madri (1920, tr. The Boy with Two Mothers, 2000). He also wrote poetry and plays.

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