L’impuro folle

novel by Calasso

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July 20, 2026

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L'impuro folle (1974), translated as "The Impure Madman," is the first novel by Italian writer Roberto Calasso. The book is an emotional exploration of madness, employing a range of lyrical styles from comic to epic, and from arcane to popular. Calasso was an editor, publisher, and writer known for his acclaimed work The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony.1

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Roberto Calasso
His first novel, L’impuro folle (1974; “The Impure Madman”), is an emotive presentation of madness, written in lyrical styles from comic to epic and from arcane to popular. Calasso started what he considered a work in progress with the publication of his second novel, La rovina di Kasch…
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His first novel, L’impuro folle (1974; “The Impure Madman”), is an emotive presentation of madness, written in lyrical styles from comic to epic and from arcane to popular. Calasso started what he considered a work in progress with the publication of his second novel, La rovina di Kasch…
Read More