French Literary Fascism Nationalism, Anti-Semitism, and the Ideology of Culture

"What interests [Carroll] is fascist ideology and fascist aesthetics, and the relationship between literature and political extremism in general and anti-Semitism in particular. Where some champions of these writers have attempted to separate their writing from their politics, Carroll argues powerfully that it was precisely their faith in art and literature which led them to identify with fascism."--James F. McMillan, The Times Literary Supplement "In French Literary Fascism, Carroll dissects with great care the nature of fascist thought in French literature... His commentaries are meticulous, documented, intelligent."--Robert Zaretsky, The Virginia Quarterly Review "A crisp and compelling narrative... [This] is a book that all scholars of French fascism will have to take seriously."--William D. Irvine, American Historical Review "That some of the heirs of Voltaire espoused Fascism is one of the great tragedies of French literature. Caroll ... demonstrates in depth how these brilliant, intelligent, and frequently creative writers, after only the slightest shift of viewpoint, turned nationalist politics into a violent, aggressive, antisocial, terrifying absolute, and vicious alternative to democracy. This is the definitive work on a tragic subject."--Choice "What stands out is the author's critical intelligence and principled fairness. Although Carroll clearly detests the writings of his subjects, he never loses sight of his project, nor does he diminish the impact of his findings by veering into polemic. Readers interested in the always contemporary debate surrounding anti-hate legislation and freedom of expression will find French Literary Fascism a fascinating read."--Erna Paris, Toronto Globe and Mail