Fidel Castro | Originally uploaded by Melissa in TN.

Yo, ho-ho. Any dude who bans Christmas for 29 years straight is probably just stone-cold crazy. But Cuba’s dictator’s early letters, now published in English, provide a few surprises, including a spiritual side and what appears to be a concern for human rights.

Taking Castro’s early words at face value provides few clues about his authoritarian streak, or the degree to which he’s become a caricature of the Latin strongman. Check out the outdated military uniform, long-winded speeches that would make Clinton wilt with shame, the jailing of dissidents, Castro’s refusal to let anyone run against him in an election, his self-righteousness — and to boot, a persecution complex (well, okay, that one may have some foundation in reality). But in sum, he displays more telltale signs of clinical narcissism than an L.A. celebutante. 

The telltale clue: Fidel was too proud to tolerate the fact his wife turned to her brother for support when he was imprisoned, and he waged a scorched earth child-custody fight against her upon their divorce.

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