The combination of decadence,the macabre and the demonic, with depraved female heroines made Boito's stories an immediate and popular success in fin de siecle Italy.Today Boito is seen as one of the major Italian authors of his period and the master of the novella form. Outside Italy lLuchino Visconti's film of Senso, which brilliantly captured the ambience and atmosphere of the novella, created a world-wide audience for Boito's work.