SKU: 69050540185

COCTEAU, Jean. Opium: Journal d’une désintoxication. Dessins de l’auteur.

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COCTEAU, Jean. Opium: Journal d’une désintoxication. Dessins de l’auteur.Recovery from Opium Addiction in Text and Image COCTEAU, Jean. Opium: Journal dune dsintoxication. Dessins de lauteur. Paris: Librairie Stock, Delamain et Boutelleau. 1930. 8vo. Original cream printed wrappers, spine and upper cover lettered in black and gold, partially uncut; pp. 264, [2], with 40 plates after line drawings by Cocteau (included in pagination) and a further 3 plates after collages by Cocteau; very slight lean, creasing, and spotting

Recovery from Opium Addiction in Text and Image

COCTEAU, Jean. Opium: Journal d’une désintoxication. Dessins de l’auteur. Paris: Librairie Stock, Delamain et Boutelleau. 1930.

8vo. Original cream printed wrappers, spine and upper cover lettered in black and gold, partially uncut; pp. 264, [2], with 40 plates after line drawings by Cocteau (included in pagination) and a further 3 plates after collages by Cocteau; very slight lean, creasing, and spotting to spine, spine ends a little worn, very light toning and dust-soiling to covers; internally clean; overall a very good copy.

First edition, number 14 of 28 copies printed on Japon Impérial, of Cocteau’s extraordinary account of the physical and mental anguish of his withdrawal from opium addiction, extensively illustrated by the author.

Cocteau had largely been introduced to opium by the French musicologist and sinologist Louis Laloy (1874–1944) in 1924, during a period of profound depression following the unexpected death of the writer Raymond Radiguet. ‘Cocteau shut himself away with the amateur Sinologist and the musicians in a room in their hotel … A hundred times he tried to absorb [opium], more bitter than bromide; a hundred times he complained about not feeling any benefit from it. Finally, after three months, the anguish fell away’ (Arnaud, pp. 351–2). Cocteau wrote and illustrated Opium between 16 December 1928 and April 1929, while undergoing treatment at a clinic in Saint-Cloud, and it was during this time that he wrote Les Enfants terribles (1929) – arguably his most famous work – over the course of three weeks, his illustration to p. 241 bearing the same title.

His haunting illustrations from the early stages of his recovery – featuring a screaming figure with his eyes scratched out, a limbless man, a nude figure holding his four-faced head in his hands, and a weeping sun, inter alia – give way to eerie figures composed of tubular structures, and finally to images of freedom and hope. The third collage, Je quitte Saint-Cloud (I Am Leaving Saint-Cloud) shows a classical statue fleeing on horseback through a star-studded sky, and the final illustration, La Destinée de l’oiseleur (The Fate of the Bird-Catcher) shows an outstretched hand, allowing Cocteau himself (the self-portrait on p. 27 titled Oiseau) to fly away at last. ‘The drawings done under the influence of opium are a marvel. They allow us a glimpse into the life of a tortured soul who cries out in lines that excite the senses and cause us to wonder about the daily nightmare of addiction’ (Emboden, p. 36).

Addressed to ‘opium smokers, the sick, and those unknown friends found through books who are the only excuse for writing’ (trans.), Opium was perhaps unsurprisingly taken up by the American Beat poets. The book featured on the shelves of William S. Burroughs’s library, which so impressed Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac in the mid-1940s. Although Burroughs does not name Cocteau’s Opium in his preface to Junkie (1953), he would later explicitly acknowledge its importance: ‘I always had a romantic literary relationship to drugs, like you find in De Quincey or in Cocteau’s Opium’ (Lane, p. 106).

Crosland, p. 229; not in Carteret (cf. vol III, p. 107). See Arnaud, Jean Cocteau: a Life (2016); Emboden, The Visual Art of Jean Cocteau (1989); Lane, The French Genealogy of the Beat Generation (2017).

SKU: 2122802

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SKU: 69050540185

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Elisa
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 3
Sadly, DNF
Format: Kindle
I read this thru KU. I LOVED the synopsis. And then I began reading... and it was a DNF at 68% after picking it up and putting it down several times because I really loved the main female character. *****SPOILERS***** Pros: The world is unique, intriguing and fun. The primary female character is bad-a** but not a b*tech or a mary sue. The primary female has depth. I really want to know what happens to her even tho it's been weeks and I don't remember her name. The villains to the point I read are pretty good -- an ever present threat of mysterious and possibly many culprits. Cons: Way, way too many points of view. I stopped counting at 7. It's the prime reason why I don't care about most of the characters or remember their names even when I like them. There's just too many points of view so almost none of the characters have enough book space for the author to properly develop them. This literally killed the book for me. Actually it killed my desire to read. For weeks. The main male is more villain than hero. He agreed to marry the main female then locks her up & eschews her for her sister, all while bad mouthing her as unfit to rule when he never spent any time with her getting to know her. He is actually unfit to rule as he is blind to the woes of his own kingdom and starts off a peace mission to secure a ceasefire through marriage by murdering an inn full of people in her country for no real reason. Plus, he constantly makes promises he does not keep. And it's gross of him to pine for the sister behind the main female's back. ***** As much as I really wanted to see what happened to the main female character, it wasn't enough for me to keep trying to slog thru this book. There was a lot of potential here that just fell short. Hence, 3 stars.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2021
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MaryBeth K
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Fae Courts with High Intrigue
Format: Kindle
This book is one that just builds and builds and then surprises you to no end. You may think you know the villains and then you are jolted in another direction. Princess Reyna is a real gem, strong of character, a fierce fighter, and loyal to her family and kingdom. Just when you think she and Lorcan, well you know, the plot is flipped. Can't wait to see where this goes in book two.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2023
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Kindle Customer Maureen
Houston, US
★★★★★ 4
Slow, sorry but good
Format: Kindle
This was a slow moving book. Lots of character pov chapters, lots of superfluous descriptions and endless courtly appearances stalled this book to start. Once you get into the heart of the story, it takes off. Before you know it the book is done. My favorite character is Reyna. She is so strong. She is true to herself. She gets into a lot of trouble with her headstrong ways but it's entertaining. I have high hopes for Lorcan. He is honorable to a fault. Thane had turned out to be better than I thought but i still don't like him. Eislin is useless. Great plot twists at the end. I'm looking forward too book 2.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2020
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Faifre6
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Very detailed! Beautiful world building! Strong Heroine!
Format: Kindle
Starts off a little slow and confusing with different POV’s, but starts to all come together towards the middle to make an elaborate plot line and makes it all worth it. Beautiful world building and attention to detail as well as great writing. The cliffhanger was gut wrenching! Can’t wait for the next book!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2020
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Isabelle
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 4
Interesting
Format: Kindle
This was a very captivating book once you got into it thoroughly. But the third person perspective was a bit hard to get used to. But as you got into it and followed the different characters, it was interesting and filled with intrigue, conflict and forbidden love. I can’t wait to read the next one and to complete the series.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2022

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