Jean cocteau : a life
Arnaud, Claude2016
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This passionate and monumental biography reassesses the life and legacy of one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Unevenly respected, easily hated, almost always suspected of being inferior to his reputation, Jean Cocteau has often been thought of as a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. In this landmark biography, Claude Arnaud thoroughly contests this characterization, as he celebrates Cocteau's 'fragile genius - a combination almost unlivable in art' but in his case so fertile. Arnaud narrates the life of this legendary French novelist, poet, playwright, director, filmmaker, and designer who, as a young man, pretended to be a sort of a god, but who died as a humble and exhausted craftsman. His moving and compassionate account examines the nature of Cocteau's chameleon-like genius, his romantic attachments and his controversial politics.
Main title:
Jean cocteau : a life / Claude Arnaud ; translated by Lauren Elkin, Charlotte Mandell.
Author:
Imprint:
New Haven : Yale University Press, 2016.
Collation:
1024 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm
Notes:
Translated from the French.
ISBN:
9780300170573 (hbk)
Dewey class:
848.912920 COCT
Language:
EnglishFrench
BRN:
1036215