By the time he published The Difficulty of Being in 1947, Cocteau had produced some of the most respected films and literature of the twentieth century and worked with the foremost artists of his time. This memoir, written during a period of illness, tells the inside account of those achievements and of his glittering social circle, which included Proust, Gide, Picassso and Stravinsky. Cocteau writes about his childhood, about his development as an artist, and the peculiarity of the artistandamp;rsquo;s life, about his dreams, friendships, pain, and laughter. He probes his motivations and explains his philosophies, giving intimate details in soaring prose. Beyond telling of a truly remarkable life, The Difficulty of Being inspires.
