The literary and cinematic legend gives his no-holds-barred account of a dangerous addiction   In this classic study Cocteau vividly describes his extraordinary experiences while taking opium, the drug to which he owed his "perfect hours" but which, inevitably, exacted its price. It also contains reminiscences of some of Cocteau's closet friends, including Nijinsky and Marcel Proust, and provides revealing insights into the creation of such masterpieces as Orphee and Les Enfants Terribles.