"I do not plead, I merely produce documents, for and against, in the trial of opium."

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, exracted its price. Opium also contains reminiscences of some of Cocteau's closest friends, including Nijinsky and Marcel Proust, and provides revealing insights into the creation of such masterpieces as Orphee and Les Enfants terribles. The book is illustrated with Cocteau's own disturbing and powerful drawings.