The Devil in the Flesh

The Devil in the Flesh by Raymond Radiguet

This beautiful gem of a novel, published in 1923, was written by Jean Cocteau’s young (alleged) lover Raymond Radiguet. Written when he was only 20, The Devil in the Flesh is the story, based on the author’s own experiences, of a young man’s love affair with an older married woman. It marvelously illustrates the struggle between childhood and adulthood, told by a boy who becomes caught up in an act he can neither control nor fully understand.