Raymond Radiguet (1903–23) was a French novelist and poet whose brief yet influential career shaped modern literature. His masterpiece, Le Diable au Corps (1923, The Devil in the Flesh,) written at 17, explored adolescent love with striking emotional depth, earning comparisons to Racine’s tragedies.
Born in Saint-Maur, France, he moved to Paris in 1917 to pursue literature and journalism, leaving Lycée Charlemagne to focus on writing. He became closely tied to the Modernist movement, forming friendships with Pablo Picasso, Max Jacob, and Jean Cocteau, who became his mentor.
Radiguet’s second novel, Le Bal du Comte d’Orgel (1924, Count Orgel’s Ball,) examined aristocratic decadence and unspoken desires, solidifying his reputation as a master of psychological insight.
Beyond fiction, he wrote poetry, including Les Joues en Feu (1920, Burning Cheeks,) and a short play, Les Pélicans (1921,) with music by Georges Auric. His promising career was cut short when he died of typhoid fever at 20.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Raymond Radiguet
Originality consists in trying to be like everybody else—and failing.
—Raymond Radiguet
Topics: Originality, Innovation
It is not in novelty but in habit that we find the greatest pleasure.
—Raymond Radiguet
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