Raymond Radiguet

French novelist and poet. Born on June 18th near Paris as the son of a humorous painter. He began writing poetry when he entered middle school (lycée), and his talent was first recognized by the writer André Salmon. At the age of 14, he published his first poem and began the life of a free-spirited literary man. He eventually met Jean Cocteau, and was exposed to avant-garde literature, music, and art, and became acquainted with high society. This encounter determined his future life, living close to Cocteau and writing under his advice. A small, nearsighted, and rather ugly boy, he captivated Cocteau with his concise, clear insight, and critical eye, and became his "guardian angel." His work "Les diaboliques" (The Devil in the Flesh), which shows his precocity, was started at the age of 16 and published at the age of 19 (1923). However, as soon as he suddenly became famous, he changed his disorderly life as if he had a premonition of death, organized his poems and notes, and restored "order," but died at the young age of 20 from typhoid fever. This was on December 12, 1923.

Radiguet's two great novels, "The Devil in the Flesh" and "The Ball at Comte d'Orgel" (1924, published posthumously), the former seems to be a spontaneous work based on personal experiences, the latter a calculated and cunning work, but they have in common that they are novelistic analyses of the psychology of love surrounding a trio (one woman and two men), and in their sober narrative style, we can consistently feel the "strong heart" that Cocteau spoke of. Although he was friends with Tristan Tzara and André Breton, he did not join the Dadaist or Surrealist movements, but instead chose the method of traditional French psychological novels, which shows Radiguet's assertion that it is the popularity that is new. His collection of poems includes "Burning Cheeks" (1925).

[Akiko Osaki]

"The Complete Works of Radiguet, translated by Kiyoshi Eguchi, in one volume (1970, Sekkeisha)" ▽ "The Ball of Count d'Orgel, translated by Ryoichi Ikushima (Shincho Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランスの小説家、詩人。6月18日、パリ近郊にユーモア画家の子として生まれる。中学(リセ)入学のころから詩作を始め、まず作家のアンドレ・サルモンに詩才を認められる。14歳で最初の詩を発表、放縦な文学者の暮らしに入る。やがてジャン・コクトーと出会い、前衛的な文学、音楽、美術に触れ、社交界を知る。この出会いは、コクトーの身近に暮らし、その助言のもとで書くという以後の生涯を決定した。小柄で近眼の、むしろ醜い少年は、簡潔で確かな洞察力と批評眼でコクトーを魅了し、その「守護天使」となる。早熟を示す作品『肉体の悪魔』は16歳で書き始められ、19歳（1923）で発表された。しかし、一躍その名を馳(は)せるや、死を予感したかのように乱脈な生活を改め、詩や覚え書きを整理し「秩序」を取り戻してのち、腸チフスが原因で20歳の若さで死んだ。1923年12月12日のことであった。

　ラディゲの二大小説『肉体の悪魔』と『ドルジェル伯の舞踏会』（1924、死後刊行）は、前者が個人的な体験をもとに自然に成った作品とみえ、後者が計算された老獪(ろうかい)な作品とみえるが、トリオ（一人の女と二人の男）をめぐる恋愛心理の分析を小説とした点で共通し、醒(さ)めた語り口にコクトーのいう「剛(つよ)い心」が一貫して感じられる。トリスタン・ツァラ、アンドレ・ブルトンらと親交をもちながら、ダダ、シュルレアリスムの運動に加わらず、あえて伝統的フランス心理小説の手法を選んだところに、通俗こそ新しいとするラディゲの主張が読み取れる。詩集に『燃える頬(ほお)』（1925）がある。

［大崎明子］

『江口清訳『完本ラディゲ全集』全一巻（1970・雪華社）』▽『生島遼一訳『ドルジェル伯の舞踏会』（新潮文庫）』

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