I was excited to see I got the book within a few days of ordering. Also, it was in excellent condition.

From 1952 to 1963, Salvador Dali kept a journal, a diary of his thoughts, creative reasoning's, and mindful tangents. In a matter of several hours and 186 pages, I feel as if I have delved far into the mind of a man whose entire life is either nonsense blathering of the brain or philosophical wonders reaching far beyond my own capacities of comprehension. While Diary of a Genius did not keep me in suspense, give me nightmares or have me in tears, the book did touch a part of my brain that doesn't get triggered very often, let alone four hours straight.
Dali writes daily entries into his diary discussing off-the-wall realizations, urges, drives, and adorations. One of the most interesting aspects of the book was to read the very intimate words of one of the most renowned surrealist painters in the world. Dali talks of his process in working on many pieces in a day-by-day account of his struggles and conquests in painting. He is fueled mainly by his love for his wife Gala, but also by the incisive apprehension and dissection of oddities accumulating in his head. He talks of his bowel movements, his intrigue in Hitler, his subconscious representation of rhinoceros horns, and his love of elephant skulls in the summer.
Diary of a Genius was, in short, an interesting read that kept me entertained for a short period of time. I am much more knowledgeable of Dali himself and will look at his work now with a new understanding of the peculiar man behind the brush. I would definitely recommend this book to any psychology student looking to analyze the intricate workings of a madman's ways and fantasies of the mind. I would also recommend this book to any fan of Salvador Dali, surrealism, or art in general. I would suggest, and I believe that Dali would agree with me, that this book be read while sitting on the toilet.

Have you ever displayed elephant skulls in front of your home or imagined being a fish, or find yourself fascinated with your own excrement? One very eccentric man did all these things, Mr. Salvador Dali, one of the most famous artists of the Surrealism time. His book turned out to be a bit like his paintings, random and irrational. I felt as if I was reading the incoherent ramblings of a man with a slight case of narcissism. This at times, made the book somewhat difficult to follow. But, I found it to be true "Dalinian" as he would say. Reading about the thought process of some of his work was most intriguing. He seemed to find the "art" in some of the most awkward places. I would suggest familiarizing yourself with his paintings before reading this book. When he spoke of placing things on crutches, using Christian iconography, or drawing inspiration from Gala, you can have a visual idea in your head as you read. The book, however, had very little on the thoughts behind much of his other works. He wrote more about his thoughts on everyday life, popular people of the time, and his wife Gala. The man seemed to really know himself and live his life by his own philosophies no matter how bizarre or what anyone else said. Whether this is how he truly was or lived to portray one huge publicity stunt for the sake of shock value, he is a man that must be recognized for his work. I have to admit, I would rather learn about him through his unique paintings than having to read his book.

Hilarious and captivating!
A rollercoaster ride that twists and turns through the mind of Dali offering cohesive dialogue and thoughts blended with undecipherable rants and hallucinations. This book gives the reader an intimate view of an artistic genius through the eyes and actions of Dali. He walks a thin line between genius and madman, mostly the latter. If it were not for his beloved wife Gala there would be no doubt in my mind that he ever would have become anything close to a genius. Gala gave Dali order, anchored him in the real world and created the force behind his paintings.

Dali was definitely the master of creating hype. No matter what he was doing, there would be scandal, controversy and snobbery, as he refers to it. Dali created spectacle from his home in Port Lligat, Spain to his frequent travels to New York and Paris. He was loved by those he reviled and despised by those people he loved primarily Picasso and his own father. Obsessed with bowl movements, buttocks and rhinoceros horns Dali often relied on these images to create the meaning behind his works.

By far one of the best speakers, Dali manipulated his audiences into accepting his approach and ideology on Surrealist art and artists. The media even listened and published numerous articles in newspapers and magazines on the happenings of his life's art. Often playing both sides of a situation, disagreement or battle, he always comes out on top still remaining allies with all parties involved.

I would recommend taking the two or three nights it would take to read this book and jump into the mind of this Surrealist genius/madman, Dali. If you hold on to the end you will experience the revered irrational mindset of this artisan and forever hold a new understanding of Dali's revolutionary ideas and works.

It always is helpful to read the insights of a talented artist, such as Dali, but some insights are better left unsaid. The beginning of this book is funny and interesting, specifically concerning the Surrealist and some of Dali's philosophies. As an artist, I would have appreciated more detail about the technical process behind his work. I did find interesting his use of inanimate objects to assist in his process. As a reader, I could have done without reports on bowel movements or the lengthy description of the comparison between "dirty flies" and "clean flies". As I continued throughout the book, I came to the realization that maybe the book title should have been Ode to Gala or Lord of the Flies II. As Dali switches between first person and third person the question of his genius arises. To refer to oneself continuously as a genius the history of this term should be described in more detail.
The concept of genius has been associated with persons of high intellect although the definition of this word embodies much more. The first refers to an attendant spirit of a person or place. The second states a strong leaning or inclination and third a peculiar, distinctive or identifying character or spirit. Other associations have been made with the word genius such as mad or eccentric.
All artists try to distinguish themselves apart from other artist. I believe in their ventures of discovery they find a technique unique to them self. Some of the techniques discovered have been unconventional or peculiar but not genius.
Dali expresses life experiences that are peculiar and unconventional. This brings to the book a unique read that is sometimes easy to follow. Dali's art will remain to be seen as the work of a genius more so because this is how he marketed himself throughout his life. The one important aspect of this book that should inspire all artists is how to learn to market oneself to become successful in the art world.