Art: Not So Secret Life

The dapper Spanish painter Salvador ("soft watches") Dali has published his autobiography.* It is a wild jungle of fantasy, posturing, belly laughs, narcissist and sadist confessions. It is stuffed with Dali's paranoiac paintings, sketches and constructions (see cut), is one of the most irresistible books of the year. Dali, whatever else he is, is a character. He stands, among other things, against Buddha and Spinach, for Maturity and Snails.

The question has always been: Is Dali crazy? The book indicates that Dali is as crazy as a fox. Dali is a superb draftsman, whose...