The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí is an astonishing and uncompromising glimpse into the master of surrealism's life and mind.

When you see the word 'surrealism', what's the first thing that comes to mind?

If you're like most of us, it's a Salvador Dalí painting.

You probably saw it in a middle school textbook in art class; you know, one with the melting clocks hanging on tree branches.

At times macabre, written with near poetic density even through its French-to-English translation, Dalí's autobiography is a stunning glimpse into the swirling mind of one of the 20th century's most profound artists.

Much of what Dalí describes is what even the most forthright of today's celebrities would want to hide. Yet Dalí spares himself nothing in exposing details of his darkest impulses and struggles with mental illness.

As gifted a writer as he was an artist, the book is full of scenes painted as vividly with language as Dalí's works on canvas.

A celebrity in his own time, the Spanish-born painter's work has been exhibited all over the world in galleries, museums, feature films, and has become an artistic and popular culture touchstone.