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Product Description
The Flowers of Evil, which T. S. Eliot called the greatest example of modern poetry in any language, shocked the literary world of nineteenth century France with its outspoken portrayal of lesbian love, its linking sexuality and death, its unremitting irony, and its unflinching celebration of the seamy side of urban life. The volume was seized by the police, and Baudelaire and his published were put on trial for offence to public decency. Six offending poems were banned, in a conviction that was not overturned until 1949. This bold new translation, which restores the banned poems to their original places and reveals the full richness and variety of the collection, makes available to English speakers a powerful and original version of the world. Jonathan Culler's Introduction outlines this vision, stressing that Baudelaire is more than just the poet of the modern city. Originally to be called `The Lesbians', The Flowers of Evil contains the most extraordinary body of love poetry. The poems also pose the question of the role of evil in our lives, of whether there are not external forces working to frustrate human plans and to enlist men and women on appalling or stultifying scenarios not of their own making.
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First Sentence
Les Fleurs du Mal, the most celebrated collection of verse in the history of modern poetry, first appeared on the horizon in 1845 in an advertisement on a book cover: 'To be published shortly: The Lesbians by Baudelaire-Dufaÿs'. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Les Fleurs du Mal, the most celebrated collection of verse in the history of modern poetry, first appeared on the horizon in 1845 in an advertisement on a book cover: 'To be published shortly: The Lesbians by Baudelaire-Dufaÿs'. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Les Fleurs de Mal is a meditation of the problem of being moral in a new industrial society where the distinction between good and evil no longer seems to be a distinction that can be made. Some of the poems were banned when they were first composed but this collection restores them to their rightful place within the chapters. This is a pretty good translation of the poems although it does sacrifice some of the meaning of the lines in French in order to produce rhyme in English. Read this for a beautiful and striking evocation of bohemian life.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a newcomer to the works of Baudelaire, only having read selected poems, I would recommend The Flowers of Evil to anyone who wishes to discover the genius of this wonderfully long forgotten 19th century classic poet. The Flowers of Evil has rightly been called Baudelaire's greatest, wittiest and most surreal collection of poems for all to enjoy.
26 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Charles Baudelaire is one of the most technically exact and lyrical of all poets. One of the main problems with this otherwise superb book of his poems is the poor translation. James McGowan has taken Baudelaire's beautiful poetry and turned it into turgid writing. The quality of the translations is indicative of the poor scholarly standards that prevail in this era. The poems are almost perfect in the original, but so many liberties have been taken, often for the sake of finding a rhyme, that often the 'essense' as well as the meaning is lost. If James McGowan had refrained from translating Baudelaire's beautiful poetry, our world would be a better place.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Kindle Review - Flowers of Evil (Oxford World Classics)
This is not a comment on the poetry, but a note about the Kindle edition for anyone considering buying it. Read more
Published 20 days ago by David
historic poems
I heard about this book of poems originaly from friends on faceboook, thought ugh! poetry, but I gave one a read and was suitably impressed,it is originally french, but as this... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Paul A. Johnson
The Flowers of Evil
Delivery was good- book in very good condition, with the exception of a few pencil markings inside, but to no effect
Published 18 months ago by Ed
Flowers of Evil.
Strange, risque and understandably controversial.
The 'notes' on the text are helpful otherwise I would have difficulty knowing what he means. Read more
The 'notes' on the text are helpful otherwise I would have difficulty knowing what he means. Read more
Published on 21 July 2009 by Joseph Hill
Poor translation...
The poet needs no introduction. However, the translation is, as another reviewer stated, apalling. The iambic pentameter/alexandrine dilemma has led to some turgid translations,... Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2006 by Richard Riddick
excellent excellent excellent (and not incomprehensible)
I've rated this 4 stars as it's the english version and so although it may be oxford world classics and therefore excellently transalted, some of the rhythm and rhyme of the poems... Read more
Published on 3 May 2003
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