One of the founding texts of literary modernism.
Set in a modern, urban Paris, the prose pieces in this volume constitute a further exploration of the terrain Baudelaire had covered in his verse masterpiece, The Flowers of Evil: the city and its squalor and inequalities, the pressures of time and mortality, and the liberation provided by the sensual delights of intoxication, art, and women. Published posthumously in 1869, Paris Spleen was a landmark publication in the development of the genre of prose poetry—a format which Baudelaire saw as particularly suited for expressing the feelings of uncertainty, flux, and freedom of his age—and one of the founding texts of literary modernism.
Paris Spleen (New Directions Paperbook)
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“The cadenced prose beats in perfect time with the pulse of the slumbering city, where only the strange is awake. The atmosphere is old, dirty, often sordid, and yet, somehow, glorious.... The translation is almost perfect.” (John Randolph - Chicago Tribune )
About the Author
Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) is most famous for his groundbreaking collection of verse The Flowers of Evil, but his essays, translations, and prose poems have been equally influential.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The book that helped me overcome my prejudice against poetry--I carried "Paris Spleen" around with me for a couple of weeks after I first read it, and kept turning back to certain poems as I went about my daily errands. Even though it's nearly 150 years old it seems as timely and contemporary as it must have seemed when it was first published--absolutely top-notch.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is a wonderful book -- Baudelaire's prose poems perfectly capture the spirit of 19th century Paris as it rushes into modernism. Don't be seduced by prettier editions of this book -- it is crucial to get the Varese translation! Also, Walter Benjamin's early to mid twentieth century critique of Baudelarie should not be missed.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Uncle Willie
Format:Paperback
An elegant, accurate, and readable translation of this wonderful little book that can revolutionize your way of seeing and thinking. Some newer, and in some ways, better translations have appeared since this one became the "standard," but it's still a good buy and a sure bet for reading pleasure.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charles
Charles Baudelaire, what an amazing French poet, what a sensitive soul, his words delicately and passionately strung together. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Damon-Lewis
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as compelling as the flowers of evil, but still has its moments
I think I prefer the flowers of evil, but Baudilaire's attempt to create a poetic prose with these short pieces is still full of lots of fun. Read more
Published 14 months ago by jafrank
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paris Spleen Book
I used this book my freshmen year of college in an English class. It was very interesting and insightful. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Brandy
5.0 out of 5 stars
"In Autumn All Things Think Through Us Or We Through Them"
Charles Baudelaire's 'Paris Spleen' (1869) is a wonderfully original work, one happily outside the framework of American literature and its broad range of sensibilities. Read more
Published on September 18, 2002 by J. E. Barnes
4.0 out of 5 stars
poems in prose
Yes, Baudelaire, himself told to his friend Troubat:"These are The flowers of evil again, but with more freedom,much more detailes, and much more mockery". Read more
Published on April 18, 2001 by Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars
stand back
great.....witty...often times very beautiful descriptions of love...smashing into reality....makes you let go of hatred and stand back and chuckle...at the way things are
Published on March 4, 1998
Citations (learn more)
100
books
cite this book:
See all 100 books citing this book
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