Paris Spleen (New Directions Paperbook) [Paperback]

Charles Baudelaire (Author), Louise Varese (Translator)

Book Description

Series: New Directions Paperbook | Publication Date: January 17, 1970

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: New Directions; 12th edition (January 17, 1970)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811200078
• ISBN-13: 978-0811200073
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baudelaire Vents His Spleen at the Outside World, March 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Paris Spleen (New Directions Paperbook) (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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make sure to get the Varese translation!, December 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Paris Spleen (New Directions Paperbook) (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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The classic translation., September 13, 2006

By 

Uncle Willie (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paris Spleen (New Directions Paperbook) (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.