Customer Reviews

Rimbaud: Complete Works, Selected Letters, a Bilingual Edition

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I do not know French well enough to read these poems without their translations. That is where Wallace Fowlie's literal translations often come in handy. The only problem with his translations is that they tend not be very poetic. Often, Fowlie rearranges word order unnecessarily, creating more functional English, but losing some poetic impact. This isn't a big problem since the French text is right there, and one can get a sense of the beauty of the original poem.

Sometimes, though, the translation fails utterly, as in "Le dormeur du val", where Fowlie translates the phrase "chante une riviere / Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons / D'argent" as "a river sings / Madly catching on the grasses / Silver rags". The sentence in Englsh makes no sense whatsoever, and as I don't know French very well, it took me a long time to realize that Rimbaud was saying the river looked like silver rags on the grass. A little more guidance with the translation would have been appreciated.

All in all, I would recommend this book, as it's the only comprehensive collection of Rimbaud's poems I'm aware of that offers you the French version alongside an English translation. Unless you can read French and will be fine with simply a French version, you should get this book so you will have the original to reference, as you are bound to run into problems with any translation.

I've read around five translations for Rimbaud, and out of all of them this is my choice. It has a nice balance while still retaining the poetic vibe. All of his known poetry is in this book and in an order that is easily followed (unlike Paul Schmidt's translation with Illuminations scattered and partially missing!) The book also comes with all the french versions of the poems which I wish I could read. This to me will always be the definitive Rimbaud translation which I will always keep near.

As for the poetry itself, it is out of this universe. Rimbaud was grouped as apart of the symbolist movement with his hallucinogenic prose and for a reason. If I have ever been in a disassociated mood, it was when I was reading Rimbaud. His poems are vivid, yet vague. He speaks in almost a different tongue on his philosophies and surroundings.

I highly recommend this book.

Possibly, the best translation of Rimbaud's work yet.

After you weep with the orphans, this book
will take you all the way to Ethiopia,
& you will wonder if he left his family there.

I'm so happy a book like this has been made. We've studied many french poets in my French class and Rimbaud seems to have been one of the most exotic and controversial characters in the canon of French poets that were chosen. I'm excited to begin reading them and discovering the kind of thinker Rimbaud was. That his letters have been attached here as well is just icing on the cake. I like to try and translate the original poems on my own but it's always nice to compare the English version supplied to get a better sense of some of the more difficult, shaded French to English translations.

In two words - beyond spectacular. Sheer Genius this is not poetry it is magic. Dark Poetry, but sheer poetical genius. Rimbaud is well beyond the league of Verlaine his famous contemporary and friend. How can you leave this book without being touched by the sheer emotion. Here is the poet's cry from the very depth of the human abyss. I can reread Rimbaud endlessly and yet feel spellbound each time.

The book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner. It was a gift.

If you love Poe, you will love Rimbaud. He isn't as insane as Poe but his writings as dark and mysterious. He shouldn't have died at age 19.