Paris Spleen

by Charles Baudelaire, Maurice Stang (Translator)

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 the city with all 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 form 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. This volume also includes Baudelaire's 1851 essay 'Wine and Hashish'.

Alma Classics is committed to make available the widest range of literature from around the globe. All the titles are provided with an extensive critical apparatus, extra reading material including a section of photographs and notes. The texts are based on the most authoritative edition (or collated from the most authoritative editions or manuscripts) and edited using a fresh, intelligent editorial approach. With an emphasis on the production, editorial and typographical values of a book, Alma Classics aspires to revitalize the whole experience of reading the classics.

Genres: Poetry

131 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2017

About the author

Public condemned Les fleurs du mal (1857), obscene only volume of French writer, translator, and critic Charles Pierre Baudelaire; expanded in 1861, it exerted an enormous influence over later symbolist and modernist poets.

Reputation of Charles Pierre Baudelaire rests primarily on perhaps the most important literary art collection, published in Europe in the 19th century. Similarly, his early experiment Petits poèmes en prose (1868) ( Little Prose Poems ) most succeeded and innovated of the time.

From financial disaster to prosecution for blasphemy, drama and strife filled life of known Baudelaire with highly controversial and often dark tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Long after his death, his name represents depravity and vice. He seemingly speaks directly to the 20th century civilization.

Reviews

[Jonfaith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is a hospital where every patient is possessed by the desire to change beds.

I had read Paris Spleen before in a different translation and was certainly thrilled and transported again with this one. The brief essay on Wine and Hashish was new to me. It is a cautionary tale of sorts. One is free to glean the lessons within and ponder the past. That hospital room is disorienting but rather personal. Baudelaire holds up imperfection and asks for a trade. Most won't take the risk despite being tantalized. My own summer of Baudelaire issues but a whimper.

There is certainly more to say.

[Regina Andreassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars not really 4 starts. Here I briefly expose the reasons for my rating : I give Paris Spleen a solid 4.5 stars, Baudelaire’s prose is lyric and rich of symbolism; just as good as his verse. I, however, found Wine and Hashish rather unconvincing and mediocre, I expected more of it, especially due to its brevity, but instead it bored me. Some people may argue that perhaps much of Wine and Hashish is lost in translation but I suspect that there is more than that. Martin Sorrell, the translator, did a superb job translating Paris Spleen, thus, my issue is therefore with Wine and Hashish’s delivery as written by Baudelaire. Wine and Hashish suffers from some degree of verbosity, this is something which some readers may confuse with sophistication. I also found it fairly descriptive yet almost devoid of aesthetic sensibility. Perhaps the problem is that Wine and Hashish does not fit in this book and had I read it separately I may have been more accepting of it and even enjoyed it.

At this stage, I intend to read the French version of Paris Spleen, whilst I have no interest in reading Wine and Hashish in French or any other Romance language, ergo, as a whole, this books deserves 3.75 stars.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this mainly for Paris Spleen. It’s very interesting to see the development of the prose poem through the collection. After entry 30 or so Baudelaire had hit his stride and many of the best poems are found in this latter half. Particular highlights for me were “Windows” and “The Port.” “

Wine and Hashish is a okay as a bonus read and is quite funny.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you get past the fact that Baudelaire was a sexist douchebag you’ll find that his prose poetry is just fucking fantastic.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifty prose poems (some of which we might now refer to as "microfiction") and a short essay comparing wine and hash, one of which the writer clearly favours. Baudelaire's social commentary may not have aged brilliantly (especially the way that he writes about women), but it's hard not to admire the elegance with which his poems unfurl. Worth a look.

[Jordan Cymrot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am having a hard time rating this one. While I found a few of the poems in the collection to be solid 5 star reads, I found the rest to be only 2-3 stars. I ended up giving only 3 (although I wish I could do 3.5) because I thought Wine and Hashish was fascinating and unbelievably well written.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d feel more confident celebrating this if Baudelaire wasn’t so clearly sexist, but even acknowledging the misogyny, I found a great deal to appreciate here, far more than I expected. And “Wine and Hashish” is a tremendous little essay — easily some of the best prose about alcohol I’ve read.

[Cora Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like his poetry but I LOVE his prose

[Raine Gregus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting and I appreciated the lyricism but overall I wasn't impressed.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to get through at some points. This is definitely a collection that is well-written, but I just rarely enjoyed reading it for fun.
Absolutely loved the essay about what it's like to be high.

[Schat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took an A1 DELF test. Thank you, Baudelaire.