Poetry Books
The Flowers of Evil (Oxford World's Classics)
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Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Author: Charles Baudelaire
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
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Our Price: $11.86
You Save: $ 2.09 ( 15% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Author: Charles Baudelaire
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Average Customer Rating:
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The Flowers of Evil (Oxford World's Classics) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 841.8
EAN: 9780192835451
ISBN: 0192835459
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 464
Publication Date: 1998-09-17
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
Dewey Decimal Number: 841.8
EAN: 9780192835451
ISBN: 0192835459
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 464
Publication Date: 1998-09-17
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
Editorial Review of The Flowers of Evil (Oxford World's Classics)
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 of sexuality and death, its unremitting irony, and its unflinching celebration of the seamy side of urban life. Including the French texts and comprehensive explanatory notes to the poems, this extraordinary body of love poems restores the six poems originally banned in 1857, revealing the richness and variety of the collection.
Customer Reviews of The Flowers of Evil (Oxford World's Classics)
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: for the love of depravity
Review: This book is a leftover from a long ago break-up with a French Athiest boyfriend many, many years ago... he was obsessed with Baudelaire and I wasn't. A bit raw for the sake of depravity, if you ask me. The "all women are vile" got a bit too repetitive for my taste. Even his moments of tenderness come across as cold and empty remorse, much like a child who gets scolded for being bad and then only apologizes because he was sorry he was caught. The one saving grace is that this Oxford version offers facing French text to compare language "differentials" .
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: McGowan's Baudelaire
Review: Every translation of poetry is a compromise - on the one hand, the translator wants to "carry over" (the literal meaning of "translation") the poet's words and meaning exactly, but on the other hand, the translator also wants to create a poem that is as beautiful as the original! It is not an easy task.
McGowan's 1993 translation, into rhyming and metrical English verse, leans to the "literal" end of this spectrum. He renders Baudelaire's words, images, and verse closely enough that the reader can get a pretty reliable idea of the original. Although this is a faithful translation that stays away from "poetic license" and flights of fancy, it still reads well in English.
As an example of its acceptance in the world of Baudelaire studies, McGowan's translation is the one that is used by "The Cambridge Companion to Baudelaire" (ed. Rosemary Lloyd, 2005) for all quotations from Les Fleurs du Mal. If I could only have one English-language translation of Baudelaire in my library, this would be a good first choice.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The lurid and arabesque world of Baudelaire
Review: Such a great price for a book with so much superb poetry! I really love Poe and the decadent poets and French Symbolists, and this book is a great introduction to the works of Baudelaire. I first picked this up in a library in Canada, then got a copy of it for myself when I returned back home. The cover art is nice too -- it seems to reflect that exotic world of poisons and deadly flowers that seem so representative of Baudelaire; however, there are also some very spiritual poems here that show how multifaceted he was as an artist. I highly recommend this book, if only for the price itself.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A 2007 review
Review: I am disappointed by this translation, it being the Oxford World Classic by James McGowan. I compared some of McGowan's word choices when he switched from the French to English (the French text is beside English). I switched them back again by inserting Baudelaire's original word in the sentence (an exact English equivalent in spelling at times) and the line went from meek to brazen! Why would McGowan change something like that when the original poet is the master? McGowan should have trusted Baudelaire's work to shine through on its own. As a result, the edge was taken off the blade.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Mistaken identity
Review: None of the reader reviews below (prior to August 2006, the month of this translation's publication), have anything to do with this translation by Keith Waldrop. So read it for yourself, or wait for reviews by those that have. All translations of foreign language poetry into English have differences--especially as here where one is done in versets--and a review of one translation cannot suffice for another.
Review Summary: for the love of depravity
Review: This book is a leftover from a long ago break-up with a French Athiest boyfriend many, many years ago... he was obsessed with Baudelaire and I wasn't. A bit raw for the sake of depravity, if you ask me. The "all women are vile" got a bit too repetitive for my taste. Even his moments of tenderness come across as cold and empty remorse, much like a child who gets scolded for being bad and then only apologizes because he was sorry he was caught. The one saving grace is that this Oxford version offers facing French text to compare language "differentials" .
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: McGowan's Baudelaire
Review: Every translation of poetry is a compromise - on the one hand, the translator wants to "carry over" (the literal meaning of "translation") the poet's words and meaning exactly, but on the other hand, the translator also wants to create a poem that is as beautiful as the original! It is not an easy task.
McGowan's 1993 translation, into rhyming and metrical English verse, leans to the "literal" end of this spectrum. He renders Baudelaire's words, images, and verse closely enough that the reader can get a pretty reliable idea of the original. Although this is a faithful translation that stays away from "poetic license" and flights of fancy, it still reads well in English.
As an example of its acceptance in the world of Baudelaire studies, McGowan's translation is the one that is used by "The Cambridge Companion to Baudelaire" (ed. Rosemary Lloyd, 2005) for all quotations from Les Fleurs du Mal. If I could only have one English-language translation of Baudelaire in my library, this would be a good first choice.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The lurid and arabesque world of Baudelaire
Review: Such a great price for a book with so much superb poetry! I really love Poe and the decadent poets and French Symbolists, and this book is a great introduction to the works of Baudelaire. I first picked this up in a library in Canada, then got a copy of it for myself when I returned back home. The cover art is nice too -- it seems to reflect that exotic world of poisons and deadly flowers that seem so representative of Baudelaire; however, there are also some very spiritual poems here that show how multifaceted he was as an artist. I highly recommend this book, if only for the price itself.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A 2007 review
Review: I am disappointed by this translation, it being the Oxford World Classic by James McGowan. I compared some of McGowan's word choices when he switched from the French to English (the French text is beside English). I switched them back again by inserting Baudelaire's original word in the sentence (an exact English equivalent in spelling at times) and the line went from meek to brazen! Why would McGowan change something like that when the original poet is the master? McGowan should have trusted Baudelaire's work to shine through on its own. As a result, the edge was taken off the blade.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Mistaken identity
Review: None of the reader reviews below (prior to August 2006, the month of this translation's publication), have anything to do with this translation by Keith Waldrop. So read it for yourself, or wait for reviews by those that have. All translations of foreign language poetry into English have differences--especially as here where one is done in versets--and a review of one translation cannot suffice for another.