A Season in Hell & Illuminations (Modern Library Classics)

Only made better knowing that a teenager wrote it and it became a greatly influential work for the symbolists of 19th century French poetry. Its really pretty amazing. The translation is really good, or at least seems that way to me. I don't read French, so I don't have a feel for the real translation, but Wyatt Whats-His-Name really brings some flavor to it. You can tell at some times that the language isn't original, but it still feels like "Translator Wyatt" has captured something genuine about the manuscript. The history of "Illuminations" is very interesting as well. Worth looking into as it will enhance your enjoyment of the literature.Seasons in Hell is a great read too. Felt I was going a little insane while reading it (in a good way). Highly recommended.The wikipedia page for this cat is really remarkable. Not the beginning where they outline who his dad was and his early life and whatnot, but the section simply labeled "Poetry". It outlines his philosophy, which turned out to be a bit of self fulfilling prophecy for him, who, in case you haven't realized, is one of the great poets of all time. The bit of his life with Verlaine is pretty intriguing in a Jerry Springer sort of a way too, but there is some significance to that era that can't be overlooked in terms of who he was and who he became.Read it and love it. It's a hell of a rabbit hole.

Rimbaud, being Rimbaud, takes you on a twisted journey through his mind in A Season in Hell. The Illuminations may tend to be better reading. Both English translation (impressive translation) and French script.

This book is an old favorite that I've had in more than one edition over the years. It's a proto-Surrealism classic from the 1800s that kind of leads to Rock & Roll and Salvador Dali paintings. It's independent reading for hipsters for sure.

If you want to know where most great songwriters learned much of their craft, read Rimbaud. A veritable orgy of imagery.

These titles were requested while at a book store. I chose this combined titles book. My spouse thought it being consolidated was fine.

They destroyed the it with 3 huge "USED" stickers that tore the cover when I tried to remove them.

This is an excellent translation of Arthur Rimbaud's "A Season In Hell". Whatever Jack Higgens' dreck is being reviewed by so many nearly illiterate pieces of brain-mush under Rimbaud's work are just ignorant.Try putting your reviews with the actual book you ( claim to) have read!!

Rimbaud skillfully draws the reader into the world of damnation, the world of the self. He confronts the essence of nihilism and self-loathing in this remarkable poem, composed at the astonishing age of 19. Like Dante, Milton, and perhaps Pound, Rimbaud is able to bend the language to engage the reader in a transcendental understanding of the human condition and psyche.There are poems in here of promethean beauty that prefigure the rebellious spirit of French artistic bohemians in the dawn of the 20th century:"Long ago, if my memory serves, life was a feast where every heart was open, where every wined flowed. One night, I sat Beauty on my knee.-And I found her bitter.-And Ihurt her.I took arms against justice.I fled, entrusting my treasure to you, o witches, o misery, o hate.I snuffled any hint of human hope from my consciousness. I made the muffled leap of a wild beast into any hint of joy, to strangle it. (3).This is an altogether excellent edition of Season and Hell and Illuminations, with a lucid and stark translation by Wyatt Mason. The Modern English library has also included the original French text, complete with a chronology of the poet's life and comprehensive facsimiles of the original texts for true bookworms who want to look at Rimbaud's corrections.

This is a type of book that'll stay with you forever."At dawn, armed with a burning patience, we shall enter the splendid cities."