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Baudelaire
Traces the life of the controversial French poet, describes the financial, emotional, and health problems that plagued him, and looks at his relations with fellow writers and intellectuals
602 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 26, 2009
This biography of one of poetry's modern masters, Charles Baudelaire, was an interesting read for me because I didn't know much about his background. Like any other english lit major, I'd read some of his poetry (Les Fleurs du mal being his most famous) and heard stories about his eccentricities.
This book dispels a few myths and spells out that Baudelaire led rather a miserable life - he was largely unappreciated for his extraordinary poetry in his time, was perpetually broke, had physical ailments, and had a full-on Oedipus Complex.
The book probably spends too much time quoting Baudelaire's incessant begging for money in his letters to his mother and others. After a while that level of detail was draining. But it also helped to show how much of his time he spent just trying to live his life above the breadline.
Baudelaire's character wasn't flatteringly drawn in the book, although it was obvious that the author was very sympathetic to him - not just due to his poetic gifts, but for how he was treated as a child by his mother and step-father.
As for Baudelaire's poetry, it really is sublime. As the book notes a number of times, the exquisite nature of his poetic mind was a stark contrast to the miserable and cynical way he lived. The subject matter of most of his poetry is troubling and sometimes grotesque, but his imagery is brilliant and highly evocative.
I've been reading his poems at the same time, and I've been blown away by the richness of the images and language. As the book notes, Baudelaire saw the world as a dictionary full of symbols.
Baudelaire also believed in "correspondences" between the arts (literature, music, painting, etc), and between the senses. I'm very much a believer of that too. So far I've followed literature and music most closely. I do need to improve my knowledge of art, but that's on my agenda too!
Finally, the book also stated that Baudelaire was "a classic in his technique and a romantic in his inspiration."
I'll be continuing to devour Baudelaire's poetry. His words are an inspiration, even if how he lived his life is not.
This book dispels a few myths and spells out that Baudelaire led rather a miserable life - he was largely unappreciated for his extraordinary poetry in his time, was perpetually broke, had physical ailments, and had a full-on Oedipus Complex.
The book probably spends too much time quoting Baudelaire's incessant begging for money in his letters to his mother and others. After a while that level of detail was draining. But it also helped to show how much of his time he spent just trying to live his life above the breadline.
Baudelaire's character wasn't flatteringly drawn in the book, although it was obvious that the author was very sympathetic to him - not just due to his poetic gifts, but for how he was treated as a child by his mother and step-father.
As for Baudelaire's poetry, it really is sublime. As the book notes a number of times, the exquisite nature of his poetic mind was a stark contrast to the miserable and cynical way he lived. The subject matter of most of his poetry is troubling and sometimes grotesque, but his imagery is brilliant and highly evocative.
I've been reading his poems at the same time, and I've been blown away by the richness of the images and language. As the book notes, Baudelaire saw the world as a dictionary full of symbols.
Baudelaire also believed in "correspondences" between the arts (literature, music, painting, etc), and between the senses. I'm very much a believer of that too. So far I've followed literature and music most closely. I do need to improve my knowledge of art, but that's on my agenda too!
Finally, the book also stated that Baudelaire was "a classic in his technique and a romantic in his inspiration."
I'll be continuing to devour Baudelaire's poetry. His words are an inspiration, even if how he lived his life is not.
April 30, 2013
I prefer this to the Starkie biography which Richardson worked on as a research assistant. Particularly good on the day to day life and Baudelaire's struggle with poverty, her description of a down at heel funeral procession interrupted by a summer thunderstorm unforgettable. Crenom! Four stars.
March 10, 2010
I thought I wouldn't be sad when Baudelaire died, because he was a bit of a dick, but I did. Poor guy lived a horrible life and died a horrible death, but left us the most amazing poems!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews