A Season in Hell

By Arthur Rimbaud

A Season in Hell is an extended poem written and published in 1873 by French writer Arthur Rimbaud. The book had a considerable influence on later artists and poets, for example the Surrealists. Henry Miller was important in introducing Rimbaud to America in the sixties. He once attempted an English translation of the book and wrote an extended essay on Rimbaud and A Season in Hell titled The Time of the Assassins. The poem is loosely divided into nine parts, some of which are much shorter than others. They differ markedly in tone and narrative comprehensibility, with some, such as "Bad Blood," 'being much more obviously influenced by Rimbaud's drug use than others, some argue. Academic critics have arrived at many varied and often entirely incompatible conclusions as to what meaning and philosophy may or may not be contained in the text, and will continue to do so.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781105554995

Reviews for A Season in Hell

[over.the.edge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I discovered Rimbaud in High School, and since then his tormented and garroulous spirit have inspired me and I find myself returning to his prose and poetry often......this is a complete collection of his work, edited by Wyatt Mason; and I still read this like it was new and fresh to me. His words and wording bring up not just images, but an illusion that is immediately recognizable and relatable. This book is divided according to periods of his life, but every piece could stand alone. I find in his work, so many sentences that to me are amazing and thought provoking. This is what stays with me, his words, and how he can twist a sentence to wrap around itself and leave you so sure of his emotive, you feel you could have written it yourself....

[garyseverance-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) was a French poet who experimented with many verse structures at an early age. Always interested in the theme of liberty, Rimbaud’s work challenged the boundaries of traditional poetic expression. Wyatt Mason, the translator of the poet’s work in Rimbaud Complete (2003), wrote a wonderful description of Rimbaud’s style. “And the poems – vessels of indeterminacy, ambiguity and frequently strange beauty – are easily disfigured by a blunt critical blade.” Reading this description, the reader can understand the popularity of the poet’s work with the “Beat” generation and the surrealists. Much of the work translated by Mason is reminiscent of Alan Ginsberg’s beat poem “Howl” and Andre Breton’s surrealist novel, Nadja.Mason’s translation is an attempt to remain true to the French but also help the reader experience Rimbaud’s images with contemporary English expressions. This process produces art that is very different from other translations of the poet's work. The reader has to be open to free association of images, tangential emotions, and surprising personal reactions. Later, this would be the ‘stuff’ of Kerouac, Kesey, Burroughs, Ginsberg, Breton, Genet and others.I read the book with frequent surprising flights of fancy that I scribbled in the margins of the book. This is the best way to stay in tune with Rimbaud who I believe meant his work to produce such reader reaction. Of course, he meant the work for the few free spirits who might someday chuck it all and hit the road as he did. Timothy Leary’s infamous line, “Tune in, turn on, drop out” captures the insightful reader’s approach to the work of Arthur Rimbaud.

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredibly emotional and beautiful stuff.

[apc251 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every young man should read this, at least those serious about life, love, literature, and art. I was in my early twenties and was told about it by a friend in college. I was in the process of deranging my own senses at the time and it was a wonderful roadmap.

[jenesuispas_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Schmidt's way of translating these poems is seen by many as controversial, in some ways he almost rewrites poems to make them fit a certain structure. What makes this so special? Rimbaud paid close attention to the structure in his own original poetry, they were considered ingeniously song-like and lyrical by his contemporaries. Schmidt manages to imitate this without changing too much of the content--he merely "swirls" it around, preserving the wit and beauty in Rimbaud's language along with the scatology. Just compare "The Stolen Heart" to any other version.

[poetontheone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is not even necessary to mention that Rimbaud's succinct oeuvre of poetry, all written before the age of 20, had a profound impact on Modern Literature. His poetry is replete with vivid and decadent imagery. These poems, accompanied by a selection of letters, give the reader a startling glimpse into a restless soul. Schmidt's rhythmic and fluid translation only heightens this intimacy. Rimbaud is a poet not to be passed over.

[gary237 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) was a French poet who experimented with many verse structures at an early age. Always interested in the theme of liberty, Rimbaud’s work challenged the boundaries of traditional poetic expression. Wyatt Mason, the translator of the poet’s work in Rimbaud Complete (2003), wrote a wonderful description of Rimbaud’s style. “And the poems – vessels of indeterminacy, ambiguity and frequently strange beauty – are easily disfigured by a blunt critical blade.” Reading this description, the reader can understand the popularity of the poet’s work with the “Beat” generation and the surrealists. Much of the work translated by Mason is reminiscent of Alan Ginsberg’s beat poem “Howl” and Andre Breton’s surrealist novel, Nadja.Mason’s translation is an attempt to remain true to the French but also help the reader experience Rimbaud’s images with contemporary English expressions. This process produces art that is very different from other translations of the poet's work. The reader has to be open to free association of images, tangential emotions, and surprising personal reactions. Later, this would be the ‘stuff’ of Kerouac, Kesey, Burroughs, Ginsberg, Breton, Genet and others.I read the book with frequent surprising flights of fancy that I scribbled in the margins of the book. This is the best way to stay in tune with Rimbaud who I believe meant his work to produce such reader reaction. Of course, he meant the work for the few free spirits who might someday chuck it all and hit the road as he did. Timothy Leary’s infamous line, “Tune in, turn on, drop out” captures the insightful reader’s approach to the work of Arthur Rimbaud.

[mewilbur · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant and cheeky. Rimbaud pushed the envelope of French poetry to its limits, then stopped writing at age 20.