Books

114 pages, hardcover with title stamped in gilt, housed inside black board slipcase with gilt stamping, 11.75" by 9.25". Text in Japanese, with poem in French. Bizarre Japanese photo book from the late 60's Japanese underground, a lysergic pictorial inspired by Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs du Mal." Stunningly printed in rich, deep photogravure on thick paper stock, with exceptional layout - a cast of female characters, predominantly nude, in warped, theatrical poses, deployed in collaged images with graphic embellishments. Amazing book, reminiscent at times of the pictorial work of Shuji Terayama and Tetsuya Ichimura. The work also featured in cult 1968 Japanese horror film Blind Beast, directed by Yasuzo Masumura. Rare. OCLC records only TWO copies in American holdings. In very good condition overall - interior clean, some scrapes and smudges to cover of slipcase, bottom right tip of case only bumped.

"Les Fleurs du mal" (The Flowers of Evil) is a seminal work by Charles Baudelaire, first published in 1857. It stands as one of the most influential collections of poetry in the modernist movement, exploring the complexities of beauty, decadence, and the ephemeral nature of happiness within the urban landscape of 19th-century Paris. Baudelaire delves into themes of love, despair, existential angst, and the search for transcendence, using vivid imagery and innovative poetic techniques to convey his insights and emotions. The collection is renowned for its exploration of the concept of "spleen," a term Baudelaire uses to describe a deep sense of melancholy and disillusionment. This mood is contrasted with the "Ideal," representing moments of beauty, joy, and spiritual elevation. "Les Fleurs du mal" captures the duality of human experience—the coexistence of light and darkness, purity and corruption. Baudelaire's poems navigate the reader through the gritty realities of urban life, touching on themes of alienation, moral decadence, and the impact of industrialization, while also seeking beauty in the mundane and the morbid. Baudelaire's work caused a scandal upon its release, leading to a public obscenity trial and the condemnation of six of the poems, which were only reinstated in later editions after his death. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, "Les Fleurs du mal" has endured as a masterpiece of French literature, influencing countless poets and artists with its complex portrayal of human nature and its pioneering use of symbolist imagery. Through "Les Fleurs du mal," Baudelaire not only reshaped the landscape of poetic form and expression but also offered a haunting, visionary response to the discontents of modern life.