Les Fleurs du Mal

Les Fleurs du Mal

Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867)

Approximate level
C1
Length
25,982 words
Reading time
2 h 10 min
Chapters
125
Language
French
On Project Gutenberg since
2004

This preface provides historical context for Charles Baudelaire's influential poetry collection, Les Fleurs du Mal. Written in the nineteenth century, the text offers a scholarly look at the publication process and the legal controversies that followed. For a learner of French, this prose is quite demanding. It features complex sentence structures, formal vocabulary, and nuanced literary commentary. You will encounter sophisticated syntax that requires careful attention to detail, making it a challenging but rewarding read for those interested in French literary history.

2,879 downloads on Project Gutenberg

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Subjects

  • French poetry -- 19th century

Questions about this book

What level of French do I need for this book?

The estimate is C1, based on how common the words are and how long the sentences run. It is an approximation, not a test result. With a translation under every sentence you can start one level earlier than you would with a paper copy.

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How long does it take to read?

About 2 h 10 min at a native pace, spread over 125 chapters. In a foreign language plan for more: half an hour a day finishes a book of this size in a few weeks.

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Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain.