I Promise to Be Good: The Letters of Arthur Rimbaud

By Arthur Rimbaud

Book Overview

The first collection of correspondence by the author in English sheds new light on the enigmatic poet, as it reflects on topics ranging from the essence of art and his period as a visionary rebel, to his self-imposed exile in Africa and the Middle East.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 067964301X
• ISBN13: 9780679643012
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Modern Library
• Length: 364 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating Read

How sad it is that so little is known of Arthur Rimbaud, who is arguably one of the greatest poets to have ever lived. If not for his letters, we would know even less. As it is, these letters give us an autobiographical glimpse into Rimbaud's mind and personality. Wyatt Mason has done a great job here, translating and chronologically organizing this companion piece to his brilliant Rimbaud Complete. I don't know which is more fascinating: That Mason was able to collect so many of Rimbaud's letters, or that the letters still existed after all these years. Clearly his family and acquaintances had an inkling of Rimbaud's importance, and they must have suspected that his artistry would leave an indelible mark on the literary world. For all its detail, however, the one thing missing from this volume is an appendix of the French text accompanying the English translation - which definitely enhanced Rimbaud Complete. There are a few reproductions of original letters here, as well as some other interesting photographs, but I think the book would have benefited greatly from the same treatment as Wyatt's previous work. I find it odd that he would omit such an important element to this particular publication. A full-scale reproduction of the documents would have been perfect. Barring that, the French text would be most logical. After all, the book is subtitled, The Letters of Arthur Rimbaud. A reader might expect to see more of the letters.

Above All . . .

Rimbaud liked to use the phrase, "above all" in many of his early letters, which according to Wyatt Mason is indicative of his imperious personality. As one reads on, Rimbaud's demands serve a desperate purpose: he wants to improve himself through literature, and get out of town. He demands freedom. There are some 250 letters collected here, some for the first time in English. Of these, only 30 were written during the time when he was writing poetry. This is all that has been found and collected. Additionally, a few photographs Rimbaud took while in Abyssinia are printed, along with others of Africa, including the slick cover photograph of what appears to be Rimbaud and his co-workers in Aden - never before printed as far as I know. Mason's introduction goes a long way to get to the heart of the real vs. the mythical Rimbaud, and he takes to task previous biographers for simultaneously debunking and promoting the Rimbaud myth. He goes on to compare Rimbaud's letters with those of Van Gogh (I would also include Gauguin, for they all lived & wrote in the same years). The main difference of course being that Van Gogh wrote extensively and confessionally about art and life, while Rimbaud only briefly outlined his thoughts on poetry in the so-called "seer letters". Comparing the relative "salaciousness" and quality of the artist's letters, Mason writes: "There is little of that register in Rimbaud's correspondence. Rather, a sober impatience running from first letter to last. And it is the uniqueness of this tone - a relentless striving - that so informs our understanding of Rimbaud, both as poet and trader."For those readers unacquainted with Rimbaud and hoping for first-hand accounts of his Parisian adventures, his European travels, debauched meetings with other poets and artists, and poetical inspirations they will likely be disappointed in the long run. Those who are familiar with Rimbaud know that once he left for Africa, he stopped writing poetry. He had gained nothing positive from it, and the Verlaine affair probably pushed him over the edge once and for all. And so he sought his riches in "business"; although, quite unordinary, and therefore, interesting business as a trader in the far reaches of the French colonial empire. To enjoy these letters one must be willing to look past Rimbaud the "genius, maudit, child poet", and open their eyes to the "Somebody Else" of Charles Nicholl's 1997 titled biography. Whether or not you already have a collection of Rimbaud's poems, or intend to buy Mason's Volume I "Rimbaud Complete", Volume II: "I Promise to Be Good" is an invaluable counterpart to the poems, and are the sources for many conjectures and "facts" found in the biographies. On the other hand, if you want to stay away from biographies altogether, but still want to get closer to Rimbaud the person than otherwise possible via his sometimes illusive poems, then "I Promise to Be Good" is the most direct way to go. There is a biographical chro