The Flowers of Evil
The Flowers of Evil is the English title of Les Fleurs du mal, Baudelaire's poems first published in France in 1857 by Auguste Poulet-Malassis. A court fined Baudelaire and suppressed six poems; a larger edition followed in 1861. Elkin Mathews issued Cyril Scott's translation in 1909.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First published
- Auguste Poulet-Malassis, 1857
Which edition do you have?
Editions
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
In print
- Editions recorded
- 363 on Open Library, 113 in English
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by Charles Baudelaire
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
How many editions of The Flowers of Evil are there?
We track 1 edition of The Flowers of Evil. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
When was The Flowers of Evil first published?
The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire was first published in 1857.
Can I read The Flowers of Evil for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- Les Fleurs du mal, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire, translated by Cyril Scott, Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 10 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.