This isn't a novel with a clear plot. Think of it more as a map of a volcanic eruption. Poésies complètes collects everything—from Rimbaud's earliest, sarcastic school verses mocking his teachers to the dense, disorienting, and beautiful works of his late teens like The Drunken Boat and A Season in Hell. The 'story' is the rapid, self-destructive evolution of a mind. We see a bored provincial kid declare war on ordinary life and perception, chase extreme experiences, and pour it all into language that tries to break reality itself. Then, abruptly, the poetry stops. The book ends with the beginning of his decades-long silence.

Why You Should Read It

You read this for the lightning strike of his ideas, not for a cozy narrative. Rimbaud believed a poet must become a 'seer' by deranging all their senses. His poems feel like that: chaotic, vivid, and charged with a strange music. He's angry, ecstatic, and disgusted by the modern world all at once. Reading him is like getting a direct feed from a restless, brilliant adolescent brain that decided to reinvent what words could do. It's messy, frustrating, and sometimes breathtaking.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who thinks classic poetry is too stuffy or polite. This is the opposite. It's for readers drawn to mythic, self-destructive artists like Van Gogh, for punk rock fans who want to see where that rebellious spirit started in literature, and for anyone who's ever felt like a restless outsider. Don't expect to understand every line—sometimes you just have to feel the heat coming off the page.