Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) by Charles Baudelaire is a masterwork that scandalized society with its portrayals of sex, same-sex love, death, the corrupting and oppressive power of the modern city, and lost innocence. The book remains powerful and relevant for our time.

In Spleen et idéal, Baudelaire dramatizes the erotic cycle of ecstasy and anguish of sexual and romantic love. Tableaux Parisiens condemns the crushing effects of urban planning on a city's soul and praises the city's anti-heroes, including the deranged and derelict. Le Vin centers on the search for oblivion in drink and drugs. The book explores the many kinds of love that lie outside traditional morality in Fleurs du Mal and rebellion is at the heart of Révolte.