[POE, Edgar Allan (1809-1849)]. Histoires Extraordinaires. Translated by Charles Baudelaire. Paris: Joseph Gibert, 1929. Octavo. (7 3/8 x 4 3/4 inches). 474pp. Printed wrappers. A fine copy of Baudelaire's translation of Poe's Extraordinary Tales. Baudelaire published extensive translations of Edgar Allan Poe's works from 1852 until 1865. These translations reflect the affinity he felt for Poe as a poet and writer. Baudelaire admired the visionary quality of Poe's texts and related to him on many levels. Both lived in poverty and suffered from addictions and depression; were under-appreciated by the literary establishment of their times; and embraced mysticism, the fantastic, the macabre and the grotesque in their writings. Finally, both were searching for answers to philosophical questions in their aesthetic and literary pursuits. It is also worth noting that Baudelaire's translations and critical notes provided some form of income to the poet who was constantly facing a difficult financial situation.With the exception of four poems, Baudelaire's translations focused on Poe's short fiction. Translations of complete works started appearing in 1856 with the publication of Histoires extraordinaires, followed by Nouvelles histoires extraordinaires in 1857, Aventures dArthur Gordon Pym in 1858, Eureka in 1863, and Histoires grotesques et sérieuses in 1865. Through his translations, commentary and criticism, Baudelaire contributed to the favorable reception Poe generally received in Europe and to the high esteem in which European symbolist and surrealist poets held Poe.