I'm in the planning stages of writing a story about French symbolist poets Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud and I've already run into several road blocks. Although it's obviously not going to be 100% accurate, I'd like to say that I tried...
+ What was Charleville, France (the town Rimbaud grew up in) like in the 1870s? A substantial portion of my story will take place there and so far, Google isn't giving me anything that's not modern.
Terms searched: Charleville, France. Charleville, France 1870s, Charleville, France Rimbaud.
+ What's the Parisian attitude towards homosexuals/infidelity/divorce during this period? (late 1800s) From French class of eons ago, I know that Verlaine and Rimbaud grew to be hugely unpopular and they had to flee the city. Rimbaud also left his wife when he left Paris with Rimbaud, I know the overall picture that this probably would have caused a scandal, but I'd love specific details if anyone has any.
Terms searched: Homosexuality in French History, Arthur Rimbaud Paul Verlaine, Mathilde Verlaine.
