Confessions of an English Opium Eater
Rating :
Author(s) :
Pages :
267
Pub Date :
1994
Edition(s) at Erowid :
1876(hb,vg-/n),1992(hb w/box,fine)
Publisher :
Wordsworth Classic
ISBN :
1853260967
FROM THE EROWID REVIEW #
- Review by JF, 2001 Jun 24
de Quincy might be said to have paved the way for the writings of William James on nitrous oxide, Aldous Huxley on mescaline and even the gonzo journalism of Hunter S. Thompson. But de Quincy has nowhere near the stature of Huxley, either as a writer or as a thinker -- for good reason.. . . (more)
BACK COVER #
Confessions of an English Opium Eater (1821) relates Thomas De Quincey's early life and experiences of opium addiction at a time when that drug was widely used for the relief of pain, and before its addictive qualities were properly understood. It is a work which encompasses amusement with nightmare as the author experiences in turn the marvels of opium induced dreams and the equally vivid nightmares which are their counterpoint.