Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings cover

Author

Thomas De Quincey

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Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings

by Thomas De Quincey

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About this book

The first literary addiction memoir, featuring the autobiographical Suspiria de Profundis , the inspiration for the 2018 horror film Suspiria , starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton and directed by Luca Guadagnino In this remarkable autobiography, Thomas De Quincey hauntingly describes the surreal visions and hallucinatory nocturnal wanderings he took through London—and the nightmares, despair, and paranoia to which he became prey—under the influence of the then-legal painkiller laudanum. Forging a link between artistic self-expression and addiction,  Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings  seamlessly weaves the effects of drugs and the nature of dreams, memory, and imagination. First published in 1821, it paved the way for later generations of literary drug users, from Baudelaire to Burroughs, and anticipated psychoanalysis with its insights into the subconscious. This edition is based on the original serial version of 1821, and reproduces two “sequels”: Suspiria de Profundis (1845) and The English Mail-Coach (1849). It also includes a critical introduction discussing the romantic figure of the addict and the tradition of confessional literature, and an appendix on opium in the nineteenth century. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Publisher

Penguin

Published

2003-04-29

Pages

352

Language

EN

Biography & Autobiography / MemoirsBody, Mind & Spirit / Entheogens & Visionary SubstancesLiterary Collections / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

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More by Thomas De Quincey

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater cover
Biography & Autobiography2016-02-09

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

Thomas De Quincey

A timeless memoir of drug addiction from one of the leading intellectuals of the Victorian age At first, Thomas De Quincey found opium to be a harmless pleasure. A twenty-year-old intellectual living in nineteenth-century London, De Quincey took laudanum sparingly, spacing out his doses so their effect would not be dulled. But after years of casual use, intense stomach pains caused him to rely on the drug more and more, until he was taking opium daily, and living in a world divided between hallucinatory bliss and aching physical torment. De Quincey’s account of his addiction made him a celebrity. His rhapsodies of hallucination influenced generations of authors, from Poe and Baudelaire to Jorge Luis Borges, and warned countless readers of the dangers of drug dependency.

The Works of Thomas de Quincey, the English Opium Eater cover
Book2015-10-31

The Works of Thomas de Quincey, the English Opium Eater

Including All His Contributions to Periodical Literature

Thomas De Quincey

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Collected Writings of Thomas de Quincey; Volume 1 cover
Book2018-10-25

The Collected Writings of Thomas de Quincey; Volume 1

Thomas de Quincey, D Masson

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Book details

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2003-04-29

Pages: 352

Language: EN

Categories: Biography & Autobiography / Memoirs, Body, Mind & Spirit / Entheogens & Visionary Substances, Literary Collections / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

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