Confessions of an English Opium Eater (Penguin Classics)

Book Description

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 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.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Autobiographical Work of Art.......2007-08-10

I stumbled on this book while I was a long-haired undergrad in college many years ago, and I selected it (probably because of the intriguing, rebellious-sounding title) to write a term paper on for a class I was taking in biography. I have nursed a special attraction for this work of literary art ever since those days, and currently own it in several different editions, including this one from Penguin Classics.

While his writing is probably tough-going for the typical modern day reader, De Quincey was truly a master stylist of English prose (one of the greatest who ever lived) and the writing here is lushly impeccable -- beautiful and poetic. Contemporary readers, do not be afraid of this kind of book! Sure, it might be difficult to read (it's certainly not "dummied down" like so much modern day stuff), but if you don't try, I think you'll be missing out on a great adventure. After all, consider, Shakespeare and the Bible are difficult to read too!

In any event, these writings of De Quincey's, quite autobiographical, tell of the marvelous stimulus to creativity and pleasure that opium can provide (at least, in the initial phases) to those who become emeshed in her dark empire, as well as the chilling aftermath -- the pathetic fear and trembling that inevitably follow from addiction. At his peak usage, I have read that De Quincey was doing around 8,000 drops a day (approximately 80 teaspoons). As one of the other reviewers here correctly noted, tincture of opium (I think that it actually came as a liquid blend of opium, drinking alcohol, and cinnamon) was sold over-the-counter as medicine in neighborhood apothecary shops (drug stores and pharmacies) in those days.

The "Confessions" date from 1822, while a complementary sequel, "Suspiria de Profundis", dates from 1845. De Qunicey, who relapsed three times after trying to "clean himself up" and "go straight", passed away in December 1859, right about the time that Baudelaire (who also died an opium addict -- in 1867) was completing his own book (it was in direct response to De Quincey's) about the dreamy debacheries of hashish and opium, entitled "Artificial Paradises".

Flawless, beautiful prose, compelling autobiography........2007-05-18

This is English that one can luxuriate in and enjoy for it's precision and beauty. There are few if any English compositions that better convey subjective feeling than this book. You feel as though you are inside the author's mind as he writes so exactly and sympathetically.

As a recounting of a man's struggle with addiction it is a compelling story.

Not visions of sugar plums.......2004-12-01

It's a classic of course, but not very readable as pure entertainment.Probably the parts about his opium addiction, which are pages 44-88, are of most interest today. To be frank, most of the rest is hard going unless you're adept at reading early nineteenth century English, perhaps an English or history major. De Quincey was a rambling and digressive writer, even by nineteenth century standards. There is some fascination in the interlocking lives of this circle of writers of the romantic movement (the "Lake Poets";Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey, and their contemporaries Keats, Shelley and Byron) especially if you've read Richard Holmes's wonderful biographies.
You can get the "Confessions of an English Opium Eater" alone cheaper in the Dover edition. This Penguin Classics edition contained other writings which are of limited appeal, but the notes and the introduction and appendix by Barry Mulligan make it more understandable and provide useful historical background about opium use.
Opium was freely available over the counter in England until 1858, so this could be read as a warning about what might happen with legalization. It has always been a puzzle that De Quincey and Coleridge described vivid dreams and hallucinations as part of their experience, whereas opioids used by addicts today are not usually hallucinogenic. De Quincey was aware that his experiences were atypical and offered his own explanations ("one whose talk is of oxen will dream of oxen").
I was intrigued his account of the relief of his withdrawal symptoms by the use of valerian (prescribed by Bell of Bell's palsy).

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater: and Other Writings (Oxford World's Classics)

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This is the DeQuincey you want
A masterpiece from a brilliant yet ignored philosopher

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater: and Other Writings (Oxford World's Classics)
Thomas De Quincey
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192836544

Book Description

This selection of De Quincey's writings includes the title piece--his most famous work--as well as "On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth," "The English Mail-Coach," and the Suspiria de Profundis.

Customer Reviews:

This is the DeQuincey you want.......2001-01-11

If you are choosing between several editions of the -Opium Eater-, this one is the one you want.

True, it does not have Alethea Hayter's introduction, like the Penguin edition has; that being a point in that one's favour. But here you -also- get the entire -Suspiria de Profundis-, which is in many ways more beautiful and interesting than the Opium Eater itself. -Levana and Our Ladies of Sorrow- must surely be the single greatest prose poem ever written in English.

The -Suspiria- was intended as a sequel to the -Opium Eater-, and those who enjoy the one will want them both.

A masterpiece from a brilliant yet ignored philosopher.......1998-12-17

This masterpiece of literature is a fascinating account of the pains and pleasures of opium as well as an autobiographical account of his youth. This books illustrates that sometimes moral or other world issues are not always in black and white. A sensitive and beautiful man, de Quincy's great book is a treasure!!!!

The Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

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The Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
Thomas De Quincey
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ASIN: 1420927078

Book Description

"I here present you, courteous reader, with the record of a remarkable period in my life: according to my application of it, I trust that it will prove not merely an interesting record, but in a considerable degree useful and instructive." So begins "The Confessions of an English Opium-Eater." Originally published in two parts in the "London Magazine" in 1821, it is a gripping account of one Englishman's addiction to opium. Thomas De Quincey details the effects of his opium use and in so doing warns the reader of the dangers and terrors of serious drug addiction.

Confessions of an English Opium-eater (Penguin Popular Classics)

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Confessions of an English Opium-eater (Penguin Popular Classics)
Thomas De Quincey
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Confessions of an English Opium Eater (Dover Thrift Editions)

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Trainspotting -- Early 19th Century Style
For Verbiage Junkies Only
I confess, I found it severely lacking
Not the common definition of "confession"....
A Great Book and A Great Writer

Confessions of an English Opium Eater (Dover Thrift Editions)
Thomas De Quincey
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486287424

Book Description

Impressive account — admired for its introspective penetration and journalistic astuteness — of author's early years as a precocious student of Greek and Latin, his adventures among the outcasts and prostitutes of London, studies at Oxford University, introduction to opium in 1804 and his longterm involvement with the drug.

Customer Reviews:

Trainspotting -- Early 19th Century Style.......2003-07-18

I recently learned that Thomas De Quincey attended my school, although this is a fact that is not prominent in its promotional literature (having the distinction of being the alma mater of one of history's most famous drug addicts not being high on the list of items deemed likely to attract the attention of well-heeled parents seeking a school for their precocious ten-year olds). This is a drug memoir of sorts, but it is washed in a romantic aestheticism that distinguishes it from the familiar gritty and sordid morality plays of more recent times. De Quincy sometimes comes off as an erudite version of the charcher played by Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting. Entertaining stuff, if a little dry in places.

For Verbiage Junkies Only.......2002-11-30

Thomas De Quincey was a contemporary of Wordsworth and more importantly in terms of comparison, Coleridge. He writes that Coleridge and he met several times and in one instance they perused some Parnesi prints together. Whether on not they were both high at the time, De Quincey doesn't reveal. However, given the tenor of the tangent upon which De Quincey expounds, it is certain that at least he was using, and given Coleridge's history, he probably was a well. Why do I cite this incident? Because it is one of the few points in the narrative that is memorable. As someone interested in literary figures, the image of two 19th century literary hop-heads grooving-out whilst staring at Parnesi prints (you should look up Parnesi on the web - a definite precursor to M.C. Escher)is just plain marvelous.

Unfortunately, that, and a few paragraphs depicting some truly macabre nightmares are the only noteworthy incidents in this book. Too often, De Quicey's labarynthine riffs doen't really lead anywhere. His writing style in some ways can be compared to another of his more illustrious contemporaries, Thomas Carlyle's. Both go in for elongated Latinate constructions, with modifier upon modifier and dependent and independent clauses ad infinitum. Carlyle, however, can pull it off. His great wit and energy of mind holds the center of the thought together, even as the rest of his sentence veers off into Baroque space. De Quincey is not an adept enough magician to perform this trick.

De Quincey's subject is himself. His mode of writing in this instance is primarily that of a diarist. This leads to comparisons with some other English diarists of note. Two that come immediately to mind are Defoe (A Journal of the Plague Year) and Pepys (the most famous of all). De Quincey doesn't hold up well in comparision. Defoe's journal is interesting because his subject matter is compelling, he's a great journalist (conveying to our mind's eye the events he depicts), and he gets to the point. Pepys is wonderful because he provides us a full panorama of life in London in the latter half of the 17th century. De Quincey is so absorbed in his solipsistic self-examination, that we as readers aren't even allowed to come up for air, much less see anything around us. That would even be permissable if the narrator were like Proust's Swann, who is at least likeable and self-effacing. Not so De Quincey. He interupts his own narrative on countless occasions to tell us what a splendid scholar he is and (to borrow a phrase from Ophelia) "what a great mind is here o'erthrown." He peppers the text with words like "heautontimoroumenos" to indicate that he is learned in Greek. Throughout the narrative, he is in way to big a hurry to impress these points upon the reader, instead of allowing the reader to judge for him/herself.

If you want to know what it's like to be a junkie, read Burroughs. If you want to read some painfully constructed English prose, give this one a go.
BK

I confess, I found it severely lacking.......2002-01-27

Confessions of an Opium Eater, almost entirely autobiographical, has a great many words of text but fails to say much of anything. Worse yet, it suffers form the greatest of literary afflictions....want of interesting writing.

Confessions has the appeal of listening to the incoherent, unorganized ramblings of a thoroughly bland speechgiver. He gives fits of lucidity to his story, in the form of making a point, only to derail it into some meaningless anecdote or philosophical pondering that leaves you wondering what his original point was to begin with.

The sum of his story is he began taking opium to alleviate the pain from a stomach malady and through increased use and increasing dosage became an addict. Little insight is given that would be relevant to understanding modern day drug abuse. However, much of the physical effects of opium abuse related by the author are common to the hell of chemical abuse suffered by today's addict.

I cannot remember the last time I fell asleep reading a novel but I did so 4 times while reading Confessions from sheer boredom. The unimaginative use of his obviously well developed vocabulary coupled with a story that ultimately goes nowhere made reading this book a most unbearable, tediuos chore.

Not the common definition of "confession"...........2001-07-26

When I first heard of this book, I thought that it was a work of fiction. Given my basic knowledge of the Victorian era, I didn't think anyone, much less a writer, would stand up and talk about addiction. Alas, I was wrong, but do not regret reading this in the least.

Although this book is short, about 70 pages for this edition, it is not as quick a read as you would think. His vocabulary can be quite extensive and to fully understand him, you have to have his background in Greek (the language and mythology) to understand his allusions. His writing seems to approximate a conversation with a very intelligent, but distracted, person. Many of these sentences (especially in the beginning) are quite long and filled with commas and colons. It is like the intelligent person trying to tell you something important, but as he speaks, he is not sure that he is being clear, so he adds little phrases to try to illustrate his point more effectively as he leans forward earnestly in hopes of adequately trying to prove his point.

Within this piece, he talks of his background and why he started taking opium. He debunks many commentaries on opium use and explains why. DeQuincey also mentions other famous people who took opium (or laudanum). Lastly, he tells of some of his dreams which were "enhanced" by his opium taking. After reading these descriptions, I find myself looking at the work of Coleridge in a new light, and even the fictional character Sherlock Holmes.

I would recommend this piece to any wanting a better understanding of DeQuincey and his time.

A Great Book and A Great Writer.......2001-05-22

De Quincey is an exceptionally honest writer. Yet, while remaining honest, he manages to express his thoughts and emotions in beautiful words. While reading this book, one feels as if they're having a personal conversation with De Quincey(no doubt, a one-way conversation), and it becomes easy to develop a love and admiration for the guy. Moreover, it is interesting to hear a first hand account of what life was like in the early 19th century. It is not hard to see why this book is a classic. Read it, its short.

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Confessions of an English Opium Eater

Manufacturer: The Heritage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GUZD1U

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Confessions of an English opium-eater
Thomas De Quincey
Manufacturer: Heritage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Alien Nation: Nineteenth-Century Gothic Fictions and English Nationality (New Cultural Studies Series)

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Alien Nation: Nineteenth-Century Gothic Fictions and English Nationality (New Cultural Studies Series)
Cannon Schmitt
Manufacturer: University of Pennsylvania Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Confesiones De Un Ingles Comedor De Opio/ Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (Letras Universales)

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Confesiones De Un Ingles Comedor De Opio/ Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (Letras Universales)
Thomas De Quincey
Manufacturer: Ediciones Catedra S.A.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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THE CONFESSION OF AN ENGLISH OPIUM EATER

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THE CONFESSION OF AN ENGLISH OPIUM EATER
THOMAS DEQUINCEY
Manufacturer: J.M.Dent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J52BUS

Book Description

This richly illustrated book offers a glimpse into the lives and creativity of African American quilters during the era of slavery. Originally published in 1989, Stitched from the Soul was the first book to examine the history of quilting in the enslaved community and to place slave-made quilts into historical and cultural context. It remains a beautiful and moving tribute to an African American tradition.

Undertaking a national search to locate slave-crafted textiles, Gladys-Marie Fry uncovered a treasure trove of pieces. The 123 color and black and white photographs featured here highlight many of the finest and most interesting examples of the quilts, woven coverlets, counterpanes, rag rugs, and crocheted artifacts attributed to slave women and men. In a new preface, Fry reflects on the inspiration behind her original research--the desire to learn more about her enslaved great-great-grandmother, a skilled seamstress--and on the deep and often emotional chords the book has struck among readers bonded by an interest in African American artistry.

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Throughout his award-winning photographic career, Philippe Bourseiller has recorded the splendors of untamed nature, from the immensities of the ice floe to the fury of the volcano, from the vast open spaces of Patagonia to the aridity of the Sahara. This experience has given him unique insight into both the richness and the fragility of our environment. In 365 Ways to Save the Earth, he takes the reader on a daily journey through our planet, revealing its hidden face.

For every day of the year he presents a stunning photograph and a simple, environment-friendly action that enables the reader to participate in the protection of planet Earth. Philippe Bourseiller is a true field photographer whose talents as a climber, caver, and diver enable him to move easily through the extreme environments that he frequents and, as we see in these pages, return with extraordinary images.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Pictures and Helpful Tips.......2007-03-22

This is a compact hardback book with some incredible photographs of various places and things in our natural world. It does have some good tips for helping the environment although these suggestions are basically repeated towards the middle of the book. The book is worth it for the pictures alone.

beautiful!.......2007-02-22

The pictures are all beautiful! The ways they have to help the Earth are well organized and very practical!

Good ideas, however it disobeys its own first suggestion :-(.......2006-04-16

Good photos and points made, but #1: Recycle?

Yes, yes, that's why not ONE page of this book is made from post-consumer material (i.e., the paper stock that this book uses isn't even recycled, despite recycling being the first point made in the book!)

SO, #1: don't buy this book, get it from a library instead.

Great Green Gift Book.......2006-03-21

I have ordered this book as a gift for numerous friends and family members. It is a beautiful and thought-provoking introduction to environmentally-friendly behaviors in a time when most Americans aren't thinking about the problems we have created in our environment.

365 Ways to Save the Earth is a wonderful book.......2006-02-25

I bought 5 copies as gifts for Christmas.

I gave it to some friends, to my grandmother. The whole family was looking at the beautiful pictures. I had my uncle reading the daily inspiring messages.

"It brings me peace when I read this book, a day at a time" my grandmother said.

Highly recommended! I even kept a copy for myself.

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365 Ways to Save the Earth
Michael Viner , and Pat Hilton
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446392707

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365 Ways You Can Save the Earth
Michael Viener
Manufacturer: Dove Entertainment Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1558002839

Book Description

Interdisciplinary in approach, Thinking Through the Environment tells how the natural environment has been understood in the modern world and how this has been questioned in recent years as uncertainty and complexity are acknowledged in contemporary societies. The collection guides readers through conventional thought about how environmental rights and obligations to future generations, nonhuman animals, and the biotic communities. These essays lead readers into a critical examination of social and political theories and their capacity for drawing on ecological thought. Each of the seven sections is introduced by the editor, who contextualizes the set of readings within its specific themes and issues.

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