Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

Thomas De Quincey spent much of his life addicted to the powerful drug opium. This book, first published anonymously in the London Magazine, is the autobiographical account of his addiction. De Quincey’s compelling language and frankness give the reader a window in to both the strange pleasures and the horrible pains of that famous drug.As the science of addiction was an unheard of thing at the time, De Quincey’s account became a sort of authoritative reference for decades, with people going so far as to denounce the book for presenting too pleasurable a picture of opium use. His work stands as a fascinating window into the life of a Georgian-era addict in one of the busiest cities in the world. Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is an 1821 autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life. The Confessions was 'the first major work De Quincey published and the one that won him fame almost overnight'.First published anonymously in September and October 1821 in The London Magazine, the Confessions was released in book form in 1822, and again in 1856, in an edition revised by De Quincey.Thomas De Quincey spent much of his life addicted to the powerful drug opium. This book, first published anonymously in the London Magazine, is the autobiographical account of his addiction. De Quincey’s compelling language and frankness give the reader a window in to both the strange pleasures and the horrible pains of that famous drug.As the science of addiction was an unheard of thing at the time, De Quincey’s account became a sort of authoritative reference for decades, with people going so far as to denounce the book for presenting too pleasurable a picture of opium use. His work stands as a fascinating window into the life of a Georgian-era addict in one of the busiest cities in the world. Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is an 1821 autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life. The Confessions was 'the first major work De Quincey published and the one that won him fame almost overnight'.First published anonymously in September and October 1821 in The London Magazine, the Confessions was released in book form in 1822, and again in 1856, in an edition revised by De Quincey.