Thomas De Quincey

Confessions Of An English Opium Eater (eBook, ePUB)

"That those eat now who never ate before; And those who always ate, now eat the more."

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

First published in 1821, Thomas de Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium Eater is a memorable book that has achieved phenomenal success and fame all around the world. Today, it is part and parcel of English literature and heritage. The author speaks about his own experience with the substance in what is conventionally considered to be the earliest literary and intellectual examination of the subject. The book starts with de Quincey speaking about his childhood and teen years that he spent mostly as a vagrant strolling through the streets of London. The rest of the work is divided into two fundamental parts that de Quincey entitles "The Pleasures of Opium" and "The Pains of Opium." As their respective titles suggest, the two parts present the positive and the negative sides of opium-eating according to the very subjective view of the author. The first part is related to the early period of de Quincey's addiction when he was completely fascinated and absorbed by the extraordinary effects of the drug and seduced by their incomparable sweetness. In the later phase, however, de Quincey becomes aware of the serious damages that opium causes to physical as well as to mental health.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Copyright Group
• Seitenzahl: 62
• Erscheinungstermin: 20. August 2013
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781780009254
• Artikelnr.: 39501604

Autorenporträt

Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859) was an English essayist, literary critic, and memoirist, best known for his work "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater." Born in Manchester, England, De Quincey was educated at Oxford University, but he left without earning a degree. In 1821, De Quincey published his most famous work, "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater," a memoir that described his experiences with opium addiction. The book was well-received and helped to establish De Quincey as a leading literary figure. De Quincey continued to write prolifically throughout his life, producing numerous essays and articles on a wide range of topics, including literature, philosophy, and politics. Despite his literary success, De Quincey struggled with financial problems throughout his life. He was often in debt and frequently moved from place to place, including spending several years living in Edinburgh. De Quincey died in 1859, at the age of 74. His work has had a lasting influence on English literature and has been praised for its imaginative power, its wit and intelligence, and its deep understanding of human psychology.