In this haunting autobiography, De Quincey describes the pleasures and pains of his addiction to opium, the surreal visions and hallucinations that accompanied his nocturnal wanderings through London, and the despair, nightmares, and paranoia he suffered. First published in 1821, this remarkable volume paved the way for later generations of literary drug users. Also includes ‘Suspiria de Profundis, ‘ ‘The English Mail-Coach, ‘ and his ‘Literary Reminiscences’ of Lamb, Coleridge, and Wordsworth.
Circa l’autore
Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859) was an English journalist, translator, and essayist. He began taking opium while a student at Oxford and published a book about his experiences with the narcotic. Confessions of an English Opium-Eater caused a sensation when published and earned De Quincey both literary acquaintances and more writing assignments.