"Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" by Thomas De Quincey: A noted scholar and intellectual, Thomas De Quincey's "Confessions of an English Opium-Easter" chronicled his personal experience with the dreaded poppy, exposing his anguish to the world. I'm penning a similar book called "Gin: A Love Story." And don't worry, thanks to the joys of the twist-off cap, it has a happy ending.
Published in 1822, "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" was a critical and commercial success, making the 37-year-old De Quincey a literary sensation and inspiring future generations of authors to examine their own troubled lives. So now you know who to blame.
De Quincey's journey with opium began when he bolted from school at the age of 17 to wander North Wales, eventually ending up homeless on the streets of London. Spending five months impoverished and hungry, the intense strain of daily survival took its toll on his health, causing De Quincy to develop a chronic stomach condition. The gastrointestinal discomfort drove him to opium.
Keep in mind, opium wasn't a big deal back then. It was perfectly legal. Literally everyone was using it. De Quincey purchased his first dose at the corner drug store. His initial encounter proved promising, and it soon became part of his weekly routine, setting aside one night each week to indulge in its soothing properties. Before he realized it, De Quincey was in opium's vile clutches, consuming ridiculous amounts of the narcotic on a daily basis.
And the horrors of opium are... well, not all that terrible, really. While De Quincey set out to warn the world about the dangers of opium addiction, he doesn't make it sound half bad. Sure, he had some bizarre dreams, including a few starring a crocodile, but who doesn't? My crocodile's name is Petey. Nevertheless, De Quincey also had his share of beautiful visions, all of which get depicted in dazzlingly elegant detail.
De Quincey's effortless command of the language is a joy to behold. His harrowing recollections of his penniless days in London are straight out of Dickens. Even though I was somewhat disappointed in the book's quick conclusion, and I wish he had spent more time on his opium- induced hallucinations, I'm still going to give it four shots on his skill alone.
De Quincy did revise the work in 1856, adding extra passages, but he was clearly a different man 34 years later, and his efforts are said to have robbed the original of its spontaneity and urgency.
RATING: 