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One of the first portrayals of recreational drug taking, Thomas De Quincey’s notorious nineteenth century book, Confessions of an English Opium Eater, is also considered the first autobiographical account of drug addiction. It influenced not just generations of narcoticized writers but even medical opinion on the effects of opium for decades after its publication.
In the Georgian era of 1821, opium – in the form of laudanum - was as ubiquitous as ale or spirits. Thomas De Quincey was the first writer to openly celebrate its effects, not purely in medicinal terms but as an aide to enjoying music and books.
This is a book about addiction but it is also about the power of memories. Whilst De Quincey walked a thin line between fact and fiction while writing this memoir, the true story of this dark romantic classic journeys to the dark streets of Soho. Here the young De Quincey had one of his most formative experiences, forging a friendship with a young prostitute called Ann who would haunt his dreams in years to come. The relationship between De Quincey and his heroes Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge is also evident in the close and unlikely links between de Quincey’s Confessions and William Wordsworth’s great poem The Prelude.
The original manuscript of Confessions holds numerous clues as to the situation in which it was written – including coffee stains once mistaken for opium marks. Opium would never relinquish its hold on De Quincey though, ending his journey in Edinburgh, where he spent the final decades of his life, still extolling both the pains and pleasures caused by his beloved “Just, subtle and mighty opium”.
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Video: Making it into print
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Making it into print
Follow Confessions from manuscript to magazine to book.
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Adventures: Make your own confession and explore De Quincey's Edinburgh
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Make your own confession
Go on an adventure with Confessions of an English Opium Eater as you confess yourself and explore Thomas De Quincey’s Edinburgh.
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Explore the wonders of the literary world with these five quirky animations.
Level: 1 Introductory In the last century which women writers have truly challenged the existing forms of literature? How did they make their voices heard using brand new techniques and styles? For centuries there have been women writers who have changed the face of literature, but we tend to talk of their lives and work in very certain terms. This series of video-slideshows reveals how writing and reputation are often forged in transition, uncertainty and change. In these 4 films we re-examine the lives, work and influence of: Virginia Woolf, Jean Rhys, Katherine Mansfield and Jeanette Winterson.
This material forms part of the Open University course A300 20th century literature: texts and debates. Level: 1 Introductory Why do people visit museums of writers' homes? Discover the secret life of authors in this short video.
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Become a student: study English Literature
Take your interest in literature further by studying with the Open University.
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