This is the autobiography of Thomas de Quincey, a 19th century intellectual who indulged in opium use for a large proportion of his life. The book only gets onto the opium after half way through, and spends a while detailing his childhood and younger years. Smaller sections toward the end give account of the pleasures and pains of opium, and are just as interesting to read as the earlier parts. What is distinctive of this book is the apparent candor with which the author writes, the details of his thoughts and feelings through the various times in his life, and his observations on human nature. This is as much a view onto life in the period as it is a view onto the life of Quincey, and as it also contains his views of literary contemporaries, it should be of interest to fans of literature of this time. ( )

De Quincey's unusual tale about his opium exploits was a real surprise, and a delight to read. It was in turns funny, bleak and always maintained a laconic style that I found extremely pleasurable to read. If only all modern celebrity memoirs were written with this level of care and detail. ( )

Hilarious. Wonderfully baffled narrator.

Illustrated by laurence chaves. Very detailed pen and ink illustrations similiar to Franklin Booth or R. Krenkel. This is truly an interesting, yet dated read. ( )

The ultimate story of drug addiction in the 19th century. Although it claims to be designed to warn readers of the snares of opium use, it still manages to make the habit sound appealing at times. A fun read, and worth digging for. ( )