4 h 21 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when the drug that brings delight begins to haunt your dreams?
Thomas De Quincey begins his memoir with hunger, not opium. A gifted schoolboy runs away and nearly starves in London. On Oxford Street, a young woman named Ann offers kindness while facing hardship herself. These early encounters give a human face to the suffering that comes before his first dose of laudanum.
At Oxford, De Quincey studies hard, reads widely, and suffers bouts of pain that he links to his earlier hardships. Laudanum brings relief and opens a world of pleasure. But delight gives way to dependence and terrible dreams. His account seeks to tell the truth about both attraction and suffering, rather than offer a simple warning.
What you’ll discover
- Hunger before opium Follow the runaway schoolboy whose lonely days in London shape the story that follows.
- Ann's quiet kindness Meet the young woman whose compassion offers comfort amid their shared hardship on Oxford Street.
- Pleasure without easy answers Read an account that acknowledges opium's appeal without hiding the suffering it brings.
- Dreams that unsettle Enter the disturbing dream world De Quincey records as dependence takes hold.
- A candid Romantic voice Discover rich, ornate prose brought to bear on hunger, delight, addiction, and despair.
Who will love it
For readers who love candid memoir, rich Romantic prose, and honest accounts of addiction and dreaming. It also welcomes anyone curious about Coleridge and Wordsworth's England.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A schoolboy runs away and starves
- Ann gives kindness on Oxford Street
- Laudanum arrives as a cure and a discovery
- The pleasures of opium fill his days
- The pains of opium bring terrible dreams
- Why the book is told this way
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 4 h 21 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Confessioni di un mangiatore d’oppio inglese in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Confessioni di un mangiatore d’oppio inglese
by Thomas De Quincey · 1821
De Quincey follows laudanum from delight into dependence, opening a world of strange dreams and dread.
Challenging2–5 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A schoolboy runs away and starves
De Quincey begins with his youth, not with opium. He was a gifted boy who read Greek with ease. His father died when he was young, and he came under the care of guardians he did not like. At Manchester Grammar School he felt that he was wasting his talents, and he was desperate to leave.
At seventeen he ran away. He made his way to Wales and wandered the countryside with a little money. He slept in cheap places and sometimes in the open. He had no plan except to avoid being sent back, and he was too proud to ask his family for help.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Confessioni di un mangiatore d’oppio inglese
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Confessions of an English Opium-Eater about?
It is De Quincey's memoir of his youth, his long use of opium, and its effects. It covers his poverty in London, the pleasures of the drug, and the painful dreams and dependence that followed.
Is Confessions of an English Opium-Eater a true story?
Yes, it is based on De Quincey's own life, first published in 1821 and 1822. Critics note that he shaped and selected the facts, so it reads as a personal account written with literary art.
Who is Ann in Confessions of an English Opium-Eater?
Ann is a young woman of the London streets who befriends De Quincey when he is starving. She buys him wine when he collapses, and he searches for her for years afterward without success.
The author
Thomas De Quincey
1785–1859 · English essayist
Thomas De Quincey was a British writer born in Manchester in 1785. He lived in London, the Lake District, and Edinburgh, where he died in 1859. He wrote essays for magazines. His autobiographical work Confessions of an English Opium-Eater first appeared in 1821, and he revised it in 1856.
More like this
Free
Free
Free
FreeOur mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in biography & letters
See all
Free
