Confessions of an English Opium Eater

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821) is an autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life. The Confessions was the first major work De Quincey published and the one that won him fame almost overnight.As originally published De Quincey's account was organised into two parts Though De Quincey was later criticised for giving too much attention to the pleasure of opium and not enough to the harsh negatives of addiction The Pains of Opium is in fact significantly longer than The Pleasures. However even when trying to convey darker truths De Quincey's language can seem seduced by the compelling nature of the opium experience.