The English Opium-Eater - Softcover

Robert Morrison

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753827891 ISBN 13: 9780753827895

Publisher: Phoenix, 2010

Synopsis

Thomas De Quincey was a man who engaged with nearly every facet of literary culture and his writing was a tremendous influence on Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, William Burroughs and Peter Ackroyd. This biography argues for the critical importance and enduring value of this neglected critic, essayist and biographer.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Morrison is recognised as a world-class scholar of Romantic and Victorian literature. He is the editor of the OUP edition of De Quincey's essays ON MURDER and co-editor of a collection of new essays on De Quincey (Routledge).

Review:

This isn't a debunking biography, just a properly sceptical one, and it's clear that Morrison's enthusiasm for the man and his writings does not obscure his judgement. -- Suzi Feay * The Tablet 04.03.10 * a book which is full of insight and careful reasoning... Morrison does a superb job of literary detection going through a life of lies, procrastination and deceit, and teasing out whatever truth there is to be had. -- Jad Adams * The Guardian 09.01.10 * Morrison provides a compelling survey of De Quincey's work as a biographer, satirist, economist, political commentator, translator, linguist and classicist. -- Duncan Wu * The Independent 08.01.10 - Book of the Week * The time was ripe for a new biography and Morrison has done his man proud. This is an exceptionally well-balanced account. -- Jonathan Bate * Book of the Week - Sunday Telegraph - 13.12.09 * Robert Morrison's biography is impressive, the first biography of De Quincey in almost thirty years, and is the first to use all his published and unpublished works. -- Tom Paulin * The Literary Review Dec 09 * Morrison writes... with a combination of perspicacity and generous puzzlement... Thanks to Morrison... The life is clearer than it has ever been. -- James Purdon * The Observer 6.12.09 * I knew that I was on to a good thing with ths book before the page numbers were even out of roman numerals... This was a lively life, and this is a lively life... -- Sam Leith * The Spectator 5.12.09 * Robert Morrison's biography is astute and revealing, quarrying new sources. -- John Carey * Sunday Times 22.11.09 *

About this edition

• Publisher: Phoenix
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0753827891
• ISBN 13: 9780753827895
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 488