The Works of Thomas De Quincey 'The English Opium Eater', Including all his Contributions to Periodical Literature (16 vols) [from the library of Annie Pearson, Viscountess Cowdray, President of the Women's Liberal Federation]
by De Quincey, Thomas
- Used
- near fine
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1863 Hardcover, 16 volumes dated 1863-1886. 8vo, finely bound by Bumpus of London in three-quarter navy morocco with with 5 raised bands and gold lettering to spines. Condition: Almost Fine, with some very light shelf-wear, with a small scratch to volume one, and some tiny chips to the board edges. *** Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859) was the quintessential man of letters - visitors would describe his rooms as being strewn with papers and books. He was friends with the Lake Poets, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, and enjoyed instant popularity with the magazine publication of his "Confessions of an English Opium Eater" in 1821. *** Contents include "Confessions of an English Opium Eater", his widely praised essay on Shakespeare, "On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth" (1823), and his opium-inspired dreamscapes in "The English Mail-Coach" (1849). *** De Quincey recalls in his "Confessions" his escape from an English public school, his subsequent wanderings around Wales (where he intended to write about his travels) and his poverty in London. He feared being sent back to school if his guardians caught up with him, so scraped a living by squatting in an empty house, keeping company with other lost souls in the anonymity of the city. He finally left London for Oxford University, after the intervention of friends who chanced upon him. As a scholar, he excelled, especially in Greek. However, headaches brought about by washing his head in cold water before going to bed induced De Quincey to try opium, which he obtained easily from a pharmacy. He relates in the "Confessions" how this transformed not just his pain, but his intellectual outlook. This autobiography describes his addictions, first to wine and then opium. He talked about taking both as a remedy for his stomach pains, brought about perhaps by his "Down and Out" experiences in London, or perhaps as a result of his dislike of the English "public school" to which his guardians had sent him. The opium-induced dreams De Quincey describes in detail are, like those of H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, both fantastical and edged with horror. De Quincey elaborated on this theme in what some consider his masterpiece, "The English Mail-Coach". *** Provenance: From the library of Annie Pearson, Viscountess Cowdray, with her bookplate to front pastedowns. Lady Cowdray (1860-1932) was a noted feminist and President of the Women's Liberal Federation. She was also an early member and supporter of the Women's Engineering Society. *** Bibliography: Watson III, 1239.. Hard Cover. Near Fine.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Dark and Stormy Night Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 8843
- Title
- The Works of Thomas De Quincey 'The English Opium Eater', Including all his Contributions to Periodical Literature (16 vols) [from the library of Annie Pearson, Viscountess Cowdray, President of the Women's Liberal Federation]
- Author
- De Quincey, Thomas
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Publisher
- Adam and Charles Black
- Place of Publication
- Edinburgh
- Date Published
- 1863
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
Dark and Stormy Night Books
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Newburyport, Massachusetts
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selling Rare, Antiquarian and "other interesting finds" to individuals and institutions around the world. Some of our books are now housed among the world's leading libraries and collections.
We work to promote the significance of a wide variety of ideas, from whatever era they might originate. We celebrate, and work to preserve, the artistry of the printed page, the handwritten word, and the craftsmanship of the hand-made object in today's virtual, digital world.
Sign up for our occasional catalogues/newsletters!
Visit our website: darkandstormynightbooks.com
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...