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Under the Influence
The Literature of Addiction
by Rebecca Shannonhouse
List Price: 14.00
Price: 11.90

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Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Modern Library (February 04 2003)


Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: From Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
It is so long since I first took opium, that if it had been a trifling incident in my life, I might have forgotten its date: but cardinal events are not to be forgotten; and from circumstances connected with it, I remember that it must be referred to the



Book Description

Drawing on two centuries of important literary and historical writings, Rebecca Shannonhouse has shaped a remarkable collection of works that are, in turn, tragic, compelling, hilarious, and enlightening. Together, these selections comprise a profound and truthful portrait of the life experience known as addiction.

Under the Influence offers classic selections from fiction, memoirs, and essays by authors such as Tolstoy, Cheever, Parker, and Poe. Also included are topical gems by writers who illuminate the causes, dangers, pleasures, and public perceptions surrounding people consumed by excessive use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Recent provocative works by Abraham Verghese, the Barthelme brothers, Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, and others expand and modernize the definition of addiction to include sex, gambling, and food. Together, these incomparable writings give shape and meaning to the raw experience of uncontrollable urges.

Shannonhouse's recent anthology, Out of Her Mind: Women Writing on Madness, is also available as a Modern Library Paperback.

About the Author

Rebecca Shannonhouse

Rebecca Shannonhouse is a freelance writer and editor. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, and other publications. She lives in New York City..

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