The book was quite controversial, particularly because open discussion of addiction and other "moral faults" was taboo before and during the Victorian era. De Quincey gave one of the first literary accounts of the effects of the drug in a time where the drug's negative side-effects were not well understood.
It is characterised by its vivid descriptions of uncontrollable urges and withdrawal-induced nightmares, which range from the euphoric to the disturbing. By the end of the book De Quincey is unable to control his visions, which become increasingly real and terrifying.Download Here
