The Opium-Eater

Thomas De Quincey #1.5

by David Morrell

From bestselling thriller author David Morrell comes a brooding Thomas De Quincey short story about the coldest of deaths and their heartbreaking aftermath.
Thomas De Quincey--the central character of Morrell's acclaimed Victorian mysteries, "Murder as a Fine Art" and "Inspector of the Dead--"was one of the most notorious and brilliant literary personalities of the 1800s. His infamous "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" made history as the first book about drug dependency. He invented the word "subconscious" and anticipated Freud's psychoanalytic theories by more than a half century. His blood-soaked essays and stories influenced Edgar Allan Poe, who in turn inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes.
But at the core of his literary success lies a terrible tragedy. In this special-edition novella, based on real-life events, Morrell shares De Quincey's story of a horrific snowstorm in which a mother and father died and their six children were trapped in the mountains of England's Lake District. Even more gripping is what happened after. This" "is the true tale of how Thomas De Quincey became the Opium-Eater, brought to life by award-winning storyteller David Morrell.
An afterword contains numerous photographs of the dramatic locations in the story.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Novella, British Literature, Mystery Thriller

81 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2015

About the author

David Morrell is a Canadian novelist from Kitchener, Ontario, who has been living in the United States for a number of years. He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. More recently, he has been writing the Captain America comic books limited-series The Chosen.

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story that is part of a trilogy. I believe this short story is not vital to the overall arc. In this one Thomas De Quincey is sitting in a bar with a captive audience as he tells a story about a tragedy that happened years ago.

I thought the first book of the trilogy was amazing and I was hoping that this next offering could copy the enjoyment of the first offering. Sadly it did not. The first book had so many layers and maybe the author could not achieve this in a short story. It was an interesting story about how we deal with tragedy. It also has a message about cause and effect. An incident that happened in the past and has not direct bearing on a particular person can indirectly effect us years from now. I liked this perspective but I believe it was never fleshed out fully. Once again this might be attributed to the length of the story. There is an afterword where the author goes into a bit of detail with pictures about his research into the protagonist of this trilogy. Like other reviewers on this website I found this more interesting that the actual story. Probably not what the author was aiming to accomplish.

This wasn't a bad story and it had some potential. It just never grabbed me. Ironically the afterword grabbed me as we get a glimpse of what life was like back when this trilogy takes place. Even though this was nothing special like the first book was I am looking forward to reading the next book in this trilogy.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was once stuck in an elevator with David Morrell, author of The Opium-Eater as well as many more books. I used to tell people I got stuck in an elevator with Rambo but everybody thought I meant Sylvester Stallone. Morrell is a nice man even though he looked at me like I was an idiot because I couldn't get my elevator floor card to work. None of this has anything to do with the review of The Opium-Eater. I just like to relive my few minutes with a famous author.
My favorite part of the opium-eater was the afterword.I found the history of Thomas De Quincy, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Charles Darwin interesting.
His afterword made me do what good writing does…made me look up more information about the history and people involved. I even plan to watch the movie Creation because A) the movie made Morrell get interested in De Quincy which led to two novels and the novelette, The Opium-Eater, and B) it introduced the fact the De Quincy came up with the concept of a mind-body connect fifty years before Darwin did.
Most readers probably skip afterwords but I recommend continued reading if you buy or check-out The Opium-Eaters.
And Mr. Morrell, if you happen to see this review, I did eventually get off the elevator.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this straight after Murder as a Fine Art, so it felt a little repetitive, which is a shame since it's so short. It's still well written though, and the afterword made me realize that the story told by De Quincey was real! There are even pictures of their graves and everything.
You could totally read this first if you're unsure about reading the series.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

titular sentence:
p4: "I'm told that the Opium-Eater is here."

spelling:
p4: The stranger approched a crowd at the rear of the tavern.

The extra information outside of the story is more interesting, I think.

[Crissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Morrell's full-length books, this short story is well paced and suspenseful with the historical and literary background to please any English major! A great supplement to the novels!

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

MEH... that's a "huge meh", for people who don't live in my head... not entirely sure why this was published, or to be kind(er), not sure why this wasn't just added to the end (or the beginning) of one of the 'Thomas DeQuincey' books... i was excited to find this, a 67-page story in the TDQ world! but alas it was actually a 21-page snippet with a lot of filler beforewards, duringwards, and afterwards... as in a lot of filler, not a lot of Afterwords... hahahahah! (see the fist part of this review if you're starting to get confused, or concerned)... a "cash grab" is what i would call this (and any author is well within their rights to put out such items), as it is entirely too short to add any meat to the TDQ world, and it just plops in lots of stuff we already know from the books anyway... and if this is your first foray into TDQ (WHY start at book 1.5, i ask?!?!?) it won't explain De Quincey's habit all that powerfully either... seems Morrell wanted a vehicle for explaining his motivations behind the books, which for this reader, is done via some really cool shit on your author website, not by publishing a Post-It note tale for readers... ugh. BUT i'll still read Morrell if he does another De Quincey book, as in lots-of-pages book...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explains the beginnings of De Quincey's addiction to opium. This tragic story is a nice companion piece to one of the best historical mystery series I have read. Murder As A Fine Art and the second volume Inspector of the Dead are thrillers as well as thought provoking. Can't wait for the third installment, Ruler of the Night.

Kindle it on a tab (preferably hi-def) because after the story David Morrell takes you on a tour of Wordsworth and De Quincey's England, complete with full color photos.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I'm counting the days until the release of Inspector of the Dead.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling story...loved it!!

[John Michael Strubhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was a very sad story and a very sad backstory. If you want to read something that will make you sad, this will do nicely. Morrell is one of my favorite authors and some of his fiction is groundbreaking. His nonfiction is also excellent. This story, however - sad. Tears will flow. It makes me glad to live in the 21st century where I can get vaccinated, because my doctor says it's OK and I'm not stupid. If you're one of those people who refuse to get vaccinated, even though your doctor would be down with that, you probably can't read anyway, because, you'd have to be that stupid. If you're one of those people, odds are that this is being read to you. Anyway, I digress! There are no vaccination issues in this story, but there are medical ones. Read this. Cry. Get vaccinated, and even if you are already vaccinated, wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and quarantine if you're virally loaded until this pandemic is done.

[kenneth m gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent look into the life of Thomas De Quincey and, his daughter Emily, and the times they lived in.
The book tells the tragic tale of George and Sarah Green mixed with a well-researched look into the life of Thomas De Quincey and somewhat into David Morrell and what drew him to this fascinating historical figure.
The photographs bring it all to life.
I read this short story after Murder As A Fine Art and it nicely sets the mood to begin Inspector of the Dead.

[Rosalie Everts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving it four stars because it's too short. That's the only reason. It's a nice treat after having read Morrell's De Quincey series. Wondering if it should not perhaps carry the name "non-fiction"????

[Ishtiaque Alam Russel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could well assume how the crowd in that cramp dark Victorian tavern gathered around De Quincey and was mesmerized by the sheer flow of sorrow building within each of those peoples' throat with the gloomy telling of events of the past. A truly heart rending act of narration by the author.

[Phillydeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific short story supplement to his book Murder as a Fine Art

[Jordyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think this story was really necessary to read as part of the series. It went over some of the same back story details we already read about in the first book.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really should have been included within the first book.

[Trish Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series - and the little man! Was really disappointed when the series ended with only a few books. Would recommend all 4.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a little short story but interesting nonetheless

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave me goose bumps
Can’t wait to start the books by David morrell

[Phyllida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story sees De Quincey recounting how he became an opium addict.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

1855, Thomas De Quincey relates how he became the Opium-Eater. It all starts in 1808 Grasmere and the story of George and Sarah Green
A short story

[Ming · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inessential though still a good read. Plus it was pretty cool to find out in the detailed afterword that most of the events described really did happen.

[Michael Fredette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Opium Eater, David Morrell [Kindle Original, 2014].

A short story featuring Thomas DeQuincey, recounting an English tragedy.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was terrible. if this was your introduction to this series, and you hated it and swore to never read the books, please rethink it. the books are good. this was not.

[Tim Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

In MURDER AS A FINE ART David Morrell introduced readers to a fictional version of 19th Century British author Thomas De Quincey. De Quincey is an old man in the story and becomes a sort of consultant to Scotland Yard when murders are perpetrated that reflect his writing "On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts." The book stands as one of Morrell's finest, which is saying something considering the brilliance of his body of work. THE OPIUM-EATER acts as a bridge between MURDER AS A FINE ART and the forthcoming INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD, which will also feature De Quincey. THE OPIUM-EATER is a very simple story that finds the fictional De Quincey telling a story that explains one of the reasons he became an opium addict. The great thing about the story is that it serves to further explain De Quincey's past and motivations. It gives the reader a very good feel for how the character came to be an elderly man still hooked on opium. It also serves to show the dynamic between De Quincey and his daughter, a great character in her own right as a strong, intelligent woman who is still a product of the times. The story De Quincey tells is very strong and carries a strong emotional kick. If you liked MURDER AS A FINE ART this is a must read while you wait for the next novel length installment in the series.

It's listed as 67 pages, but at least a third of that is a photo essay of the locations from the story, which is decent but ultimately not essential, and an excerpt from INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD. THE OPIUM-EATER is about 30 to 35 pages long.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book that,explains the main character from his book, Murder as a fine Art. A. Book that remains one of my favorites. Thomas DeQuincey, also known as the English Opium Eater. He was the first person to talk about our subconscious, and was a great admirer of Wadsworth. This book gives you a basic idea about this great thinker, and investigator. I enjoyed it. It was an amazing thing to,admit, and write about his addiction, especially during the time he lived. His essays inspired Edgar Allen Poe, and also Sherlock Holmes, who also was brilliant, and also suffered from drug addiction. The pictures included in the book were a nice touch.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very short story feels like an outtake from Morrell's very good novel, Murder as a Fine Art. It fleshes out some of Thomas de Quincey's back story from the original novel - the way his sorrow over the deaths of young children drove him to opium addiction. It's a topic very close to the author, as he has lost both a child and a grandchild to a rare form of cancer.

Fans of the series will want to read this, but it's far from essential reading. Morrell supplements the story with some interesting background and numerous photos of the sites mentioned in the story.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of a traumatic event in the life of Thomas De Quincey, a macabre writer of the 19th century and the main character in some of David Morrell's novels. Thomas De Quincey was also an opium addict like many of his peers. The book is nicely written and the photographs interesting, but as someone who loves genealogy and history, left more questions than answers so left me wanting more. It did pique my interest in reading Mr. Morrell's series featuring De Quincey.

[Bill Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frozen death and grim futures await the members of a small family as they brave a horrific snowstorm. In a tale told by Thomas DeQuincey, the old man ties his addiction to a cursed woman. Wonderfully capturing the relationship of the characters, the story lacks the sense of environment David Liss might bring to the table, but the tragedy packs an emotional punch.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing short story that piques my interest into more English history and biographies. Thomas de Quincey is such a fascinating individual, so little known until the author's splendid novels. A blend of fact and fiction, I read the books then go on to browse tomes on The Radcliffe Highway Murders, Coleridge, Wordsworth, and the multiple assassination attempts on Queen Victoria. Terrific!