The road of excess: a history of writers on drugs
Choice Reviews Online July 1, 2003 DOI: 10.5860/choice.40-6236 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe book examines the relationship between psychoactive substances and literary creation across different eras and movements. It explores how narcotics, transcendentalist experiences, cannabis, stimulants, and psychedelics have influenced writers and their works, arguing that these substances have been used to access altered states of consciousness and inspire literary expression. The text provides a historical and critical analysis of this intersection, covering topics from addiction to visionary experiences, and includes a prologue and epilogue that frame the discussion.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Literary works and writers |
| Keywords | History Literature Art |
| Citations | 148 |
| Key finding | Argues that psychoactive substances have historically been used by writers to facilitate altered states of consciousness and literary creativity, reflecting cultural tensions between transcendence and addiction. |
Abstract
Prologue 1. Addicted to Nothingness: Narcotics and Literature 2. The Voice of the Blood: Transcendentalism and Anesthetic Revelation 3. The Time of the Assassins: Cannabis and Literature 4. Induced Life: Stimulants and Literature 5. The Imaginal Realms: Psychedelics and Literature Epilogue Bibliography Notes Acknowledgments Illustration Credits Index