Psychedelic Press UK
Literary Reviews: Pre-1945
Literary Review: ‘Phantastica’ by Louis Lewin
Originally published in Germany in 1924 ‘Phantastica’ by Louis Lewin was first published in English in 1931. This review is written from the Park Street Press edition, 1998. The text is an early attempt at a categorisation of psychoactive drugs and while, in many respects, it is dated, especially pharmacologically, it still remains an important … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Artificial Paradises’ by Charles Baudelaire
Originally published in France, in 1860, under the title ‘Les Paradis Artificiels’ (Artificial Paradises); Charles Baudelaire’s classic of drug writing is a blend of personal insight, translation, and morality discourse. The edition used by this review is the 1996 Citadel Press book, translated by Stacy Diamond. The Citadel Press edition includes On Wine and Hashish … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings’ by Thomas De Quincey
‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater’ by Thomas De Quincey was first published, anonymously, in two parts by the London Magazine in 1821. The following year it appeared as a novel and has been regularly reprinted ever since. This literary review is written from the Penguin Classics (2003) edition; ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘The Seven Sisters of Sleep’ by Mordecai Cooke
Originally published in 1860 ‘The Seven Sisters of Sleep’ is a classic of Western drug literature. In over a hundred years, with no reprints until the end of the 20th century, the transformation in the importance of Mordecai Cooke’s book is exceptional. Titled in its first edition with a ‘popular history of the seven prevailing narcotics … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Demian’ By Hermann Hesse
Article by Robert Dickins originally featured in Fallyrag – The Arts & Culture Journal When ‘Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth’ was first published in 1919, it was done so under the protagonist’s name, Emil Sinclair and its author, Hermann Hesse, didn’t use his own until its 10th edition. Told in the first person, ‘Demian’ … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Steppenwolf’ by Hermann Hesse
“Imagine a garden with a hundred kinds of trees, a thousand kinds of flowers, a hundred kinds of fruit and vegetables. Suppose, then, that the gardener of this garden knew no other distinction than between edible and inedible, nine-tenths of this garden would be useless to him. He would pull up the most enchanting … Continue reading
