In a coolly dispassionate voice, Ann Marlowe has created a mock dictionary in order to dissect her addiction to - and her eventual rejection of - heroin. Each entry, varying from the anecdotal to the analytical, describes the allure and the degradation of the drug, set against the story of her own life. Without glamorizing it, she explores the seduction of the drug and honestly reveals heroin's temporary deep satisfaction, before finally casting the drug aside as a failed, even abusive, lover, a negligent spouse, a one-way ultimately doomed relationship. Her journey through heroin is a cerebral tale grounded in an exploration of emotional life. Throughout, her tone is ironic and searching and her alphabetical voyage provides an insight into the twilight world of drug addiction.
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A brilliant and impressive book, all the more so because of its remarkable calm and restraint after such a terrifying experience (Penelope Fitzgerald )
Her insight is a positive addition to the literature about the drug, and a telling and sophisticated examination of modern society (THE LIST )
A calm look at middle-class heroin addiction and an honest analysis of how an obsessed society mythologises it ... compelling (IRISH TIMES )
The little black dress of dope books...Marlowe is the most gifted druggie to pop out of Harvard since Timothy Leary. (Jerry Stahl )
Her insight is a positive addition to the literature about the drug, and a telling and sophisticated examination of modern society (THE LIST )
A calm look at middle-class heroin addiction and an honest analysis of how an obsessed society mythologises it ... compelling (IRISH TIMES )
The little black dress of dope books...Marlowe is the most gifted druggie to pop out of Harvard since Timothy Leary. (Jerry Stahl )
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* An ultra-cool examination of the allure and degradation of the world of heroin with its effect on contemporary society by a New York ex-junkie journalist
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By J. Glass
The first time I read, or rather, flicked through this book (it's written in an A-Z format with single words being titles and giving no more than snippets of information) I found it intersting but nor particularly engaging. I've always been interested in the lifestyles of people on the fringes of society and so the subject matter was appealing instantly. While it was hard to really get a feel for the characters or a linear view of her life what she does manage to get across is the fractured life of a heroin user. Like I said this was upon the initial read.
Then I myself entered into an addiction to heroin.
Then I myself entered into an addiction to heroin.
I returned to live with my parents and quite quickly got stuck into it for the second time. Suddenly I could relate to her words and much more so to the style she decided to use. Somehow, once you've lived that lifestyle and felt the emotions that are characteristic of heroin abuse you come to enter this 'fractured' world. Time is removed and life becomes merely a series of events - scoring, using, kicking, waitng, scoring, using... - and any idea of waking up at 7 and going to sleep by 12 goes out the window. You base your entire life on the pursuit of that next bag and makiing sure you always have enough to not withdraw. She talks about this 24 hour culture we live in and how dope compliments this so well; neon lights in cafes giving a unatural glow to everything within reach, reflecting the confusion felt while high.
So to conclude, if you've ever had a habit then you'll probably like the book. But only 'like' it, I can't see anyone raving about this book. If you haven't used H it'll give you an insight to the kind of life you end up living but may leave you wishing for a storyline or deeper characterisation.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By J. Molyneux
The author can do no more than write about heroin as she honestly found it. Other people let the drug take over them mind, body and spirit, but she freely admits how she held back. For example, snorting instead of main-lining. Essentially, the book doesn't give a complete picture (admittedly, this isn't even its aim) of heroin use. The book concerning itself with middle-class heroin use is something original in my opinion and must be given credit for augmenting our knowledge on the subject rather than just racking over old ground.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By DumpTruck
Amazon Verified Purchase
If you are buying this book expecting it to follow the classic :
Early days, family, descent into heroin, chaos, redemption, kicking it -
you will be sorely disappointed.
As my title suggests, if you read this page after page it is simply she picks a word, and writes anything from a paragraph to 3 pages about it, loosely joining together her experiences of using the drug. Some of them interesting, most of them boring and some of them just unpalatable high-brow philosophizing.
It would appear she lived in a world where everyone and everything she knew was surrounded by heroin. She doesn't really adequately describe why she tried it either, it's quite disjointed this book.
I'm glad i read it, but only because i would be wondering what it was all about if i hadn't, it's by no means...well, good.
Early days, family, descent into heroin, chaos, redemption, kicking it -
you will be sorely disappointed.
As my title suggests, if you read this page after page it is simply she picks a word, and writes anything from a paragraph to 3 pages about it, loosely joining together her experiences of using the drug. Some of them interesting, most of them boring and some of them just unpalatable high-brow philosophizing.
It would appear she lived in a world where everyone and everything she knew was surrounded by heroin. She doesn't really adequately describe why she tried it either, it's quite disjointed this book.
I'm glad i read it, but only because i would be wondering what it was all about if i hadn't, it's by no means...well, good.
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