Nicotine
By: by Gregor Hens ; translated from the German by Jen Calleja ; introduction by Will Self
Contributors: Calleja, Jen, translator; Self, Will, writer of introduction
Publisher: Other Press
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9781590517932
Subjects: Smoking; Addiction; German Authors; Biography
Work titles: Nikotin
Description: "By turns philosophical and darkly comic, an ex-smoker's meditation on the nature and consequences of his nearly lifelong addiction. Written with the passion of an obsessive, Nicotine addresses a lifelong addiction, from the thrill of the first drag to the perennial last last cigarette. Reflecting on his experiences as a smoker from a young age, Gregor Hens investigates the irreversible effects of nicotine on thought and patterns of behavior. He extends the conversation with other smokers to meditations on Mark Twain and Italo Svevo, the nature of habit, and the validity of hypnosis. With comic insight and meticulous precision, Hens deconstructs every facet of dependency, offering a brilliant analysis of the psychopathology of addiction. is a book about the physical, emotional, and psychological power of nicotine as not only an addictive drug, but also a gateway to memory, a long trail of streetlights in the rearview mirror of a smoker's life. Cigarettes are sometimes a solace, sometimes a weakness, but always a witness and companion." -- Amazon.com.
Notes: "First English edition published in Great Britain by Fitzcarraldo Editions in 2015"--Title-page verso.