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Nicotine

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Nicotine is an intense exploration of addiction, tracing the journey from the first drag to the elusive last cigarette. Gregor Hens reflects on his personal smoking experience and expands his inquiry with insights into the effects of nicotine on thought and behaviour. The narrative weaves through conversations with other smokers, literary references, considerations of habit and hypnosis, and contemplations of a nondescript American town. With humour and precision, Hens dissects the complexities of dependence and the psychopathology behind addiction.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in arts and culture, especially those drawn to literary nonfiction on addiction, psychology, and personal memoirs. Fans of reflective and sharply written essays exploring human habits and dependencies will find this book compelling.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Nicotine is part-memoir, part-cultural history, written just after its author Gregor Hens has overcome the withdrawal symptoms from quitting smoking.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Written with the passion of an obsessive, Nicotine addresses a life of addiction, from the epiphany 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 behaviours.

He extends the conversation with other smokers to meditations on Mark Twain and Italo Svevo, the nature of habit, the validity of hypnosis, and the most insignificant city in the United States, where he lived for far too long. With comic insight and meticulous precision, Hens deconstructs every facet of the dependency and offers a brilliant disquisition on the psychopathology of addiction.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise Nicotine for its literary finesse and dark humour. Joan Acocella of The New Yorker compares it to In Search of Lost Time, highlighting its comedic notes and elegant prose. Dwight Garner of the New York Times commends its earthy and combustible qualities, while Christine Smallwood of Harper's describes it as a perfectly crafted essay that captures the essence of tobacco and addiction, complemented by a vivid foreword from Will Self.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781910695074

Publisher: Fitzcarraldo Editions

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 November 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fitzcarraldo Editions

Contributors:

  • Translated by Jen Calleja

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 125.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 168

About the Author

Gregor Hens, born in 1965, is a German writer and translator. He has notably translated Will Self, Jonathan Lethem andGeorge Packer into German.

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