The existential drinker [Hardcover]

Drinking to excess has been a striking problem for industrial and post-industrial societies - who is responsible when an individual opts for a slow suicide? The causes of such drinking have often been blamed on genes, moral weakness, 'disease' (addiction), hedonism, and Romantic illusion. Yet there is another reason: the drinker may act with sincere philosophical intent, exploring the edges of self, consciousness, will, ethics, authenticity and finitude. Beginning with Jack London's John Barleycorn: alcoholic memoirs the book goes on to cover novels such as Jean Rhys's Good morning, midnight, Malcolm Lowry's Under the volcano, Charles Jackson's The lost weekend and John O'Brien's Leaving Las Vegas, and less familiar works such as Frederick Exley's A fan's notes, Venedikt Yerofeev's Moscow-Petushki, and A. L. Kennedy's Paradise.
1. Introduction: Habitual Drunkenness and the Alienated Self

2. Jack London, John Barleycorn (1913): Truth

3. 'Damned Voice in my Head': Jean Rhys and Drunken Consciousness

4. Charles B. Jackson, The Lost Weekend (1944): Life Projects

5. Malcolm Lowry, Under the Volcano (1947). Singular Experiences

6. Hans Fallada, The Drinker (1950). Absurdity

7. Brian Moore, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1955). Abandonment

8. Frederick Exley, A Fan's Notes (1968). The created self

9. Venedikt Yerofeev, Moscow Stations (1970, samizdat). Self and others

10. William Kennedy, Ironweed (1983). Fugitive souls and free spirits

11. John O'Brien, Leaving Las Vegas (1990) . Authenticity

12. A. L. Kennedy, Paradise (2004). Love

Conclusion

Bibliography

Steven Earnshawis Professor of English Literature at Sheffield Hallam University