Murder as One of the Fine Arts

The English writer, scholar, and author of the famous «Confessions of an English Opium-Eater», Thomas de Quincey, discusses murder from the perspective of aesthetic categories. The narrative, filled with dark humor, presents a scientific report on the most vivid and... extravagant murders of the past. The professor's disturbing awareness of the scandalous crimes of the era evokes thoughts that this is not a scientific report, but a confession of a murderer. Is this really the case, or perhaps this is how the author's literary talent manifests, inspiring Charles Dickens in his finest novels? The reader can answer this question by exploring the book.