Granta 74: Confessions of a Middle-aged Ecstasy-eater

Granta: The Magazine of New Writing #74

by Ian Jack (Editor)

In this issue of Granta Magazine, a distinguished writer makes an anonynous confession and defends a his son supplies him with ecstasy. Other contributions include Nicholas Shakespeare on discovering the evil of his ancestors, and works from Amanda Hopkinson and Andrew Brown.

256 pages, Paperback

Published July 3, 2001

About the author

Ian Jack is a British journalist and writer who has edited the Independent on Sunday and the literary magazine Granta and now writes regularly for The Guardian.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Confessions of a Middle-Aged Ecstasy Eater' was a little hysterical in tone and exaggerated; A.M. Homes's short story, 'The Chinese Lesson' was good but odd (and the female lead an entirely unsympathetic person); Penelope Fitzgerald's 'Our Lives Are Only Lent To Us' seemed a little clunky and the ending over-telegraphed; but David Feuer's 'Let There Be Light!' was surprisingly funny and Nicholas Shakespeare's 'Kemp and Potter' fascinating, especially his description of the 1816 Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania, Thomas Davey; "His favourite tipple was 'Blow-my-skull', a cocktail he served in half-pint glasses consisting of rum, brandy, gin, port, Madeira, sherry and claret."

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories and essays better than others. The title story written by Anonymous was not my favorite more because the author understood the marketability of his Ecstasy addiction that he started by buying from his son and knew the damage drug addiction caused but still chose to glorify it.

Interesting reading the essay on Tehran in the 90s which sounds like the Shah's secret police all over again. The fear of intellectuals is palpable.

[George Mavronisiotis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read stories:
'Thailand' by Haruki Murakami
'This side of the Oder' by Judith Herman
'Chinese Lesson' by A. M. Homes