The Collected Writing of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. II

"The Collected Writing of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. II" by Thomas De Quincey is a compilation of personal stories and memories about literature, seemingly penned in the 1800s. The book carries on De Quincey's life story, giving us details about his time at Oxford and his thoughts on famous writers, especially those from the Lake District. It shows how his own life and the literary world mixed together in the early 1800s. Right away, De Quincey tells us about arriving in Oxford in the winter of 1803, and how important this time was to him, as he hoped to do well in school. He talks about what university life was like, how people acted, and compares it to what he knew before. De Quincey writes about facing money problems at first and how it felt to be a student around richer people. He explains a lot about how Oxford was set up and how strict it was, pointing out both the difficulties and the chances to learn that helped him grow up as a student.