
' For if once a man indulges himself in murder very soon he comes to think little of robbing; & from robbing he comes next to drinking & Sabbath-breaking & from that to incivility & procrastination' Thomas De Quincey's three essays ' On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts' centre on the notorious career of the murderer John Williams who in 1811 brutally killed seven people in London's East End De Quincey's response to Williams's attacks turns morality on its head celebrating & coolly dissecting the art of murder & its perfections Ranging from gruesomely vivid reportage & brilliantly funny satiric high jinks to penetrating literary & aesthetic criticism the essays had a remarkable impact on crime terror & detective fiction as well as on the rise of nineteenth-century decadence The volume also contains De Quincey's best-known piece of literary criticism ' On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth' & his finest tale of terror ' The Avenger' a disturbing exploration of violence vigilantism & religious persecution ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more