The Second Person from Porlock

Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a washed-up opium addict who is estranged from his friends and wife. Scrivener, a bullied undergraduate, finds a strange annotation in a book of Coleridge's poems and is captivated by Romantic poetry. Samuel, a young Sicilian, discovers that his mother once had a liaison with Coleridge and sets out for England to learn more about him.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 14 August 2022
Publisher: Fairlight Books

In the depths of 19th-century London, a tormented soul named Samuel Taylor Coleridge grapples with the grip of opium addiction, estranged from his friends, and haunted by the neglect of his wife. His mind, clouded by laudanum-induced dreams, teeters on the edge of reality, intertwining his past and present in a surreal tapestry. Amidst the quiet confines of a Cambridge college library, a timid undergraduate named Scrivener stumbles upon a peculiar annotation in a book of Coleridge's poems. Intrigued by this enigmatic marginalia and captivated by the allure of Romantic poetry, Scrivener resolves to embark on a transformative journey—to become a poet himself, guided by the luminous presence of Coleridge.

Across the vast expanse of the ocean, a young Sicilian named Samuel sets forth on a quest to unravel the mysteries of his lineage. Driven by a burning desire to connect with the man who may be his father, he embarks on a journey to England. Fate, however, has other plans in store.

As Samuel and Scrivener's paths cross, their destinies intertwine in a remarkable convergence. Will their paths lead them to the authentic Samuel Taylor Coleridge, or will they be forever entangled in the labyrinth of myths and legends surrounding his enigmatic persona? Only time will tell as they navigate through the winding corridors of history, seeking truth and enlightenment in the enigmatic world of the Romantic era.

Weight: 342g
Dimension: 126 x 196 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914148026