Diary of a Drug Fiend

Diary of a Drug Fiend is a semi-autobiographical novel by the occultist, poet and painter Aleister Crowley. The book follows a young couple, the aristocratic Sir Peter Pendragon and his lover Louise Laleham. Following the First World War, Sir Peter - a veteran pilot - comes into a large inheritance, which he promptly begins to spend recklessly. Peter and Louise fall deeply in love with one another, bonding over cocaine which lifts their spirits to ungainly heights. Together, the pair elope across France and Italy, taking increasing amounts of cocaine and combining the drug with heroin. Their binge causes Peter to behave aggressively by brandishing a gun in public, and the two are apprehended by the police. As the pair sit in custody, their guide steals their belongings and valuables - the first in a series of misfortunes.