Review: 'Addict' by Stephen Smith

Originally published independently in 1997, Stephen Smith's 'Addict' has gone through fourteen printings, and according to publisher Westworld International's website it has sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. Seemingly it is the only book published by that outfit and the only book Stephen Smith has written. It does appear regularly in the Amazon.co.uk bestsellers list in the category 'Alcohol & Drug Abuse', which is what first brought it to my attention.

With its single-word title in large shaky capitals on a lurid cover, including a pair of crazed eyes staring out at the reader, 'Addict' does, at first glance, rather fulfil the expectations of the stereotypical tale of drug misadventure. Written in a basic, non-literary style, replete with copy editing errors and typographical oddities, it also has a very 'homemade' quality. Yet as a book it works. As E.M. Forster said in 'Aspects of the Novel', a story 'can only have one merit: that of making the audience want to know what happens next.'

And many of the things that happen in 'Addict' are just too weird and too farfetched not to be true: it's full of stuff you just couldn't make up. But again, conversely, it isn't entirely believable either, having, in certain sections, something of the air of the drunkard's tall tale told in the pub, piling on the exaggerations till breaking point is reached.