The Hangover: A Literary and Cultural History

What is a hangover? How does itfeel to suffer from one? What can hangovers tell us about the way attitudes toalcohol have developed over time? In the humanities, why have we neglected the subject of the hangover in ourcritical discussions of alcohol and intoxication?

In the first comprehensive study of the hangover in literature and culture, JonathonShears sets out to answer each of these questions by exploring the representationof 'the morning after' in a wide variety of texts ranging from the Renaissanceto the present day. The book looks at what examples of 'hangover literature' fromwriters such as Ben Jonson, Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, Kingsley Amis and A.L. Kennedy can add to our personal and cultural understanding of alcohol use. Itdemonstrates that, more than just a cluster of physical symptoms, the hangoveris a complex interplay of sensations and emotions with a fascinating culturalhistory.