If a book about a Little Lord Fauntleroy and his little velvet suits is to sweet for your taste, how about a book about opium and homelessness? In Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821) Thomas de Quincey tells the tale of his laudanum addiction, the way opium is taken, the way it works upon the mind and body, and how he finally managed to get clean again.
The book is supposed to be a cautionary tale, because telling of the joys of drugs was not something the Victorian Era agreed to. The book is split in parts, for example The Pleasures of Opium and The Pains of Opium. I think the part about the pleasures is a beautiful and enjoyable read, and the part about the pains is mostly quite boring, but you might feel differently.
You can read the e-text here. (And if you like to see some opium use in a movie, watch From Hell with Johnny Depp, it’s a most excellent movie!)
Unrelatedly, if you’re looking for affordable books on various topics, have a look here. I think these books would make excellent gifts to history-lovers!
Hi! My name is Geerte, I'm a researcher of Nineteenth century history from the Netherlands. This blog is where I write about my favourite subject. Feel free to browse around! 
I read this years ago and agree with your comments on it. I don’t think the effects of widespread Laudanum taking at this period has ever been fully appreciated.
Why I love the Victorian era: it must be the only time period that can claim, as one of the books on the Shire site describes, a “fern craze.”
And it apparently gave birth to the scandalous cautionary tale. I must read this De Quincey book.
I love this book. great post.
One of my favourite books and this version fronted by one of my favourite paintings, Henry Wallis’s, The Death of Chatterton. If you have a moment, do go to the Tate Britain to see this painting, it’s just…luminous (despite the more morbid subject matter).
I read this book when I was a student, a 4 years ago. I was fascinated by this book. :)))