Nothing in the world was more terrible than an empty bottle! Unless it was an empty glass

Nothing in the world was more terrible than an empty bottle! Unless it was an empty glass

Malcolm Lowry, the acclaimed author of the novel "Under the Volcano," was no stranger to the destructive power of alcohol. Throughout his life, Lowry struggled with alcoholism, a battle that ultimately led to his untimely death at the age of 47. It is perhaps this personal experience that lends such weight to his words when he writes, "Nothing in the world was more terrible than an empty bottle! Unless it was an empty glass."

Lowry's statement speaks to the insidious nature of alcoholism, a disease that can consume a person from the inside out. An empty bottle represents not just the physical absence of alcohol, but also the emptiness and despair that can accompany addiction. For someone like Lowry, who grappled with alcoholism for much of his life, an empty bottle was a stark reminder of the hold that alcohol had over him.

But Lowry's words also point to the psychological toll of addiction. An empty glass, like an empty bottle, can symbolize a sense of longing and emptiness that can never truly be filled. For someone struggling with addiction, the desire for alcohol can become all-consuming, leaving them feeling hollow and incomplete without it.