Vathek by William Beckford
Woe to the rash mortal who seeks to know that of which he should remain ignorant; and to undertake that which surpasseth his power One of the strangest and most unforgettable eighteenth-century novels, Vathek is a wild Gothic fantasy whose sensuous imagination and grotesque comedy have inspired writers from Byron to Lovecraft. The Caliph Vathek is dissolute and debauched, and hungry for knowledge. When the mysterious Giaour offers him boundless treasure and unrivalled power he is willing to sacrifice his god, the lives of innocent children, and his own soul to satisfy his obsession. Vathek's extraordinary journey to the subterranean palace of Eblis, and the terrifying fate that there awaits him, is a captivating tale of magic and oriental fantasy, sudden violence and corrupted love, whose mix of moral fable, grotesque comedy, and evocative beauty defies classification. This new edition reprints Beckford's authorized English text of 1816 with its elaborate and entertaining notes. In his new Introduction, Thomas Keymer pays special attention to the novel's literary qualities, its hybrid nature and its connections with oriental fiction and the Gothic as well as to its origins and Beckford's scandalous public persona. Completely reset, the second edition includes new, fuller notes, an up-to-date bibliography, and a new chronology of the author. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.-
Episodes of Vathek
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Dreams, Waking Thoughts and Incidents
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The History Of The Caliph Vathek
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He Leadeth Me
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![The History of the Caliph Vathek, by W. Beckford [Tr. by S. Henley]. Also, Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, by S. Johnson](//www.worldofbooks.com/cdn/shop/files/1146921942.jpg?v=1786279411&width=300)
The History of the Caliph Vathek, by W. Beckford [Tr. by S. Henley]. Also, Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, by S. Johnson
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Biographical Memoirs Of Extraordinary Painters
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Italy
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Vathek; An Arabian Tale
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Italy, Spain, And Portugal
![The History of the Caliph Vathek, by W. Beckford [Tr. by S. Henley]. Also, Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, by S. Johnson](http://www.worldofbooks.com/cdn/shop/files/1146921942.jpg?v=1786279411&width=300)
William Beckford (1760-1844) was an English novelist, art collector, slaveowner, and politician. Born in London, he inherited a massive fortune from his father, a former Lord Mayor of London, as well as an estate in Wiltshire and sugar plantations in Jamaica with around 3,000 African slaves. He lived in ease and luxury, studying music with Mozart and drawing with Alexander Cozens while leading a semi-open bisexual lifestyle. Inspired by a Grand Tour of Europe, Beckford published a travel narrative, Dreams, Waking Thoughts and Incidents (1783). Several years later, he wrote Vathek (1786), a popular Gothic novel originally drafted in French. He earned a reputation as an obsessive art collector and eccentric builder, burning through his fortune at an alarming rate. Throughout his life, he owned and sold original works by Turner, Blake, Velü¾Œ–”¼zquez, Lippi, and the Bellini family.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781613824368 |
| ISBN 10 | 161382436X |
| Title | Vathek |
| Author | William Beckford |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Simon & Brown |
| Year published | 2013-02-21 |
| Number of pages | 116 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |