Vathek 1887vathek wikisource, the free online library. Vathek, by william beckford download ebook vathek william beckford would reading dependence concern your life. It is your responsibility to check the applicable laws in your country before downloading this work. Vathek, gothic novel by william beckford, published in 1786. Vathek is considered a gothic novel, but there it little gothic about it. Vathek william beckford thomas keymer download free ebook. Vathek alternatively titled vathek, an arabian tale or the history of the caliph vathek is a gothic novel written by william beckford. He is a majestic figure, terrible in anger, and addicted to the pleasures of the flesh. College university of passau grade 1,0 author marvin hanisch author year 2011 pages 17 catalog number v174374 isbn ebook 9783640948123 isbn book 9783640947997 file size 662 kb language english tags. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. His vast wealth came largely from his plantations in jamaica and the large numbers of slaves working on these plantations. He was, and is, often referred to as alderman beckford to distinguish him from his son. Horace walpole, mario praz, mary shelley, peter fairclough, william beckford.
It is a story that paints neither man nor outward nature as they are, but reproduces with happy vivacity the luxuriant imagery and wild incidents of an arabian tale. He lived a life of scandal and extravagance, both financial and sexual, and even in the 21st century his name retains the faint air of scandal. The history of the caliph vathek by william beckford ebook. One of the strangest and most unforgettable eighteenthcentury novels, vatheks tale of the caliphs obsessive quest for knowledge, and his eternal damnation, is a wild gothic fantasy whose sensuous imagination and grotesque comedy have inspired writers from byron to lovecraft. The history of the caliph vathek by william beckford full. Read the history of the caliph vathek by william beckford by william beckford available from rakuten kobo. Vathek is an arabian caliph whose reign is marked by turbulence and unrest.
Vathek, 3rd edition, annotated, 1816 transcription project vathek, with introduction, 1887 external scan retrieved from s. The history of the caliph vathek, by william beckford. Its hero is the caliph vathek who renounces islam in a hedonistic quest for supernatural powers, which leads to his downfall. Publication date 1787 usage attributionnoderivatives 4. There are no churches or castles, and the maiden does not run from the caliph for long. Vathek, the ninth caliph of the abassides, ascended to the throne at an early age. The history of the caliph vathek by william beckford 1760 1844 full free audiobook subscribe for more audiobooks all. Witches, demons, human sacrifices and other spectral horrors. Download m4b 106mb download cover art download cd case insert. The broadview edition includes a newly discovered early version of the. Vathek by william beckford, free pdf, ebook global grey. William beckford, born in 1759, the year before the accession of king george the third, was the son of an alderman who became twice lord mayor of london. William thomas beckford 1 october 1760 2 may 1844 was an english novelist, a profligate and consummately knowledgeable art collector and patron of works of decorative art, a critic, travel writer and sometime politician, reputed at one stage in his life to be the richest commoner in england.
It was composed in french beginning in 1782, and then translated into english by reverend samuel henley in which form it was first published in 1786 without beckford s name as an arabian tale, from an unpublished manuscript, claiming to be translated directly. It explores vatheks different identities religious, artistic, and colonial and proves the presence of the. Born the son of a lord mayor of london, beckford was extremely wealthy from a young age, and was once the wealthiest commoner in england. These books can take me from 2 to 10 hours to create. The history of caliph vathek by william beckford manybooks. The caliph vathek is one of the wealthiest and most. Vathek was created by william beckford and appeared in vathek. William beckford, born september 29, 1760, london, englanddied may 2, 1844, bath, somerset, eccentric english dilettante, author of the gothic novel vathek 1786. The history of the caliph vathekwilliam beckfordfree. Vathek by william beckford, 9780199576951, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Author of vathek, dreams, waking thoughts, and incidents, life at fonthill, 18071822, the traveldiaries of william beckford of fonthill, biographical memoirs of extraordinary painters, the history of caliph vathek, the episodes of vathek, italy. Considered a masterpiece of bizarre invention and sustained fantasy, vathek was written in french in 1782 and was translated into english by the authors friend the rev. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and.
The purpose of this present survey is to investigate features of edward saids concept of orientalism in william beckfords vathek. The history of caliph vathek by william beckford free ebook. His parents were william beckford and maria hamilton, daughter of the hon. The history of caliph vathek is a fictional arabian tale based on the the life of the caliph alwathiq. This paper examines different layers of identity in william beckfords vathek. The history of the caliph vathek by william beckford.
William beckford edited by thomas keymer oxford worlds classics. Vathek, william beckford, edited with an introduction by roger lonsdale, london. William beckfords vathek is usually classified as a gothic novel, and it does indeed contain many of the same elements as the gothic novels more typically set in europe, including a defiant and. However, there are a great many supernatural elements taken from arab mythology, at least as they were understood by william beckford. Such writers as george gordon, lord byron, and stephane mallarme acknowledged his genius. William beckford s vathek is a touchstone of eighteenthcentury orientalism and of the gothic novel. It intends to examine how far beckfords novel reflects the standardization and cultural stereotyping that have helped to intensify the grasp of the imaginative demonology of the mysterious east said, 2003. William beckford 1760 1844 this is one of the earliest gothic novels. The caliph vathek is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men.
This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. He also is renowned for having built fonthill abbey, the most sensational building of the english gothic revival. The broadview edition includes a newly discovered early version of the first episode, never before in print, that centres on malemale. Unfortunately his erratic and strange behavior often w. Vathek is one of the earliest and most influential gothic novels. Vathek combines exotic descriptions of the orient with passages of grotesque comedy and a dollop of supernatu william beckford wrote the history of caliph vathek in french in 1784, but it was first published in an english translation by samuel henley in 1786. William beckford baptised 19 december 1709 21 june 1770 was a wellknown political figure in 18thcentury london, who twice held the office of lord mayor of london 1762 and 1769.
Beckford wrote vathek, his most wellknown work, in 1786. Ive been working my way through a number of weird fiction tales that weird fiction writer and enthusiast h. It was composed in french beginning in 1782, and then translated into english by reverend samuel henley in which form it was first published in 1786 without beckfords name as an arabian tale, from an unpublished manuscript, claiming to be translated directly from arabic. Beckfords genius was in marrying orientalism with the gothic, both sources of fascination and delight to reading audiences of the time. Global grey free pdf, epub, kindle ebook pages pdf.
Beckford 17601844 was one of english literatures real oddities. Vathek, by william beckford 17601844, is the type of story i find nearly irresistible. William beckford article about william beckford by the. An arabian tale from an unpublished manuscript, with notes critical and explanatory 1786. Download william beckfords the history of the caliph vathek for. Wikipedia article, commons category, wikidata item. I welcome questions, comments, or concerns about the material contained in this video. The happy thought of this william beckfords life was vathek. Vathek by william thomas beckford overdrive rakuten. Beckfords later work, the episodes of vathek, shares vatheks irreverent and decadent style, and an edition that unites the two has long been overdue. The history of caliph vathek by william beckford full. When a hideous stranger arrives in town, claiming to be a merchant from india selling precious goods, vathek buys glowing swords with letters on them from the merchant and. A wealthy dilettante, beckford had a great desire to ascend to the nobility.
There is a ghost of a moral in the story of a sensual caliph going to the bad, as represented by his. Free download of the history of caliph vathek by william beckford. A sensuous person, he builds five palaces, each devoted to the enjoyment of one of the five senses, and his fondness for. Oxford university press, 197049, 187 pages vathek alternatively titled vathek, an arabian tale or the history of the caliph vathek is a gothic novel written by william beckford. William thomas beckford 17601844 was a novelist, an art collector, a critic, a composer, a travel writer, and a politician. William beckfords vathek is a touchstone of eighteenthcentury orientalism and of the gothic novel. William beckford s vathek is usually classified as a gothic novel, and it does indeed contain many of the same elements as the gothic novels more typically set in europe, including a defiant and. Vathek also titled vathek, an arabian tale or the history of the caliph vathek is a gothic novel written by william beckford. Samuel henley, who published it anonymously, claiming in the preface that the novel was his own translated from an arabic original. Beckford s later work, the episodes of vathek, shares vathek s irreverent and decadent style, and an edition that unites the two has long been overdue. Gemmet in his critical work, william beckford, admits that beckfords knowledge of the east is inaccurate or that it is not based on reliable sources, the scholarship of the period, crystallized in dherbelots notes in bibliotheque orientale, a primary source for vathek, was too erratic to be authoritative99. Pdf multilayers of identity in william beckfords vathek. The history of the caliph vathek william beckford format.