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Vathek

William Beckford

3.28 · Rating details · 5,584 ratings · 443 reviews

Beckford's Gothic novel, Vathek, an Arabian tale, was originally written in French when the author was 21. It is the story of Caliph Vathek, whose eye can kill at a glance, who makes a pact with the Devil, Eblis. ...more

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Paperback, Oxford University Press, 170 pages

Published 1999 by Oxford University Press (first published 1786)

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May 23, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: gothic, fantasy, french, british, novels, france, classics, literature, horror, fiction

Vathek, William Beckford

Edited with an introduction by Roger Lonsdale, London: Oxford university press, 1970=1349, 187 Pages

Vathek (alternatively titled Vathek, an Arabian Tale or The History of the Caliph Vathek) is a Gothic novel written by William Beckford. 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Reverend Samuel Henley in which form it was first published in 1786 without Beckford's name as An Arabian Tale, From an Unpublished Manuscript, claiming to be Vathek, William Beckford

Edited with an introduction by Roger Lonsdale, London: Oxford university press, 1970=1349, 187 Pages

Vathek (alternatively titled Vathek, an Arabian Tale or The History of the Caliph Vathek) is a Gothic novel written by William Beckford. 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Reverend Samuel Henley in which form it was first published in 1786 without Beckford's name as An Arabian Tale, From an Unpublished Manuscript, claiming to be translated directly from Arabic.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و سوم ماه می سال 1978میلادی

واتک یا «واثق»؛ که با عنوان: «واتک، حکایتی عربی یا داستان خلیفه واتک» نیز شناخته میشود، رمانی گوتیک (داستانهای پر از دلهره، افسون و فریب، ارواح و جادو پیشگان و...)، به قلم توانای «ویلیام بکفورد»، نویسنده ی «انگلیسی» است؛ رمان در اوایل سال 1782میلادی، به زبان «فرانسه» نوشته شده، و بعدها توسط «ساموئل هنلی» به «انگلیسی» ترجمه شده است؛

چکیده داستان: خلیفه واتک (واثق)، از نواده های «هارون الرشید» است؛ مادرش «کاتاریس»، ساحره ای «یونانی» بوده است؛ فساد و افزون طلبی، و میل شدید او، به علوم ممنوعه، «واتک (واثق)» را، بنده ی «ابلیس» میکند؛ او میخواهد، به گنجهای قدرتمداران پیشین (پادشاهان ایران)، در خرابه های «ایستاکار (استخر)»، دست یابد؛ «واتک (واثق)»، پنجاه کودک را، قربان میکند، تا در نگاه یکی از چشمانش، توان کشتن پدیدار شود، از پایتختش «سامارا (سامرا)»، سفر خویش را آغاز میکند؛ در طول مسیر، عاشق دختر امیری، به نام «نورینهار» میشود، که در ادامه ی سفر، دختر نیز او را همراهی میکند؛ پس از رخدادهای عجیب، و پر و پیمان، در «ایستاکار (استخر)»، «واتک (واثق)» اجازه ی ورود، به شبستانهای «ابلیس»، در دنیای مردگان را، پیدا میکند، و در آن دنیای مردگان، به بیهودگی همه ی گنجها، و شگفتیهای همین زمین، و جهان زیرپا، پی میبرد؛ در پایان، «واتک (واثق)»، و همراهانش، در انتظار عذاب ابدی خویش، هستند؛ جسمشان دست نخورده باقی خواهد ماند، اما قلبشان همیشه در درون و اندرون، خواهد سوخت؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 06/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Bill Kerwin rated it liked it

Shelves: 18th-c-brit, weird-fiction, gothic, libertines-dandies-decadents

An odd book, and not a completely successful one. I cannot deny it a wealth of ironic observation and an elegant style, but I believe the author indulges his hobbies and obsessions--his Orientalism, his ephebophilia, his loathing of his mother and other termagants--to an extent that distorts this tale of sensuality, pride and and destruction instead of informing and enriching it.

The last twenty pages or so, however, that relate Prince Vathek's damnation in the underground realm of the angel Ebl ...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Henry Avila rated it liked it · review of another edition

Caliph Vathek the ruler in fabulous Baghdad, and its extended Empire, the Middle East and Africa...Grandson of the illustrious Harun al -Rashid, but not his equal to say the least, from the Arabian Nights fame (this is fiction, folks , with only a very vague resemblance to a real man, so don't bother to look him up on Wikipedia). Being the 9th century, the Caliph has absolute power, also an evil eye, deadly when angered as a lot of his poor victims discovered much too late. Nobody looks at Vathe Caliph Vathek the ruler in fabulous Baghdad, and its extended Empire, the Middle East and Africa...Grandson of the illustrious Harun al -Rashid, but not his equal to say the least, from the Arabian Nights fame (this is fiction, folks , with only a very vague resemblance to a real man, so don't bother to look him up on Wikipedia). Being the 9th century, the Caliph has absolute power, also an evil eye, deadly when angered as a lot of his poor victims discovered much too late. Nobody looks at Vathek's fearsome eye, when the Caliph is in a very bad mood, for long... and lives. Five magnificent palaces he has built for his many amusements, full of exotic, expensive toys. A colossal tower to reach the heavens is erected, just for Vathek , so he can study the distant, perplexing stars... he needs amusement, the tallest in the world, at great cost to his impoverished and oppressed subjects. Most nights looking up at the mysterious dark sky and becomes a capable astronomer, the royal man, while the people below suffer because of the very high taxes. Still the Caliph spends money at a tremendous rate, his subjects hate him but keep their tongues quiet, too many have been silenced, butchered not to do otherwise. The easily bored, plainly wicked Vathek has a new bright city, Samarah, on the arid desert, established, who would refuse the command. Nevertheless his numerous wives fail to make him happy, still things change when a stranger arrives, the man though... maybe the ugliest on Earth... However he has unknown, enormous, demonic powers. The Caliph is given a stupendous saber, with carved words on it which are different every day, by the sinister stranger from India, Giaour (infidel). Yet they can't be read by the tyrant, the languages are unintelligible , Vathek cruel mother, Princess Carathis practices black magic, has committed worst crimes than her spoiled son, yes that's possible, she is that vicious. Trouble begins when they can't locate the eerie Indian. At last the stranger, Giaour, appears and tells Caliph Vathek to kill a few of his people, fifty children ( he survives the riots). The Sovereign of the World, will be richly rewarded with unlimited wealth, in the ruins of the mournful city, Istakar, (Persepolis) destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C. Everyone feels relief as the Ruler leaves for the dead, ancient Persian capital , wishing he'd never come back. Picking up an Emir's willing young daughter, Nouronihar, on the way, is nature demands it. As an enchanting moon is shining down on his caravan, an intimidating Genie materializes and strongly advises the evil one, not to go any further when Vathek nears, the unnatural, lonely city, understandably deserted, but to quickly flee. The Caliph makes his ominous decision...I've read a lot of bizarre books, but this is one of the... weirdest.....oddest and creepiest... you've been warned..... ...more

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Jul 12, 2020 Warwick rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: georgian-regency, gothic, fiction, arabia

A preposterous proto-orientalist fantasia, full of afrits, genies, harems and evil plots. Based very loosely on the life of the ninth-century caliph al-Wathik, it is structured around a Faustian deal with the devil – it's a fast read and tonally quite a strange one. Obviously Beckford was enamoured of the 1001 Nights, but his story is also shot through with curious elements of his own, and it all builds to an unusually dark ending.

Vathek is sometimes described as a Gothic novel, and it does shar A preposterous proto-orientalist fantasia, full of afrits, genies, harems and evil plots. Based very loosely on the life of the ninth-century caliph al-Wathik, it is structured around a Faustian deal with the devil – it's a fast read and tonally quite a strange one. Obviously Beckford was enamoured of the 1001 Nights, but his story is also shot through with curious elements of his own, and it all builds to an unusually dark ending.

Vathek is sometimes described as a Gothic novel, and it does share some of those themes – a sense of the supernatural, a love of terror and other extreme emotions, a wallowing in non-mainstream religion. But it's really very different from the usual sense of ruined Catholic castles and continental European gloom that one normally associates with Ann Radcliffe, Horace Walpole, Matthew Lewis et al. Like the later orientalists, Beckford was motivated by a curious and not unproductive mix of serious scholarship (he studied Arabic and read intently in Islamic history – the book is densely footnoted) and prurient titillation. In many ways Vathek's mood of sensual indulgence looks forward to more consciously ‘decadent’ writers of a hundred years later like Huysmans. (Vathek, like Wilde's Salomé, was originally written in French, and seems to have had a similarly powerful effect on subsequent French writers.)

Beckford's own sense of decadence comes with a kind of sexual egotism which can feel comfortably thrilling at this distance, but which at the time was probably more concerning. He had a taste for underage boys (a predilection that, as Hester Thrale noted in her diary, is obvious throughout Vathek) and he had the money to indulge his tastes – he was staggeringly wealthy, making about £100,000 a year at a time when £400–500 was enough to live a life of leisure as a gentleman. Add to this the fact that his money came from sugar plantations in Jamaica – he gave speeches in parliament against abolishing slavery – and one is left with a rather unpleasant sense of the man behind the book.

Beckford had to flee England after he was caught with a thirteen-year-old boy (in an interesting twist, his seat in parliament went to ‘Monk’ Lewis – were all these MPs writing Gothic fiction??), and he emigrated to Switzerland, where Gibbon in Lausanne organised for him to be publicly shunned. But his novel did make waves, and was adored by Byron, whose The Giaour is heavily indebted to it. The ending, which takes places in the shadowy underground palace of Eblis, is justifiably famous and impressively dark, prefiguring a lot of modern horror all the way down to something like ‘I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream’, although the lush setting and language stops it from being quite that bleak. Overall, it's not especially edifying, but if you like the idea of literature written by pervy rich English bastards, this is an obvious touchpoint. ...more

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Aug 10, 2013 Paul rated it it was ok

Shelves: gothic

There is a story behind my purchasing this book. I occasionally bid on book lots at the local auction house. Recently I bid on a box of books which looked rather interesting. I managed to transpose the numbers and ended up with a different box of books, most of which I didn’t want. However there were seven folio society book from the late 1950s and early 1960s, which I have kept (sending the others back to auction). This was one of the folio society books.
I knew little about Vathek or William Be There is a story behind my purchasing this book. I occasionally bid on book lots at the local auction house. Recently I bid on a box of books which looked rather interesting. I managed to transpose the numbers and ended up with a different box of books, most of which I didn’t want. However there were seven folio society book from the late 1950s and early 1960s, which I have kept (sending the others back to auction). This was one of the folio society books.
I knew little about Vathek or William Beckford before this. It has been classified as a Gothic novel and was written in the 1780s. Byron cited it as a source and Keats certainly was influenced by Beckford’s descriptions of the underworld. Lovecraft and Poe were also influenced as have been other writers in the fantasy genre.
There is a touch of the Arabian Nights about this and it is set somewhere in the Middle East. It concerns wealthy potentate Caliph Vathek and his exceptionally cruel and evil mother Carathis. Vathek is fabulously wealthy, has lots of eunuchs, lots of wives, loves the pleasures of the flesh, has built a Babel like tower and is also thirsty for knowledge. The story is based around Islam and involves genies, djinn and even The Prophet putting in his views from heaven. Vathek desires more wealth and more power and that is where the “fun” begins. We have mysterious strangers, lots of acts of cruelty and immorality, magic artifacts and talismans, sacrifice (of children), pursuit of glory, feasting, pride and a journey to find treasure and fortune. The last twenty pages with the descriptions of hell are quite fun when everyone gets what they deserve.
These days the story is fairly unremarkable, although there are some unusual flourishes; it was originally written in French. It is effectively a pact with the devil novel; just set in an Islamic context. There are also some comic turns. The characters are predictable and rather flat and after a time the descriptions of even more fabulous wealth, debauchery and cruelty just become boring. As a whole it didn’t really work for me, but there are also other issues which revolve around Beckford himself.
Beckford was wealthy, very wealthy (inherited) and his income at the time was over£100,000 a year, which was a fabulous amount at the time. In later life he was a bit of a recluse and spent way too much money on pointless building projects. He wrote Vathek in his early twenties whilst in France. The reasons for leaving England are not entirely clear. It seems he was conducting an affair with a boy eight years his junior (William Courtenay, son of an aristocrat) . The boy’s uncle found out and advertised it in a newspaper. Beckford and his wife left the country for a while and he wrote Vathek whilst in France. Beckford continued to be noted for eccentricity and there are lots of stories about goings on at his home. All this is of little relevance really. What is of relevance is the source of his wealth; the slave trade and plantations in Jamaica. Byron, whilst appreciating Vathek made some rather acerbic comments about Beckford’s wealth. I am left with a picture of a man wasting large amounts of money of ornate buildings whilst the sources of his wealth suffer thousands of miles away. It left a bad taste.
...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Matthieu rated it liked it

Underground palaces! Concealed didacticism! Homosexual indiscretions!

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Nov 02, 2015 Duane rated it liked it

Shelves: guardian-1000, rated-books, 2016-book-challenge, reviewed-books, english-calssics

This is an 18th century Gothic novel written by an English author, but written in the French language. It's about an Arabian sultan who makes a deal with the devil, which almost never ends well. That's an odd mix of tags, but this is an odd story. It reminds me a bit of Castle Otranto, but more violent. Just not my cup of tea. ...more

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Nov 07, 2020 Mattia Ravasi added it

A sensualistic fantasy opera of immense decadence and depravity. Foundational in tone and content on so much 20th century fantasy - Jack Vance clearly took a leaf from this book - what I really like to do when I read books like this is imagine how it must have felt to experience the banquets and feasts here described as an 18th century Englishman who never saw a piece of fruit more exotic than a pear.

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Jan 19, 2010 Jayaprakash Satyamurthy rated it really liked it

I seem to have embarked on a re-exploration of the gothic genre. After finishing a re-read of The Castle Of Otranto by Horace Walpole a couple of days back, Last night I finished Vathek by William Beckford, a novel which also stems from the trend for Orientalist fiction which played upon the exoticism of an imagined Arabic setting, largely inspired by translations of The Thousand And One Nights.

It's the story of the Caliph Vathek, a sensualist and seeker of knowledge whose quest for novelty lead I seem to have embarked on a re-exploration of the gothic genre. After finishing a re-read of The Castle Of Otranto by Horace Walpole a couple of days back, Last night I finished Vathek by William Beckford, a novel which also stems from the trend for Orientalist fiction which played upon the exoticism of an imagined Arabic setting, largely inspired by translations of The Thousand And One Nights.

It's the story of the Caliph Vathek, a sensualist and seeker of knowledge whose quest for novelty leads him into the snares of a diabolical plot. Promised the jewels and talismans of the pre-Adamic kings, he embarks on an inverted pilgrim's progress with a suitable ending.

Vathek was written in a burst of inspiration over the course of roughly three days. It shows. There are many holes in the plot, which is episodic and frequently seems to lose itself in byways. Vathek is depicted as having the power to strike down his foes with a look from one of his eyes when angered; yet he never uses this power at any point in this book. As mentioned above, he is portrayed as a seeker of knowledge; yet, his chief motivations in the course of the novel are greed and lust. We are suddenly informed that he has a brother more than two-thirds of the way through the story. At a certain point, as if realising he could meander about forever, Beckford visibly reins in his plot and forces a conclusion.

But these cavils are beside the point; style is the measure of Beckford's success here, and this novel has style in excess, weaving a sustained cavalcade of visions that must also be the result of its rapid, intense composition. The lush, sybaritic Palaces of the Senses, the many depictions of lavish banquets, the darkly comedic scenes of sorcerous doings by Vathek's mother Carathis and her minions, various scenes of Vathek's villainy and blasphemy and finally the portrayal of the devil and hell itself are all rendered with a fine eye for arresting, original detail. A vein of dark humour, occasionally tending to farce, runs through the story, giving us permission not take it all much more seriously than Beckford seems to have. ...more

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Feb 24, 2008 Jack rated it really liked it

Postmodernism has nothing on Vathek. An absolutely bizarre Gothic tale, rich in Orientalism and deviltry. You may think that the modern era has corned the market in strange, difficult texts, but there is truly nothing new under the sun. Vathek is stranger than strange.

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Dec 17, 2019 Doug rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

First published in 1786, William Beckford's Vathek was apparently written in the span of 3 days, which while it is not an extremely long book, is still incredible given its sheer imagination. It makes me wonder what else Beckford could have accomplished, if his greatest novel was put down on paper in a mere 3 days. He was very talented, as evidenced by his writing, yet apparently was never truly able to harness his talents. One may only wonder if he could have even surpassed the fame of writers ...more

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Aug 07, 2007 Paul rated it really liked it

Shelves: sciencefictionfantasy

Vathek was Caliph in the area of approximately present-day Iraq, at some unknown time in the past. He was generally a fair person, but woe unto him who got Vathek angry. He lived in an immense castle, with the absolute finest of everything. One day, a very strange, and very ugly, man stood before his throne. He had a hideous laugh, but didn’t speak. He showed Vathek all manner of rare and exotic items, including sabers inscribed in an unknown language, inscriptions which kept changing from day t Vathek was Caliph in the area of approximately present-day Iraq, at some unknown time in the past. He was generally a fair person, but woe unto him who got Vathek angry. He lived in an immense castle, with the absolute finest of everything. One day, a very strange, and very ugly, man stood before his throne. He had a hideous laugh, but didn’t speak. He showed Vathek all manner of rare and exotic items, including sabers inscribed in an unknown language, inscriptions which kept changing from day to day. The stranger was thrown in prison for his unwillingness to speak. The next morning, finding the stranger gone, Vathek totally blows his top.

Finding himself outside the castle, at the foot of the nearby mountains, Vathek hears a voice coming out of a huge crevasse. It is the stranger, called a giaour, who promises Vathek all the powers of heaven in exchange for the blood of fifty young boys. Vathek provides the boys, through the guise of a sporting competition, then the giaour reneges on its part of the deal. When the people, especially the parents, understand what’s happened, Vathek has to get back to the castle and lock the doors, until the anger subsides.

Later, Vathek commands the creation of a great caravan to a place called Rocnabad, home of famous springs. For various reasons, he needs to get away from the castle for a while. This is going to be the biggest, and grandest, caravan ever. On the journey, the caravan is attacked by wild animals, with a number of casualties. Vathek, his wives and senior advisers, can no longer be carried the rest of the way, because of lack of personnel, but actually have to walk to Rocnabad.

At Rocnabad, there is a castle as big or bigger than the one that Vathek left behind. He meets a young woman named Nouronihar, who he wants as one of his wives (as Caliph, what Vathek wants, Vathek gets). She is promised to a man named Gulchenrouz. The lovers drink a potion that will make them look dead for several days, then, the idea is that they go and live somewhere else, away from Vathek.

This is one of the very few novels set in the world of the Arabian Nights, a world of eunuchs, slaves and harem girls. It was first published over 200 years ago (in the 1780s), so the style of writing is very different than what is normal for a modern reader. Therefore, it will take some patience on the part of the reader. If you can find a copy, it is time, and money, very well spent.

...more

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Sep 15, 2014 Joseph rated it really liked it

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. Widely regarded as one of the seminal works of Gothic literature, this strange, unclassifiable novel recounts its eponymous protagonist's quest for esoteric knowledge and carnal pleasure, a quest which ultimately leads to his damnation.

"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. Widely regarded as one of the seminal works of Gothic literature, this strange, unclassifiable novel recounts its eponymous protagonist's quest for esoteric knowledge and carnal pleasure, a quest which ultimately leads to his damnation.

"Vathek" combines exotic descriptions of the Orient with passages of grotesque comedy and a dollop of supernatural derring-do. Indeed, one of the challenges for modern sensibilities (and possibly its original readers as well) is to determine which passages should be taken at face value and which ones are to be read as self-parody. Even allowing for the genre's excesses, episodes such as that of a wizard being turned into a ball and kicked around Vathek's kingdom are clearly intended as black comedy. But what about Vathek's damnation, described in language of poetic intensity? Is the moralistic ending to be taken at face value or is Beckford being ironic? The author's letters suggest the former to be the case - which is rather surprising considering the atmosphere of decadence which permeates the novel.

If read purely for narrative pleasure, Vathek might disappoint. The plot is episodic, there are too many changes of gear, and the novel's ultimate message - if it does have one - is elusive and unclear. Yet, for anybody interested in early Romanticism, Orientalism, supernatural fiction or, for that matter, unusual literary fare, this is a must-read.

The Oxford World Classics text follows the 1816 English language version, prepared by Beckford himself. It includes an informative introduction by Roger Lonsdale which, interestingly, makes the case for *not* considering Vathek a Gothic novel. Also included are the erudite endnotes which Beckford included in the 1816 edition of Vathek (although first-time readers might prefer just reading through it and then consulting the notes on subsequent readings).

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20... ...more

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May 18, 2010 K.D. Absolutely rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Aaron Vincent, whose YA taste I respect most

Recommended to K.D. by: 501 Must Read Books and 1001 Books You Must Read Before You DIe (2006 to 2010 editions)

Shelves: 1001-core, classics, 501

Surprisingly quite an interesting read! The plot is thick, interesting characters and definitely written by somebody with a very rich imagination! Wiki says that Mr. Beckford, at the young age of 21, wrote this straight 3 days and 2 nights in French in 1782. Now, after 228 years and the story is still interesting and can put to shame the contemporary fantasy gothic novels we have.

The character of Caliph Vathek, still from Wiki, is inspired by the life of Al-Wathiq ibn Mutasim (Arabic الواثق), an ...more

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Oct 12, 2008 Kam rated it did not like it

So plodding, this book. It was painful to read. Even in Starbucks with wonderful smells of cinnamon and chocolate wafting around. Page by page, I trudged on.
Some great imagery, but at great expense!

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Nov 11, 2019 Malum rated it it was ok

Shelves: classics, fantasy

How can a book with an Arabian Nights setting and featuring magic, dwarves, harems, a trip to hell, jinn, and demons be boring? Read Vathek and find out. The book just felt so plodding and dull.

Overall, fantastic ideas but with an execution that didn't impress me. ...more

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Oct 03, 2019 Alice Lippart rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019, classics

Some interesting parts, but overall not quite my jam.

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Nov 28, 2012 Stela rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: devoted gothic readers

Shelves: gothic-urban-gothic-horror

I used to recall, with appalled amusement, the words of a former colleague of mine, who was slyly intrigued (and very proud of his cleverness) that anyone could read dead writers. What can I say? You don't usually argue with fools, whose minds are relaxed. Moreover, ignorance has many faces, and some of them are really funny even if in an involuntary way.

On the other hand though, maybe because there are strange points where ineptitude and intelligence seem to cross (not always clear whether for ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 Caidyn (he/him/his) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, classics, adult-fiction, from-publisher-or-author, mystery-horror-thriller

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

CW: Orientalism

Didn't like this one at all. When I started reading it, it stank of Orientalism and if this wasn't an ARC, I would have just stopped reading it. But this one wasn't for me. While I'm glad that the publisher is doing new classic horror stories, but I didn't like this one. I wanted to enjoy it, but I found it slow and the Orientalism of the times killed me. ...more

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Jan 30, 2018 John Anthony rated it really liked it

This is a weird book which I rather expected to loathe but didn’t. Vathek and his evilly motivated mother are loathsome I guess but their moral degeneracy is all part of the fable.

Beckford’s tale is fantasy writ large. It could almost be an early ancestor of all those Harry Potter volumes. Certainly some of the characters would not be out of place at Hogwarts. Whilst described as a Gothic tale, it is hard to believe that it was written in 1786.

I first encountered Beckford, as it were, in ‘ “Men ...more

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Apr 27, 2015 Karl marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: centipede-milipede-own, 2015-04-books-bought

This is copy number 40 of 250 signed numbered copies.

The Book is signed by Donald Sidney-Fryer who wrote the introduction and David Whitlam who profusely illustrated the book.

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Mar 14, 2015 Jenny Macdonald rated it liked it

A cross between a gothic Pilgrim's Progress in reverse and The Thousand and one Nights it tells the tale of a Caliph, Vathek, and his mother, Carathis, who are cruel and ruthless in their search for knowledge and supernatural powers. A visiting merchant, a Giaour, attends Vathek and promises him all knowledge and power if he works for the Devil, Eblis. Of course to do this involves abandoning their faith Islam, living a debauched life and murdering a large quantity of innocent people. Vathek doe ...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Sesana rated it it was ok

Shelves: horror, historical-fiction, fantasy, monsters, weird, gothic

What a bizarre book. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I didn't hate it. The title character is a generically Arabian sultan who enters into a deal with a djinn that ends as well as one might expect. Which is to say, not at all. Vathek's descent is told in loosely connected episodes, with some very surreal scenes included. Incredibly odd plot aside, it's actually written fairly well. Miles better than The Castle of Otranto, at least. It's delightfully over the top, of course, but no ...more

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Oct 26, 2020 K.J. Charles added it

Shelves: gothic, cough-bullshit-cough

Orientalist tripe. Read it for my English degree, forgot everything about it in self defence, reread in the light of a bio of Beckford which was horrifying (the racism, the creepy paedo vibes, the evil female character closely based on his cousin's wife who acted as a go between when he was seducing a child). No plot as such, just a lot of wallowing in highly ineffectual wickedness. All Gothic trappings without decent foundations, much like Fonthill Abbey, snerk. ...more

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Jun 09, 2020 Jim Smith rated it really liked it

A lurid and lustful Araban Nights-esque gothic fantasy. I knew this had to have been a favourite of Clark Ashton Smith within ten pages, and looking it up I'm right. A clear inspiration for his Zothique stories and other problematic pulp fiction of a dark magical east to be othered and afraid of. The horny fantasies of colonialism, bookended by some effective cosmic horror elements.

Of its portrayal of Arabic/Islamic culture, a typically racist H. P. Lovecraft felt Beckford's novel "reflected ve ...more

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Sep 22, 2013 John David rated it liked it

Shelves: literary-fiction

William Beckford, the author of “Vathek,” led a rather remarkable life – so remarkable, in fact, that reviewers and critics are left baffled at how to interpret it other than reading it as a sort of fantastic confabulation of his life. He was born in 1760, son of the two-time Lord Mayor of London; at the tender age of ten years, his father died and left him one of the richest men in the entire country. This allowed him to pursue his interests in art, architecture, and travel, all of which he did William Beckford, the author of “Vathek,” led a rather remarkable life – so remarkable, in fact, that reviewers and critics are left baffled at how to interpret it other than reading it as a sort of fantastic confabulation of his life. He was born in 1760, son of the two-time Lord Mayor of London; at the tender age of ten years, his father died and left him one of the richest men in the entire country. This allowed him to pursue his interests in art, architecture, and travel, all of which he did on grand scales. His tastes were just as spectacular as his wealth, acquiring over the course of his life Giovanni Bellini’s “Agony in the Garden,” Raphael’s “Saint Catherine of Alexandria,” and Velazquez’s “Philip IV in Brown and Silver.” He took music lessons from Mozart. After very possibly having an affair with his cousin’s wife, as well as another with a boy who just happened to be the son of William Courtenay, Ninth Earl of Devon, he exiled himself to the Continent, where he lived most of his life.

Vathek was written in 1781 or 1782, while Beckford was in his early twenties. It has heavy Gothic influences, but is very recognizable as one of the “Oriental tales” of which the English reading public could hardly get enough of at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Beckford originally wrote the book in French, only later to have it translated into English by Samuel Henley in 1786 and published by Oxford World Classics.

However grotesque and bizarre the story, two of its central characters are historical. Vathek is based on al-Wathiq, an Abbasid caliph and grandson of Harun al-Rashid, and his mother Carathis is based on al-Wathiq’s mother, Qaratis. That’s where all historical resemblances end, however. Goaded on by his mother, Vathek seeks out occult learning in the sciences, astronomy, and other “black arts” that shock some of his fellow Muslims, including his counselor-vizier Morakanabad and the eunuch Bababalouk. He is tempted by a demon named Giaour who promises him riches beyond belief in a Palace of Subterranean Fire, and does a number of heinous things to please Giaour, including tossing fifty beautiful boys to appease its bloodlust.

Vathek then meets the kind, pious Emir Fakreddin, and quickly falls in love with his daughter Nouronihar, who is already betrothed to her young cousin Gulchenrouz. Vathek’s infatuation excites Nouronihar, however, and seems equally greedy for the treasures in the Palace of Subterranean Fire. They eventually reach the Palace, ruled by Iblis (the Devil of Islamic mythology), but it turns out to be something that more resembles Dante than any kind of heavenly reward. Carathis soon joys them there, explicitly having abandoned all Hope, one assumes for eternity.

Because of all the action that takes place in an extremely short novel (this version clocks in right at 120 pages), its pace can seem hurried, confused, and frantic. This is understandable since, in several places, Beckford cites having written it in either two or three days. “Vathek” mostly seems to be a vehicle for Beckford to bandy about his criticisms of middle-class English mores and sexual morality (Nouronihar’s love interest, Gulchenrouz, is often referred to as “feminine” and “effete.”) It can just as easily be read as a very young Beckford trying to come to terms with how he sees himself and his ambitions in relation to those of society less forgiving of thoroughgoing aesthetes. Because of its length, I would recommend this for anyone interested in the ever-popular Georgian-era Oriental tale mixed with high Gothic romance. I don’t think anyone has ever accused Beckford of being a great writer – but it is not without interest, even if it is only the interest of the fascinating eccentric who wrote it. ...more

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Jun 16, 2015 Ebster Davis rated it liked it

This book reminded me a lot of a thousand arabian nights; hard to follow at times, with lots of really vivid/psychedelic descriptions...but it's a lot shorter and less explicit.

The main character is pretty worldly king, and he can kill people by looking at them (but only if he's extremely angry). His mom is a necromancer of sorts and they do horrible thing after horrible thing so that he can divine his future/grand destiny or something like that.

I liked how the book represented Djinn. My favor ...more

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Dec 19, 2020 Maria rated it liked it

3/5

VATHEK is considered a gothic novel, but there is little gothic about it. There are no churches or castles, and the maiden does not run from the caliph for long. However, there are a great many supernatural elements taken from Arab mythology.

Vathek is a Caliph who didn't learn to rule his kingdom well, or how to behave correctly. He is primarily concerned with indulging his five senses. He is a sybarite. Extravagance being his native way, he builds five palaces onto the existing palace. The o 3/5

VATHEK is considered a gothic novel, but there is little gothic about it. There are no churches or castles, and the maiden does not run from the caliph for long. However, there are a great many supernatural elements taken from Arab mythology.

Vathek is a Caliph who didn't learn to rule his kingdom well, or how to behave correctly. He is primarily concerned with indulging his five senses. He is a sybarite. Extravagance being his native way, he builds five palaces onto the existing palace. The only Vathek is never really satisfied with anything. He always wants more power, a lovelier girl, more exotic food, a more sophisticated fragrance, or a strange gift from a remote country. The fact is that Vathek is very self-absorbed and when you are the Caliph, people let you get away with just about anything. It doesn't help that his mother is an evil sorceress and she enables all his bad behavior.

An evil being in the disguise of a man, called the Gaiour, comes to Vathek's court with all sorts of magical artifacts that seem to give their bearer otherworldly powers. Vathek becomes entranced by the thought of having powers over spirits and other men and begins to follow a direct line to eternal hell. In order to court evil spirits, Vathek becomes a mass murderer, a blasphemer, a betrayer, a killer of his own people. He is helped in this by his mother, Carathis, who hasn't even heard the word goodness. She constructs a tower much like the Tower of Babel, in order to reach the gods and to serve as storage for her arcane items.

“It is a great evil to look upon mankind with too clear vision. You seem to be living among wild beasts, and you become a wild beast yourself."

The book becomes a little much at times. I mean, how many deeds of evil can we experience before we go, "ok, he's going to Hell now!" Sometimes you sense that some of this is intentional and tongue in cheek. At other times, you're horrified at the evil that most of the characters do. Any characters that are good are trampled upon by the evil. The last couple of pages are truly disturbing.

It was a bizarre but readable book and I would recommend it to anyone that keeps an open mind about fantasy or who is interested in the question of how much knowledge is too much knowledge.

...more

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Oct 31, 2013 Tim Pendry rated it really liked it

Shelves: cultural-studies, british, classics, black-comedy, literature-general, middle-eastern, alternative-histories, eighteenth-century, dark-fantasy, decadent

The 1970 (revised 1983) Oxford World Classics Editions of Beckford's 'Vathek' of 1782 is almost exhaustingly as well as exhaustively scholarly with not only the final 1816 text as the basis of the book but a full range of notes from the original.

The work is quite slight in many ways but it has to be granted its originality as a quasi-Gothic piece of orientalism and as a major influence on subsequent fantastic literature.

Beckford himself had the potential to be great but he was not only born far ...more

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May 20, 2016 عماد العتيلي rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016-reads

 Vathek - Faust - Frankenstein. The same theme depicted in three different titles!
The search for forbidden knowledge, which leads to eternal damnation and misery.
It is an interesting theme which I truly enjoy to read.
But, you know, it's really difficult for me to enjoy anything after Faust and Frankenstein! I think two novels about the same theme are just enough!

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The negative thing about the novel is its passive depiction of the orient! It's a combination of demonizing and neutralizing, just l ...more

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About William Beckford

William Beckford

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William Thomas Beckford 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. His parents were William Beckford and Maria Hamilton, daughter of the Hon. George Hamilton. He was Member of Parliament for Wells fro ...more

Books by William Beckford

I grandi romanzi dell'orrore: Wathek di Beckford - Il Dr. Jekyll e Mr. Hyde di Stevenson - Dracula di Bram Stoker - La casa sull'abisso di Hodgson - Il Golem di Meryink - Stirpe di Lupo di Munn - Le montagne della follia di Lovercraft

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“Woe to the rash mortal who seeks to know that of which he should remain ignorant, and to undertake that which surpasseth his power!” — 5 likes

“At these words, the fathers of the fifty boys cried out aloud; the mothers repeated their exclamations an octave higher; whilst the rest, without knowing the cause, soon drowned the voices of both, with still louder lamentations of their own.” — 4 likes

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