Beckford, William

Three Gothic Novels: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; Frankenstein (English Library)

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Early Gothic Novels by Walpole, Beckford, and Polidori
Gothick Terror, Oriental Decadence, Romantic Vampyres...
A great primer for those interested in early Gothic fiction

Three Gothic Novels: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; Frankenstein (English Library)
Horace Walpole , William Beckford , and Mary Shelley
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140430369

Customer Reviews:

Early Gothic Novels by Walpole, Beckford, and Polidori.......2004-03-20

I had little familiarity with the Gothic genre when I encountered this Dover publication some years ago. At that time I considered the plot for The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole to be farfetched, almost ludicrous. The mystical Oriental tale, Vathek (1782), by William Beckford seemed endless. Only the short story titled The Vampyre (1819, by John Polidori) met my expectations.

However, recently returning to this collection, this time, somewhat to my surprise, I was fascinated by all three stories. In the interim I had gradually become acquainted with early Gothic literature and I had gained an appreciation on how these three innovative tales significantly influenced later writers.

Despite that the eighteenth century was a period of philosophical and scientific progress, many readers were intrigued and entertained by the supernatural, bizarre elements in The Castle of Otranto. Hundreds of authors subsequently imitated Walpole's Gothic style. Although many of these later stories had little literary merit, the Gothic novel remained immensely popular for the following century.

Today, the supernatural aspects in The Castle of Otranto seem overworked, the dialogue is stilted, and the plot relies too much on coincidences. Nonetheless, the story remains entertaining and suspenseful. This collection includes a lengthy introduction by Sir Walter Scott for the 1811 edition of "this new species of literary composition".

William Beckford's Vathek is so original that it hardly fits even the Gothic genre. Beckford, a noted scholar of early Arabian literature, provided more than fifty pages of explanatory end notes. For some reason he first published Vathek in French. Later it was translated and published in English without his approval. I still find Vathek to be overly long, but this time I was intrigued with its mystical Arabian Nights motif, its chilling characters, and its vivid portrayal of evil.

In an introduction to The Vampyre the author John Polidori claimed (possibly to increase sales) that Lord Byron had created the plot at the same literary soiree in Geneva in which Mary Shelley produced Frankenstein. Lord Byron disputed Polidori's claim and produced his own notes from that famous gathering. Regardless, The Vampyre is fascinating short story.

E. F. Bleiler edited this collection and provided a lengthy, interesting introduction to three authors that were instrumental in developing the Gothic novel.

Gothick Terror, Oriental Decadence, Romantic Vampyres..........2002-05-09

This volume is an excellent introduction to four
works of the Gothic mindset, which hit England at
the end of the 1700s and lasted on into the early
Romantic period, all the way up to the late decadence
of the 1890s, winding up in Robert Louis Stevenson's
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1886),
Oscar Wilde's THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1891), and
Bram Stoker's DRACULA (1897).
These are four of the earliest of this Gothic genre.
The volume includes Horace Walpole's THE CASTLE OF
OTRANTO (Christmas Eve, 1764); William Beckford's
VATHEK (1786); John Polidori's VAMPYRE (1819); and
a Vampire Fragment by Lord Byron (1819), "which was
published at the end of MAZEPPA in 1819."
The list of Gothic NOVELS (rather than stories)
in chronological order which make the grade are:
Horace Walpole's CASTLE OF OTRANTO (1764), Clara
Reeve's THE CHAMPION OF VIRTUE (1777), William
Beckford's VATHEK (1786), Ann Radcliffe's THE
MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO (1794), Matthew Gregory Lewis's
THE MONK (1795), Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN (1818),
John Polidori's VAMPYRE (1819), Charles R. Maturin's
MELMOTH THE WANDERER (1820).
There are excellent introductions to each of the
writers and their works at the beginning of the book.
In speaking of THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO, Bleiler says:
"This novel has been called one of the half-dozen
historically most important novels in English. The
founder of a school of fiction, the so-called Gothic
novel, it served as the direct model for an enormous
quantity of novels written up through the first
quarter of the 19th century.... It was probably
the most important source for enthusiasm for the
Middle Ages that suddenly swept Europe in the later
18th century, and many of the trappings of the early
19th century Romantic movement have been traced to
it. It embodied the spirit of an age."
There is included a series of impressive "Notes"
to the novel VATHEK: An Arabian Tale. The novel
begins in an interesting fashion: "Vathek, ninth
caliph of the race of the Abassides, was the son
of Motassem, and the grandson of Haroun al Raschid.
From an early accession to the throne, and the talents
he possessed to adorn it, his subjects were induced to
expect that his reign would be long and happy. His
figure was pleasing and majestic: but when he was
angry, one of his eyes became so terrible, that no
person could bear to behold it; and the wretch upon
whom it was fixed instantly fell backward, and
sometimes expired. For fear, however, of depopulating
his dominions and making his palace desolate, he but
rarely gave way to his anger."
And here is a sample bite from John Polidori's
VAMPYRE: "There was no colour upon her cheek, not
even upon her lip; yet there was a stillness about
her face that seemed almost as attaching as the life
that once dwelt there: --upon her neck and breast
was blood, and upon her throat were the marks of teeth
having opened the vein: -- to this the men pointed,
crying, simultaneously struck with horror, "A
Vampyre! a Vampyre!"

A great primer for those interested in early Gothic fiction.......2000-06-21

This is a fabulous collection representing the beginning of Gothic fiction. Otronto is the very first such work, and is a perfect illustration of the basic themes and plotlines predominant in Gothic. Although not the most polished work of fiction, it's often so bad it's funny, and definitely worth reading. The other stories are much more professional, albeit a bit drier reading. I'm especially fond of Vathek, as it more clearly represents fear fiction as it was to become. Dr. Polidori's piece is particularly intersting as he was a physician and present at the famous ghost-story-telling session(s) of Byron and the Shelley couple.

Book Description

Witches, demons, human sacrifices and other spectral horrors: all intercept Vathek as he journeys to the underworld in this weird and wonderful gothic masterpiece.

This classic of 18th century Gothic literature, was highly acclaimed by such eminent writers as Byron and H P Lovecraft and remains the most extreme example of this genre.

Originally composed in French, Vathek was translated into English in 1816, and it is this version which is now presented as part of the popular Creation Classics series. The book includes lithographs by the symbolist artist Odilon Redon, complementing the bizarre text and making this the most completely decadent edition available in print. An introduction by Jeremy Reed illuminates both the text and the eccentric life of William Beckford, a youthful millionaire who spent his fortunes on building the ultimate Gothic folly, where he indulged in such homosexual indiscretions that he was finally exiled from England.

Customer Reviews:

Beckford's Soulscape?.......2007-03-07

The tale of Vathek is undeniably a wonderful oriental fable, where enlightenment ethics are presented and critiqued. If read in conjunction with Samuel Johnson "Rasselas", Montesquieu's Persian Letters and "Arabian Nights" one may be able to better understand the landscape upon which orientalism (a term used by Beckford himself to illuminate the period's infatuation with the orient, not to be confused with Said's) and enlightenment values where divulged. Beckford's tale however speaks of a more prescient sphere where the author's inner struggles and thwarted tragic desultoriness devolves. As with all literature this compact gem stands on her own; however many have tried to extract a moral import and some have even described a mystique of knowledge and a system of ethics with undue fastidiousness. In a more likely scenario we have a wonton fable whimsical and indulgent, crafted as a parody of "orientalism". Knowledge of Beckford's life may serve the reader well but should not hinder her enjoyment. The author's disquietude trumps an increasing distance from the absurd drive and hedonistic tendencies of the protagonist, while we feel a sympathetic kinship laxed the more into the novella we proceed. The author wrote this fable in French and supervised the translation as best he could. The grotesque and the sublime are here married insolubly but tend to find a balance suspended over a void that derides and insinuates the emptiness of a spiritual fantasy in turmoil.
The ending paragraphs are singed with a sad glow that seems to recriminate as much as it moralizes: much like a father that punishes a child only to feel remorse over the fact that his own blood cannot enjoy what is most enjoyable. He is not convinced and Beckford created a wonderful fable where much is exposed, but the simplicity, the arrogance and the conviction are to be regaled with the same comic grotesque sprightliness with which he infuses his narrative.
A quick fun read that demands little of us, but in degrees can disclose a sensibility we may be dismissive of if we are to package it as a tale where orientalism meets enlightenment values.

Time very well spent.......2006-07-15

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.

"The successes of the foolish form the first rod of their chastisement." .......2006-06-10

Written in 1786, William Beckford's novel "Vathek" is Gothic fiction combined with Orientalism. While Vathek is not a well-remembered example of these literary trends, it is, nonetheless, an excellent book.

Vathek is the quintessential Oriental despot--a young, jaded Caliph, "addicted to women" who rules his kingdom with vanity and brooks no argument. When roused to anger, his glance is so terrible, that people fall over, and some actually die. His palace at Samarah is, in the eyes of Vathek "too scanty" so he adds 5 wings that are essentially other palaces--each one devoted to the gratification of the senses. After the palaces are complete, Vathek begins construction of a high tower in order to contemplate the heavens, understand the stars, and gain forbidden knowledge. Once the tower is completed, however, Vathek finds that standing at the top and surveying his kingdom is a "bewildering" experience, and he feels "almost ready to adore himself."

One day Vathek receives a visitor who possesses a number of curious items--including jewel-encrusted sabres. The visitor is clearly an evil monster in disguise, but Vathek's curiosity and desire to own the sabres overrule any common sense he should possess, and he becomes obsessed with translating the curious characters engraved on the sides of the sabres.

Together with his sorceress mother, Carathis, Vathek falls under the sway of the evil Giaour who promises Vathek the great treasures of the pre-Adamite sultans in the ruins of Istakar--including the "talismans that control the world." But Giaour first demands the blood of fifty children, and Vathek delivers the children to their doom. After Vathek delivers the children, he expects to gain the treasures and the knowledge with which he can rule the world. He sets out to claim his reward and during his journey he falls in love with Nouronihar, the flighty daughter of an emir.

Beckford's novel is written in a flowery style and in some ways, it's reminiscent of Samuel Johnson's wonderful novel, "Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia." However, "Rasselas" is immersed in philosophical issues--whereas "Vathek" is a simpler, moral tale. If you enjoyed "Rasselas" (and it's one of my top ten books of all time) then there's a good chance you'll enjoy "Vathek" too. Beckford maintains the theme of Orientalism throughout this dark novel mainly by his thorough descriptions of the physical world--displacedhuman

HOW COME YOU DO SO MUCH WRONG VATHEK?.......2002-04-30

Vathek is another work in an endless series with the Faust myth as its backbone. Except here, instead of being set in Germany, the setting is the ancient middle east in which genies and devils inhabit the land.

Vathek is a caliph who is loved but also feared by his people. In fact, if he really loses his temper, just the sight of his gaze can cause death. His court makes The Satyricon look like a sunday school with its voluptuousness and excess. There are even five wings of his palace, with each one dedicated to a sense with names such as "The Delight of the Eyes" and "The Palace of Perfumes". Oh, the decadence! Of course someone as attached to physical gratification as Vathek is sure to stomp on the moral and religious boundaries of Allah and get in trouble.

Much like God and Yahweh in the Book of Job, Allah allows Vathek to be tempted and tried by demons as a bizarre test of his faith. Actually, maybe in both cases it was a test of God's faith in man. The faith that man will do the right thing in the end. That he will turn away from evil. That he will have an epiphany which will redeem him. Vathek isn't so lucky.

An evil being in the disguise of a man, called the Gaiour, comes to Vathek's court with all sorts of magical artifacts which seem to give their bearer otherworldy 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 to the gods and to serve as storage for her arcane items.

The book, much like Dante's Inferno, 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. I liked this book and 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.

An exotic dark fantasy.......2002-01-15

Leaving aside the question of whether this book is a 'gothic' novel or not, it is a dark fantasy. It shares with its more conventionally gothic brethren a tale of dark deeds in an exotic setting, where an alien and exciting religion is practised.

In the standard Gothic tale, allusions to Roman Catholicism, thought of by respectable Englishmen as a dark, oppressive, and half-pagan faith, were part of the conventional apparatus. Beckford chose instead to imagine the world of Islam, an even more exotic milieu that added some flashes of bright colours to the dark and sorcerous background of his book. His choice of an even more exotic setting allowed him greater freedom in portraying characters who defied social convention and fell into exotic habits of mind.

My understanding is that it is a matter of some debate to what extent the English text of -Vathek- is a translation from the French, or an original English composition. I do not have the French text in front of me, but it has been represented to me that Beckford's "original" French is rather like the French of Oscar Wilde's -Salome-, and needed extensive editing to be acceptable to a French readership.

At any rate, -Vathek- is a prime example of early dark fantasy. The description, of course, will be richer than you are used to, but Beckford's prose actually seems to move quite quickly. Fans of H. P. Lovecraft or Clark Ashton Smith will find that it is quite easy to slip into. And the tale is indeed a vivid one, right up to the exceptional ending when Vathek and Carathis are damned to the halls of Eblis, their hearts seared with unquenchable fire.

Book Description

Macabre and melodramtic, set in haunted castles or fantastic landscapes, Gothic tales became fashionable in the late eighteenth century with the publication of Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764). Crammed with catastrophe, terror, and ghostly interventions, the novel was an immediate success, and influenced numerous followers. These include William Beckford's Vathek (1786), which alternates grotesque comedy with scenes of exotic magnificence in the story of the ruthless Caliph Vathek's journey to damation. The Monk (1796), by Matthew Lewis, is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest, set in the sinister monastery of the Capuchins in Madrid. Frankenstein (1818, 1831) is Mary Shelley's disturbing and perennially popular tale of young student who learns the secret of giving life to a creature made from human relics, with horrific consequences. This collection illustrates the range and the attraction of the Gothic novel. Extreme and sensational, each of the four printed here is also a powerful psychological story of isolation and monomania.

Three Oriental Tales: The History of Nourjahad, Vathek, and The Giaour (New Riverside Editions)

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From the Editor

Three Oriental Tales: The History of Nourjahad, Vathek, and The Giaour (New Riverside Editions)
Frances Sheridan , William Beckford , and Lord Byron
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

This engaging volume presents the complete texts of three of the most important—and historically popular—examples of the Oriental tale genre. Supporting contextual material includes samples of Orientalist writing from The Spectator, Johnson's Rambler, Goldsmith's Citizen of the World, and Edgeworth's complete tale "Murad the Unlucky," as well as a selection of modern critical essays.</p>

Customer Reviews:

From the Editor.......2002-08-06

Here are some features of this collection that readers might want to know about. It includes the original notes to *Vathek* (the 1816 version) and *The Giaour* and presents them as they were intended to be presented: in separate sections following each work. Editorial glosses and footnotes, on the other hand, are at the bottom of each page--my students, who don't like hunting for endnotes, tell me this makes a real difference for them. In addition to the three main works, *Three Oriental Tales* includes a sample from *The Arabian Nights* and Oriental tales from *The Spectator*, Johnson's *Rambler*, Goldsmith's *Citizen of the World* (Letter 33, an Orientalist send-up of Orientalism), and the complete text of Maria Edgeworth's "Murad the Unlucky." It also includes Francis Jeffrey's contemporary review of *The Giaour* and a set of recent critical responses to the tales, plus a chronology of literary Orientalism in Britain from the early translations of *The Arabian Nights* to Byron's death in 1824.

Three Eighteenth Century Romances: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; The Romance of the Forest, (The Modern Student's Library)

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Three Eighteenth Century Romances: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; The Romance of the Forest, (The Modern Student's Library)
Horace Walpole , William Beckford , and Mrs. Ann Radcliffe
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Recollections of an Excursion to the Monasteries of Alcobaca and Batalha

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Recollections of an Excursion to the Monasteries of Alcobaca and Batalha
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Vathek and Other Stories: A William Beckford Reader (Penguin Classics)

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Vathek and Other Stories: A William Beckford Reader (Penguin Classics)
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The sun set before I recovered my senses enough to discover plainly the variegated slopes near Canterbury, waving with slender birch-trees, and gilt with a profusion of broom.

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August 4th.--The heats were so excessive in the night, that I thought myself several times on the point of suffocation, tossed about like a wounded fish, and dreamt of the devil and Senegal. Towards sunrise, a faint breeze restored me to life and reason. I slumbered till late in the day, and the moment I was fairly awake, ordered my gondolier to row out to the main ocean, that I might plunge into its waves, and hear and see nothing but waters around me.

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Life at Fonthill, 1807-1822: Letters of William Beckford
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