VATHEK: Die Geschichte des Kalifen Vathek: Eine arabische Erzählung

Von William Beckford

William Beckford's 'VATHEK: Die Geschichte des Kalifen Vathek' ist ein Werk, das die Leser in die exotische Welt des Orients entführt. Das Buch spielt im alten Persien und erzählt die Geschichte des kalifen Vathek, der nach Macht strebt und dadurch den Zorn der Götter auf sich zieht. Beckford's literarischer Stil ist geprägt von einer opulenten Sprache und einer faszinierenden Darstellung des Übernatürlichen. 'VATHEK' gehört zu den frühen Werken der Gothic Fiction und hat sowohl historische als auch romantische Elemente, die den Leser in einen Bann ziehen.

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Musaicum Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 15. Sept. 2017
• ISBN: 9788027214211

Buchvorschau

Vorwort

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Dieses Buch schrieb um das Jahr 1781 der damals zwanzigjährige William Beckford »hintereinander und auf französisch in drei Tagen und zwei Nächten intensivster Arbeit – ich habe die ganze Zeit die Kleider nicht vom Leib getan und wurde schwer krank davon«. Das Manuskript wurde ohne Wissen Beckfords ins Englische übersetzt und erschien als Buch 1784. Die französische Originalausgabe kam erst drei Jahre später heraus: Vathek, Conte Arabe. A Paris, Chez Poinçot, Libraire, rue de la Harpe, près Saint-Côme, No. 135. 1787. Im Jahre 1820 hat Beckford selber eine englische Übersetzung gemacht und herausgegeben.

Hätten die zeitgenössischen Memoiristen und Journalisten den Vathek nicht ignoriert – weder der Mercure, noch Frérons Année Littéraire, weder Métra, noch Bachaumont sagen ein Wort darüber – so hätten sie vielleicht etwas von Voltaire gesprochen, von den Feenmärchen aus Chinaporcellan und dem Arabischen des Galland; und Bachaumont hätte zu erzählen gewußt, daß man diesen schlanken, sehr modisch angezogenen Engländer in den ersten Jahren der Revolution zu Pferde als Zuschauer überall sah, wo auf Straßen und Plätzen sich etwas begab. Die Karikaturenzeichner der Zeit kannten ihn so, als den exzentrischen Lord; als den Dichter des Vathek kannte man ihn so wenig wie den Vathek selber.

Das Buch kam zu früh in die Zeit; erst eine spätere entdeckte es: Mérimée, dieser Delikate, wollte es neu herausgeben: er mußte ein seinem eisgekühlten Temperament Verwandtes darin spüren, wie da die Dämonie eines Schicksals mit moralischer Gleichgültigkeit aber ästhetischem Raffinement erzählt wird und die Ironie des Weltmannes dem Ganzen die Distanz gibt. Mallarmé führte die Absicht Merimées aus: er ließ den Vathek 1876 für 220 Freunde drucken und nennt ihn in seiner préface »un des jeux les plus fiers de la naissante imagination moderne«.

Die pathetische Architektur des Buches – die Architektur ist der essentielle Orient: Raum, Zahl – umspielen groteske Linien. Vathek läßt sich den hohen Turm bauen, er will die Sterne erreichen, ganz zu ihnen hin, um ihnen ihre Geheimnisse zu nehmen, aber die Sterne sind ganz fern. Da läßt sich sein formidabler Appetit ein großes Essen servieren. Die perverse Keuschheit seiner Mutter hetzt ihn zum Abenteuer, und die ganze Cortège von Reitern, Damen, Eunuchen, Pagen, Zwergen, in Sänften, in Käfigen, zu Pferd, zu Dromedar zieht durch Wüsten, Felsen, brennende Zypressenwälder, Paradiese in das Unterirdische.

Der Vathek ist ein Buch, das jeder gute Engländer in seiner Bibliothek hat. Schon weil Beckford die berühmte Fonthill-Abbey gehörte, die er 1822 öffentlich versteigern ließ samt all ihren Schätzen, was die berühmteste Vente einer Bibliothek gab; weil er drei Millionen jährliches Einkommen hatte, Englands wealthiest son war, wie ihn Byron im ersten Canto des Childe Harold anruft. Aber es haben sich um William Beckford die Engländer sonst nicht gekümmert, die keinen kleinsten Dorfpfarrer gestorben sein lassen, ohne ihm einige Monate später seine zweibändige Biographie auf die frische Graberde zu legen. Es wird mit Beckfords Popularität in England sein wie mit der Popularität des Genies auch anderswo: mehr Respekt von ferne, als nahe Liebe. Dann schlug Beckford den Ton an, der nicht mehr verklungen ist und der in englischen Ohren keine Resonanz zu finden scheint. Vathek ist da und dort im de Quincy, in der Geste Oskar Wildes, in der Imagination Beardsleys.

Soll etwas aus seinem Leben erzählt werden? Der Sohn des verstorbenen Lordmajor Beckford wächst unter der Leitung der Lords Chatham und Littleton auf dem Lande auf. »Das alte Haus von Fonthill mit seinem riesigen Saale, den vielen Türen und Korridoren, dunklen, langen – das ist Eblis. Die Frauen im Vathek sind nach meiner Ansicht outrierte Portraits jener guten und bösen Frauen, die auf Fonthill wohnten.« Langes Reisen über den Kontinent, allein, mit einer Frau, differenzieren die Sensibilität dieses Genußmenschen bis zum persönlichsten einsamen Geschmack. Er ist unermeßlich reich, hat gar keine äußeren Ambitionen, baut Paläste und sammelt unerhörte Schätze. Sein Zusammenhängen mit den Menschen beschränkt sich auf die Formen des Anstandes; moralische Beziehungen sind keine; er trifft sich mit keinem Zweiten und Dritten auf dem Boden starken Meinungsaustausches. Er sieht Menschen bei sich nur zu Festen, den Nelson mit der Hamilton und allem Gefolge: Staffage für seine Architektur. Er hält nie einen guten Freund am Kamin zurück für spätere Stunden.

William Beckford starb am 2. Mai 1844 im Alter von vierundachtzig Jahren.

Es sind außer dem Vathek noch ein paar kleine Schriften von ihm im Druck erschienen. Ein Liber Veritatis, das er auch Buch der Narrheit immer nennen wollte, wird in der Handschrift verwahrt. Ein Biographical memoir of extraordinary painters schrieb und druckte er mit siebenzehn Jahren; mit der sehr seltenen Schrift mystifizierte er die Besucher der väterlichen Bildergalerie. Dann Reiseeindrücke: Familiar letters from Italy, 1805, später – 1832 – um einen Band vermehrt und mit dem Titel: Italy, Spain and Portugal, neu von ihm herausgegeben. Weiter: Excursions to the Monasteries of Bathala and Alcobaça, 1835. Die Memoirs of William Beckford, London 1859 in zwei Bänden, sind zum größten Teil nach Beckfords Diktaten und Angaben niedergeschrieben.

Der Vathek und sein Dichter sind kaum in die historische oder eine ästhetische Ordnung zu bringen. Sind schon Beziehungen zum Geiste seiner Zeit – das achtzehnte Jahrhundert – schwer aufzuweisen, so sind Relationen des Vathek zum Moralismus überhaupt nicht vorhanden, wenn man nicht die Ironie als eine solche Beziehung ansprechen will. Aber es ist eine Ironie, die bloß von der Persönlichkeit des Dichters die Richtung erfährt, nicht von gesellschaftlichen Oppositionen und Meinungen, die Beckford teilte.

Der Vathek ist das stolzeste Spiel der werdenden modernen Imagination – die Definition Mallarmés bestimmt das Wesentliche.

Franz Blei.

Vathek

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Vathek, der neunte Kalif aus dem Hause der Abbassiden, war der Sohn des Motassem und Enkel des Harun Al-Raschid. In jungen Jahren bestieg er den Thron. Die großen Eigenschaften, die er ganz jung schon besaß, ließen seine Völker hoffen, daß seine Regierung lang und glücklich sein würde. Sein Ansehen war hoheitsvoll und schön; aber wenn er zornig wurde, da blickte sein eines Auge so schrecklich, daß man es nicht ertragen konnte: der Unglückliche, den dieser Blick traf, fiel nach rückwärts und manchmal hauchte er sogar auf der Stelle den Geist aus. Und deshalb gab sich der Kalif, aus Furcht, seinen Staat zu entvölkern oder aus seinem Palaste eine Öde zu machen, seinem Zorne nur sehr selten hin.

Er war den Frauen und den Genüssen des Tisches gleich stark ergeben. Seine Freigebigkeit kannte keine Grenzen, und seine Ausschweifungen keine Zurückhaltung. Denn er glaubte nicht, wie der Kalif Omar Ben Abdalaziz, daß man aus dieser Welt eine Hölle machen müsse, um in der andern sich des Paradieses zu erfreuen.

Er übertraf an Glanz alle seine Vorfahren. Der Palast Alkorremmi, den sein Vater Motassem auf dem Wildenpferdhügel erbaut hatte und der die ganze Stadt Samarah beherrschte, war ihm nicht weit genug. Er ließ noch fünf Flügel daran bauen, oder vielmehr fünf neue Paläste, und er bestimmte jeden davon der Befriedigung eines seiner Sinne.

In dem ersten dieser fünf Paläste waren die Tische stets mit den ausgesuchtesten Speisen bedeckt. Man erneuerte sie Tag und Nacht, sobald sie kalt geworden waren. Die feinsten Weine und die besten Liköre flossen in Strömen aus hundert Springbrunnen, die nie versiegten. Dieser Palast hieß das Ewige Fest oder der Unersättliche.

Den zweiten Palast nannte man den Tempel der Melodie oder den Nektar der Seele. Ihn bewohnten die besten Musiker und bewundertsten Dichter der Zeit. Nachdem sie ihre Talente an diesem Orte geübt hatten, zerstreuten sie sich in Banden und überfluteten die ganze Umgebung mit ihren Liedern.

Der Palast Das Entzücken der Augen oder die Unterstützung des Gedächtnisses war ein einziges Wunder. Die größten Seltenheiten aus allen Ecken der Welt waren hier gesammelt, in Massen und in der schönsten Ordnung. Man sah in einer Galerie die Bilder des berühmten Mani und Statuen, die zu leben schienen. Hier reizte eine glücklich gewählte Aussicht den Blick; dort wurde das Auge angenehm durch die Künste der Optik getäuscht; an einer andern Stelle fand man alle Schätze der Natur. Mit einem Worte: Vathek, der neugierigste unter den Menschen, hatte in diesem Palaste nichts vergessen, was die Neugierde der Besucher befriedigen konnte, nur nicht seine eigene, denn er war unersättlich.

Der Palast der Wohlgerüche, den man auch den Stachel der Wollust nannte, war in mehrere Säle geteilt. Aromatische Lampen und Fackeln brannten da auch am hellen Tage. Um sich von der köstlichen Trunkenheit zu erholen, in die man hier geriet, stieg man in einen weitläufigen Garten hinab, in dem alle Blumen eine kühle und erfrischende Luft atmen ließen.

Der fünfte Palast hieß die Wohnung der Freude oder der Gefährliche. Hier waren viele junge Mädchen und Frauen. Sie waren schön und verführerisch wie die Huris und nie ermüdet, diejenigen wohl zu empfangen, die der Kalif in ihre Gesellschaft zulassen wollte. Denn er war gar nicht eifersüchtig und verwahrte zudem seine eigenen Frauen in dem Palast, den er bewohnte.

Trotz all dieser Wollüste, denen sich Vathek ergab, wurde er doch von seinen Völkern nicht minder geliebt. Man glaubte, daß ein Herrscher, der sich den Lüsten des Lebens ergibt, mindestens ebensogut zum regieren tauglich ist, als einer, der sich als Feind dieser Lüste erklärt. Aber sein unruhiger und brennender Geist konnte da nicht stehen bleiben. Zu Lebzeiten seines Vaters hatte er aus Langeweile so viel studiert, daß er nun vieles wußte; nun wollte er Alles wissen, selbst die Wissenschaften, die es gar nicht gibt. Er liebte es, mit den Gelehrten zu disputieren; sie durften aber ihren Widerspruch nicht zu weit treiben. Den einen stopfte er den Mund mit Geschenken; die andern, deren Überzeugungen seiner Freigebigkeit Widerstand leisteten, wurden ins Gefängnis geschickt, daß sie sich da ihr Blut abkühlen: ein Mittel, das oft half.

Vathek machten auch die theologischen Streitigkeiten Vergnügen, und es war nicht die allgemein anerkannte orthodoxe Partei, für die er sich erklärte. Damit hatte er alle Zeloten gegen sich: also verfolgte er sie, denn er wollte immer und um jeden Preis Recht haben.

Der große Prophet Mahomet, dessen Statthalter die Kalifen sind, war im siebten Himmel über dieses irreligiöse Treiben eines seiner Nachkommen entrüstet. »Lassen wir ihn nur machen«, sagte er zu den Dschinnen, seinen Geistern, die stets seiner Befehle harren, »wir wollen sehen, wieweit seine Narrheit und Ungläubigkeit geht; treibt er es zu bunt, so wissen wir ihn

Rezensionen für VATHEK

[tess_schoolmarm · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Vathek is an Arabian Caliph whose kingdom is marked by violence, even though Vathek has lived for many years in his 5 palaces; one for each of the senses. Of course, Vathek can not be happy for what he has, and he goes in search of the "dark" treasure; which is knowledge. One of the things he has to do to obtain this is to sacrifice 50 children. He does this and his people turn against him. Vathek finds out that he can not outrun his eternal damnation. This really is one of the most boring books I have read! Why did I read it? It was short and on the 1001 books list. Not recommended. 141 pages

[joe73-1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Good story. For the time it was written in, it could be a story right out of The Arabian Nights. Vathek is despicable as is his mother.

[elizabethchapman · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

The novel Vatek was an 18th century "cult classic," revered by Byron and later Poe, Mallarme, and Swinburne. It is a fantastical tale originally written in French by William Beckford -- "England's wealthiest son" -- at the age of twenty-one.Beckforth, inspired by the Arabian Nights and the idea of oriental exoticism, created Vatkek as an homage to Persian folk tales and as a self-indulgent escapist fantasy.Filled with splendid palaces, treasures beyond price, vengeful demons, dark magic, eroticism, and wild adventure, "Vatek" is an over-wrought confection. It's long description passages and jumbled plot make it a dizzying read -- inducing both confusion and enchantment. Whether pleasure or frustration takes the upper hand for you will depend on your personal taste.

[wubsy_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

What? This novel is enchantingly bizarre, and the episodes in hell are brilliant, but too much of the first part of the novel is wrapped up in over descriptive paragraphs of the sublime, which quickly bored me. It is however, an at times outlandishly evocative novel, and one that I enjoyed.

[bayardus-1 · Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen]

Almost works as a self-parody. Almost. And it's clear that this wasn't intentional on the part of Beckford.

[josephcamilleri-1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

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 when Beckford should is being earnest and when he ventures into self-parody. Even allowing for the genre's excesses, episodes such as that of a wizard being turned into a ball and being kicked over 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).

[plappen_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

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.

[ysabeau_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Before there was Clark Ashton Smith, there was William Beckford. Without him, Oscar Wilde would have been nothing...Even Byron rode on Beckford's coat-tails. (Well--maybe)

[lgandt · Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen]

The best part was the last 2 chapters. Just couldn't get into this one. The imagery is wonderful, but all I got from this was a bit of preaching at the end and a seemingly endless feast of food, which was fine but made me hungry.

[ragwaine · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

The other stories were better than the original Vathek. It's hard to get into a story where you hate the main character. But it was very colorful and exotic. The writing was a bit purple but I like that.

[bcquinnsmom · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

An interesting tale, Vathek is the story of the Caliph of the same name, who is tempted by a demon named the Giaour. Vathek had been well liked by his subjects and left the occult dabbling to his mother up until this time. The Giaour came to Vathek's palace one day promising him wealth & power & secret talismans by which to rule the world. All of this temptation was too much for the poor Caliph; with his mother offering agreement, Vathek is told to travel to a place called Istakar where he would receive his reward. Along the way he picks up a young woman named Nouronihar, whose greed & desire for power matches his own. This book tells of their adventures.A very moralistic tale, and one for which many others have made comments since its writing, I thought it was quite good. A very brief read (this edition, the Oxford World's Classics, tells the tale in 120 pages), it is a classic.

[veilofisis · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Surely few stranger works of fiction exist in the annals of Romantic literature than William Beckford’s dreamy, opulent, and hypnotically weird Vathek. An undeniable and outrageous breed of almost slapstick comedy mingles like wine in water with scenes of utter blasphemy and perversion. Our eponymous Caliph Vathek, tempted by the sprawling subterranean riches of Eblis (the Islamic demon par excellence), wanders a one-way path to absolute damnation in one of the most meandering and scandalous journeys of self-destruction ever penned. Supreme destination: a climax of hearts exploding into smokeless fire. A parade of phantasmagoria smatters the narrative with strange and delightful diversions: pious dwarves bearing baskets of fruit and chirping incessantly, to the great annoyance of our Caliph, their Qur’anic verses; saucy women tricking eunuchs into flinging about on swings in a perfumed harem; great feasts, examined in exacting detail, of everything from roasted wolves and boiled thistles to pistachio-stuffed lamb and drugged sherbets; an entire city kicking about a goblin who has curled into a ball and taken to rolling about through the streets of Samarra and eventually over a cliff; a woman burning bits and pieces of mummies, rhinoceros horns, and human beings on a pyre atop a dizzyingly high tower to placate the forces of evil; divining fish; one-eyed deaf mutes getting lusty with ghouls who have risen drowsily from the grave to feast on fresh corpses. This is definitely not Aladdin.Like so many other curiosities in literature, from Byron to Melmoth the Wanderer, Vathek is all the more entrancing when its unique and sometimes uncomfortably personal relationship with its author is taken into account. Its influence on the Gothic genre as a whole is evident from the first paragraph, where we are introduced to our naughty Caliph’s ability to strike men dead with a single ‘terrible’ gaze. This absurd and yet ultimately captivating sense of wonder pervades Vathek like the cloying, and yet rapturous, odor of heady rosewater. A treat for reflective minds and those interested in literary theatrics both, I count myself an ardent admirer.(A brief note on translations: Vathek was originally written, despite Beckford’s English heritage, in French. Quite fitting, really. As it stands, this is not Les Miserables, and translations of Vathek are not dramatically varying in terms of quality. That said, the translation widely available in paperback from Penguin or Oxford is admirable and a great read, but if you can track down a copy of The Folio Society’s reprint of the 1929 Grimsditch translation, you will do yourself even better. The differences are quite subtle, but they might be the difference between appreciating the novel and ‘not getting it.’ Best not to take any chances, because, and I’ll say it one last time, this is gloriously weird stuff and well worth your time.)

[coffeezombie · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Strange Arabian fantasia that tells the story of a caliph who overthrows all that is sacred in the pursuit of dark powers and entry into the underworld. Basic morality tale told with beautiful passages and great imagination.

[dreesie-1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

A very Gothic late 18th century book. Caliph Vathek and his mother Catharis rule a middle eastern caliphate (?). They want power and riches, and the Genie Giaour promises it to them. There is clearly something evil going on, as Vathek gives some of the best children of his ruling to the Giaour. He then meets and falls for Nouronihar (and she for him), an emir's daughter, on a trip. He separates her from her dear cousin Gulchenrouz.Nouronihar follows Vathek. They get what they want, and so does Catharis, but it is not what they were expecting. A story about what unrestrained passions, atrocious actions, and blind ambition get you in the end.

[jbd1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Certainly one the odder books I've had the pleasure of reading, I can say that for it. Mostly just didn't manage to keep my interest very well, but there were some brief moments that shone through. The introduction in the edition I read, by Roger Lonsdale, was quite good, but I disliked how the annotations were handled.

[cammykitty · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Imagine a Heironymous Bosch painting with Caliphs and harem girls instead of the usual tortured Christians. Imagine this painting is a cautionary tale about how a debauched Caliph follows riches all the way to Castle Eblis (the devil). Yup, you've got Vathek - but Vathek isn't a painting, and it wasn't written by Bosch. It doesn't have the Bosch spark of genius that makes us wanted to look at the tortured freaks being tortured freakishly.

[philsyphe · Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen]

Four years have passed since I read “Vathek” and I remember very little about it.What I do recall is that it was slow, tedious, and neither characters nor plot engaged me at all.

[kant1066 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

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.

[jmoncton_1 · Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen]

After reading this book, I have to question why it was selected as one of the 1001 books to read before you die. I read this in online installments - maybe it would have been better in audio or paper... I could see how the whole plot was farcical, but unlike other books of that genre like Candide, I didn't see the point. Definitely could have used some Cliff Notes to accompany this one...

[hadriantheblind · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

What an unusual book. One of the first Gothic novels. Very orientalist.

[kristelh_15 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Rating 3.6Vathek : An Arabian Tale by William Beckford, written when he was just 21 in 1782. It is a combination of a Gothic novel and Orientalism. The 18/19century was noted for an obsession of all things Oriental. Vathek is the 9th Caliph of Abassides and is addicted to the pursuit of pleasures for all his senses. His major sin is gluttony. Carathis is his evil mother who is knowledgeable in science and occult. Vathek meets up with a Indian merchant called Giaour who is really a Jinn. From that point Vathek engages in all kinds of horrors and eventually goes on a quest of of the throne of Soliman. During this quest he mistreats a host, Emir Fakreddin by taking his daughter Nouronihar. They finally arrive and find that the quest has led them to a place of great loss -- the loss of hope. A quick read that is strongly influenced by literature such as Paradise Lost and has also influence other works of literature.

[tess_w · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Vathek is an Arabian Caliph whose kingdom is marked by violence, even though Vathek has lived for many years in his 5 palaces; one for each of the senses. Of course, Vathek can not be happy for what he has, and he goes in search of the "dark" treasure; which is knowledge. One of the things he has to do to obtain this is to sacrifice 50 children. He does this and his people turn against him. Vathek finds out that he can not outrun his eternal damnation. This really is one of the most boring books I have read! Why did I read it? It was short and on the 1001 books list. Not recommended. 141 pages

[cecrow · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Vathek does a credible job of capturing the Arabian Nights tone and lush descriptive passages, based on my faint recollection. Anything mixing this and the Gothic is liable to turn incredible in places - and it does - testing a reader's patience if it's taken too seriously. But the story is still very determined to take itself seriously, notwithstanding. It never descends into comedy, and the drama can take some very dark turns as Vathek seeks out power above and beyond what he already enjoys as caliph. Given that he already has it all, and yet he's still tempted by infernal means of acquiring more, it's practically impossible to find any sympathy for him. His intermittent episodes of remorse are so impromptu and brief, and his chances to recant so many, he can't even be viewed as a victim of irresistible circumstance (or of his mother). Beckford was writing at the height (circa 1790 to 1800) of the gothic period, while Anne Radcliffe was enjoying her throne as England's pre-eminent author before modern fiction began to take over. Even so, Vathek arguably does not fit completely into the gothic genre. It's more clearly bent towards adopting an Oriental storytelling tradition, which it is said to do remarkably well. It's an oddity among English literature and it continues to stand out today accordingly. Whether it's actually still enjoyable to read without knowing this context is another question given its preposterous plotting, unlikely events and too-plain moral. I had to drag myself through it, but I'd still take this over Radcliffe any day.

[eadieb-1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

This book is considered to be the 1,002 fable in the Arabian Nights Tales. It was interesting but fantasy is not one of my favorite genres. The narrative of Vathek uses a third person, omniscient, in the sense that he knows what is happening everywhere. The novel, while it may lend itself to be divided into chapters, is one complete manuscript without pause. It's humor is entertaining in some parts but it does drag in the middle. If you like fantasy type fables then I would recommend this book for you.

[amydross · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Although fascinating as a document of its time and British preoccupations with fantasies of the orient, I don't think this can be considered great literature. The prose is, at its best, serviceable.