William Beckford
1) Vathek
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English
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Description
"Vathek, the ninth caliph of the Abassides in Arabia, ascends to the throne at an early age and reigns with an iron fist, inspiring terror and unrest among his people. His intense thirst for knowledge (which makes him feel more powerful) and his constant desire for pleasures of the flesh will ultimately lead to his downfall. When he purchases mysterious glowing swords from a strange merchant, he learns the swords have inscriptions and powers he cannot...
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Vathek is one of the earliest and most influential Gothic novels. Its hero is the Caliph Vathek who renounces Islam in a hedonistic quest for supernatural powers, which leads to his downfall. Beckford's genius was in marrying Orientalism with the Gothic, both sources of fascination and delight to reading audiences of the time.
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English
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The novel chronicles the fall from power of the Caliph Vathek (a fictionalized version of the historical Al-Wathiq), who renounces Islam and engages with his mother, Carathis, in a series of licentious and deplorable activities designed to gain him supernatural powers. At the end of the novel, instead of attaining these powers, Vathek descends into a hell ruled by the demon Eblis where he is doomed to wander endlessly and speechlessly.
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In this gripping and yet captivating account of a compelling true life story, William Beckford enthralls his audience with a story that will live with you - forever. He will transport you into his life and travel with him from his innocent childhood, the discovery of his nonexistent relationship with his siblings, through his depression and attempted suicide. The emotional abuse and neglect cycle started when he was a child, and continued through...
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William Thomas Beckford (1 October 1760 - 2 May 1844), usually known as William 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...
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Vathek was written during a time when part of European culture was influenced by Orientalism. It is an Arabian tale because of the oriental setting and characters and the depiction of oriental cultures, societies, and myth. Vathek is also a Gothic novel with its emphasis on the supernatural, ghosts, and spirits, as well as the terror it tries to induce in the reader.
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Français
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Un jeune homme à l'âme de prince et rejeté par sa famille veut démontrer sa bravoure.
Aladdin est le fils de Kérim et de Nézar, le roi de l'Yemen. Il est rejeté par son père et sa belle mère. Mais Aladdin a l'âme d'un prince et veut démontrer sa bravoure.
(Re)découvrez ce conte oriental, issu de Suite de Contes arabes, et plongez dans l'univers des mille et une nuits !
EXTRAIT
Mahmed voyagea pendant trente jours. Au bout de ce temps,...
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English
Description
This volume contains five stories — some short, some long. Each that builds upon the heritage of the other. It starts with The Castle of Ontarato (1764) by Horace Walpole which is considered the first, "Gothic Novel"; Vathek, An Arabian Tale (1782) by William Beckford, was influenced by Walpole and Arabian Nights; The Last Man (1826) by Mary Shelley carries on the theme of the previous works, but could be viewed as one of the first science fiction...