Project Gutenberg 2000-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 226 Beckford, William 1760 1844 Marlow, Harriet, Lady Jenks, Jacquetta Agneta Mariana Beckford, John Morley, Henry 1822 1894 The History of Caliph Vathek Translation of Vathek Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vathek Transcribed from the 1887 Cassell & Company edition by David Price "The History of the Caliph Vathek" by William Beckford is a novel written in the late 18th century that draws on themes from Arabian folklore infused with a rich, fantastical style reminiscent of horror and humor. The narrative follows the extravagant and sensual life of Vathek, the ninth Caliph of the Abassides, whose desires lead him to seek forbidden knowledge and power, warranting both fascination and dread as he encounters various supernatural elements. The opening of the story introduces Vathek as a powerful yet indulgent ruler, obsessed with satisfying his senses through opulent palaces dedicated to pleasure, music, and beauty. Despite his grandeur, he is plagued by a thirst for knowledge that lures him down a dangerous path. The narrative begins to unfold when the Caliph encounters a strange and hideous traveler in his palace, a meeting that swiftly escalates into a gripping tale of desire and consequences, as Vathek's curiosity incites a chain of events that draws the reader into a world of enchantment and foreboding. The stage is set for his moral downfall as he seeks to unlock the secrets of the universe, highlighting the interplay between excess and consequence that defines his character and the story itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 53.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en English fiction Gothic fiction Arab countries -- Fiction PR Text Fantasy Gothic Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore Category: Classics of Literature Category: British Literature 253129 2025-07-01T11:38:12.243454 text/html 253681 2012-01-08T21:40:24 text/html 131406 2012-01-08T21:40:42 text/html application/zip 211129 2025-07-01T11:38:18.263472 application/epub+zip 213654 2025-07-01T11:38:15.062470 application/epub+zip 162344 2025-07-01T11:38:13.925486 application/epub+zip 353975 2025-07-01T11:38:20.713545 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 340887 2025-07-01T11:38:17.566463 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 268233 2022-09-01T13:32:01.055881 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 243183 2025-07-01T11:38:11.784514 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 242959 2012-01-08T21:39:48 text/plain; charset=utf-8 93455 2012-01-08T21:40:42 text/plain; charset=utf-8 application/zip 241590 2012-01-08T21:39:14 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 93240 2012-01-08T21:40:42 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 22126 2025-07-01T11:38:20.852427 application/rdf+xml 13277 2025-07-01T11:38:14.408466 image/jpeg 3216 2025-07-01T11:38:14.165453 image/jpeg 209002 2025-07-01T11:38:12.268494 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia