Project Gutenberg 2013-03-24 Public domain in the USA. 599 Beckford, William 1760 1844 Marlow, Harriet, Lady Jenks, Jacquetta Agneta Mariana Beckford, John North, William 1854 Vathek; An Arabian Tale Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vathek This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler "Vathek; An Arabian Tale" by William Beckford is a novel written in the late 18th century. The story follows the indulgent and curious Caliph Vathek, who is consumed by his desires for knowledge and pleasure, ultimately leading him into a supernatural quest filled with danger and temptation. The character Vathek embodies a sensuous and extravagant lifestyle, seeking enlightenment through forbidden means, and the narrative hints at darker themes under this opulence. The opening of "Vathek" introduces us to the title character, the ninth Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, who is portrayed as both majestic and terrifying. His insatiable appetite for pleasure drives him to construct multiple palaces dedicated to satisfying each of his five senses. However, his curiosity pushes him to seek knowledge beyond reason, ultimately disrupting the peace in his realm. When a mysterious stranger appears, offering rare curiosities and knowledge, Vathek's obsession deepens, culminating in his decision to pursue the secrets of heaven through increasingly reckless actions. As the narrative unfolds, foreshadowing hints at the perilous consequences of necking knowledge with desire, setting the stage for the ensuing drama of his hubris and the dark forces at play. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 61.4 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Fantasy fiction Gothic fiction Arab countries -- Fiction Middle East -- Fiction PQ Text Browsing: Literature Browsing: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Browsing: Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels Category: Classics of Literature Category: British Literature 285704 2025-06-17T07:59:48.542342 text/html 283397 2015-03-19T13:27:40 text/html 105298 2015-03-19T13:28:24 text/html application/zip 193341 2025-06-17T07:59:56.526274 application/epub+zip 194628 2025-06-17T07:59:52.169308 application/epub+zip 173002 2025-06-17T07:59:50.767305 application/epub+zip 364722 2025-06-17T07:59:59.745257 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 341697 2025-06-17T07:59:55.564306 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 296948 2022-09-19T11:12:24.392221 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 260367 2025-06-17T07:59:47.914318 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 259987 2015-03-19T13:27:36 text/plain; charset=utf-8 100427 2015-03-19T13:28:24 text/plain; charset=utf-8 application/zip 19927 2025-06-17T07:59:59.893245 application/rdf+xml 15429 2025-06-17T07:59:51.342293 image/jpeg 4051 2025-06-17T07:59:51.052309 image/jpeg 189082 2025-06-17T07:59:48.569314 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