Publisher's Synopsis
The History of Caliph Vathek is a Gothic novel written by William Beckford in 1786. The story follows the life of the Caliph Vathek, a powerful ruler who becomes obsessed with the pursuit of knowledge and power. In his quest for ultimate power, Vathek makes a pact with the devil and descends into a world of darkness and evil. The novel is known for its vivid descriptions of the supernatural and its exploration of themes such as greed, power, and corruption. It has been praised for its beautiful prose and its influence on the Gothic genre. The History of Caliph Vathek is considered a classic of English literature and a must-read for fans of Gothic fiction.No words can describe the amazement of the courtiers when they beheld this rude merchant withstand the encounter unshocked. They all fell prostrate with their faces on the ground to avoid the risk of their lives, and continued in the same abject posture till the Caliph exclaimed in a furious tone, ""Up, cowards! seize the miscreant! see that he be committed to prison and guarded by the best of my soldiers!This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
