However, it would be wrong to suggets that 'Vathek' is nothing more than a series of smutty jokes and grusome scenes. It is much more. Beckford supposedly wrote the novel within 48hrs - without sleep! In spite of this he has somehow managed to create a world that pushes the imaginative envelope to the extreme. This book will live with me for life. READ IT!


not an easy read   February 9, 2001
 15 out of 22 found this review helpful

I read Vathek in my late teens when I had a fascination with all things macabre. I was not dissapointed with Vathek on this point but what irritated me then, and still does now, is the rather contrived and inpenetrable style in which it is written (or possibly translated). There is not much of a story to it, but some of the episodes are entertaining- I was particularly amused by the one about someone having half their beard burned off.

If you are a big fan of the gothic genre then you'll probably take great delight in Vathek, but for the more general reader it is something of a pain. The elements are there, it's just not done with enough finesse.

I read an unillustrated edition myself- I'm sure that Redon's illustrations add a lot to the reading experience.