High Orientalism. [Vathek by William Beckford]

I'm sure this story was it when it was first published in 1786. That this was a pinnacle of English storytelling. An Abrahamic morality tale, dressed in the exotic attire of Islam and live on set in Levantine patriarchies. This was and still is high Orientalism. Harems and caliphs, supernatural elements of religion core to the tale. No, this didn't age well, but unfortunately a lot of the attitudes present in the story, attitudes towards different ethnic groups, gender attitudes, colorist attitudes, a lot of them have not changed; a lot's still the same.

Sure, there's something to be said about historical value. How did William Beckford's Vathek change gothic literature? Who did it inspire? What does it say about the times? Those and any of the usual questions for a work of fiction. I do my best to be as objective as possible, taking into consideration societal norms and philosophies of the time. If the writing was good it was good and I give my best impression. Still, complete objectivity is not possible for any reader. So I have to ask myself, was it a good story? Did I enjoy it? Was I offended and if so how much?

Yes, I was offended. This story is over 200 years old. If I'm interested in learning about centuries old societal norms, I can look at history. I'm not going to excuse Orientalism, because why? Back to Vathek, the story was a bit all over the place. It goes from supernatural intrigue to a story about how women should stay in their lanes and not seek knowledge or power, even in a setting where their lives, their success, whatever power they may hold, is largely dependent on their sexuality. But oh no, books. But I still read the book.

I don't know, I'm sure there's a better book to consider. But I suppose this has it's place in a literature class. Would I recommend it? No, not at all. Might it serve a reader some purpose? Sure, depending on the context. Was the story absolute garbage? No. 2 stars from me. Also, this really isn't "horror."

This imprint of Vathek from Poisoned Pen Press is set to be published August 18, 2020.