Status Updates From Three Gothic Novels: The Ca...

Donezies.

Just got back from Project Gutenberg. Aw nutbunnies, they fixed it. 8(

“I sat down in a chair of the saloon, and satisfied myself that I was resting on what he had made his constant seat.” LOL. With what a thrill I read this line! The instance of a truly wonderful typo I once found on Project Gutenberg. I don’t know if it is still there. I hope it is though.

Well, that was Vathek, and I’m glad to be done with it and him. Pure madness. His mother sure was a hoot though.

Oh, so it’s this guy Henley who wrote the end notes.

Soooooo many end notes.

Keep going back and forth between the story itself and the end notes.

Beckford is so baller, he just footnoted a footnote that was already inside of an end note. I am in awe.

A literary exemplar of Stupid Evil, with Vathek wallowing in Badboydom. My, but there are many footnotes. I thought they were part of the joke, but the Greek finally persuaded me otherwise. Anyway, it's a mordant little comedy, the many "horrors" leavened by authorial sarcasm and Vathek's frequent pratfalls. Racist elements about in line with what I remember from the Mardrus/Mathers ed. of the 1001 Nights.

Blackest comedy ensues in “Vathek.” What a lurid performance. “Monk” Lewis had nothing on this. I’d keep reading but can only take so much (plus I’m tired.)

I find Scott’s comments on the substitution (my word, not his) of Isabella for Matilda interesting, and wonder if it influenced certain reflections at the end of “Ivanhoe”: “Yet it would be enquiring too curiously to ask, whether the recollection of Rebecca’s beauty and magnanimity did not recur to his mind more frequently than the fair descendant of Alfred [Rowena] might altogether have approved.”

Well, that was ridiculous, but compulsively readable. I did put “Otranto” down a number of times, but each time some new interjection from the children would cause me to have to put off sleeping, and I would read more afterward to decompress. Enough, though, I must asleep. I will read Mr. Bleiler’s intro tomorrow.

Some very fast paced crack.

Squashed! By the red hat of Pat Ferrick!

Vathek is nuts