Vathek; An Arabian Tale, by William Beckford. Lawrence & Bullen, 1893, Numbered, limited edition.

Vathek: An Arabian Tale was written in French in 1782 by William Beckford (1760–1844), an English novelist, art collector, and eccentric. It is one of the earliest Gothic-Orientalist novels, blending Gothic horror with Middle Eastern exoticism. It had a strong influence on writers like Byron, Poe, and later Gothic and fantasy traditions.

Vathek; An Arabian Tale, by William Beckford. Edited by Richard Garnett, LL.D. With Notes by Samuel Henley, and Etchings by Herbert Nye.

Published by Lawrence & Bullen, London, 1893. Numbered limited edition No. 266. Four hundred and fifty copies printed for England, and one hundred and fifty for America. The first Lawrence & Bullen edition.

A very good copy of this attractively bound hardback with dark green spine and corners with gilt rules. The spine with raised bands, gilt tooled decoration and gilt title. With green cloth over boards.  The leather is very smart indeed with some spotting to the green cloth. With marbled endpapers - all soundly bound.

Text is in very good condition throughout - a high quality printing with red and black title page and attractive etchings. Text with age-toning to extremities - and some light spotting to endpapers.

A smart volume.

Text in English.

xxx + (1) + 253pp + (8) Plates (all present as called for).

Dimensions: Approximately 225mm x 152mm x 32mm.

Weight: Approximately 776g (unpacked).