Johnson, Samuel 1709-1784 creator Beckford, William 1760-1844 Walpole, Horace 1717-1797 Rhys, Ernest 1859-1946 text utu 2010 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Shorter Novels, Eighteenth Century" by Johnson, Beckford, and Walpole is a collection of classic novels written during the later years of the eighteenth century. The volume includes notable works like Johnson’s "Rasselas", Walpole’s "The Castle of Otranto", and Beckford’s "Vathek", showcasing a mixture of philosophical reflection, Gothic terror, and Oriental fantasy. The collection illustrates a key transitional period in literature, where traditional themes began to give way to the emotions and imaginations celebrated in Romantic literature. The opening of the book introduces "Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia", which centers on Prince Rasselas, who lives in a paradise-like valley but grows discontented with the pleasures and comforts of his life. Despite the lavish lifestyle provided to him and his siblings, Rasselas has an insatiable yearning to explore the world outside, leading him to reflect on the nature of happiness. His growing melancholy sets the stage for his eventual quest for meaning, as he grapples with existential questions about fulfillment and the human condition. (This is an automatically generated summary.) The history of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, by Samuel Johnson -- The Castle of Otranto, a gothic story, by Horace Walpole -- Vathek, an Arabian tale, by William Beckford. Release date is 2010-12-27 Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes, S.D., and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Original publication data not identified English fiction -- 18th century PR Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34766 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34766 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133808.0 34766