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A review by altruest
Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm
5.0
This was the surprise of 2019 for me. I read Pride and Prejudice every few years but that's about the extent of my classic literature consumption. Who knew that a book written in 1911 would turn out to be one of my favorites of the year?
Zuleika Dobson is the story of a young woman with an almost magical power of attraction to young men arriving at Oxford, falling in love with the one man who ignores her, then fallling out of love again instantly when he confesses his affection to her. It is tortured and dramatic in theory, but the concept is saved by the writing. According to a quick google search Max Beerbohm was an essayist, parodist, and caricaturist, and his wit and humor is on display in this, his only published novel. This century old book was genuinely delightful to read (as long as you keep a dictionary and google translate on hand), and occasionally even made me chuckle, a feat that most modern books cannot replicate. Beerbohm treats the romance in the book with not only the irony it deserves, but also with a bit of levity and pity for the young Oxford scholars swept up in the irresistible aura of the titular Zuleika.
I don't remember where I heard of this book (probably twitter) and it's a shame because I would love to thank the person who introduced me to a book that's probably going to enter into my top 10 all time. Zuleika Dobson is in the public domain and only a google search and a download away. I highly recommend you pick up this hidden delight.
5/5!
Zuleika Dobson is the story of a young woman with an almost magical power of attraction to young men arriving at Oxford, falling in love with the one man who ignores her, then fallling out of love again instantly when he confesses his affection to her. It is tortured and dramatic in theory, but the concept is saved by the writing. According to a quick google search Max Beerbohm was an essayist, parodist, and caricaturist, and his wit and humor is on display in this, his only published novel. This century old book was genuinely delightful to read (as long as you keep a dictionary and google translate on hand), and occasionally even made me chuckle, a feat that most modern books cannot replicate. Beerbohm treats the romance in the book with not only the irony it deserves, but also with a bit of levity and pity for the young Oxford scholars swept up in the irresistible aura of the titular Zuleika.
I don't remember where I heard of this book (probably twitter) and it's a shame because I would love to thank the person who introduced me to a book that's probably going to enter into my top 10 all time. Zuleika Dobson is in the public domain and only a google search and a download away. I highly recommend you pick up this hidden delight.
5/5!