London: Dent, 1902. Hardcover. Fourth Edition. Small 8vo. Temple Classics Edition. Dark blue faux-leather cloth with blind stamped owl motif to front. Gilt decorative titles to spine. 253 pp. TEG. Tissue-guarded frontispiece. Old school prize plate to front pastedown. Clean and sound. VG+

Synopsis

"The greatest object in the universe, says a certain philosopher, is a good man struggling with adversity." When Dr Primrose loses his fortune in a disastrous investment, his idyllic life in the country is shattered and he is forced to move with his wife and six children to an impoverished living on the estate of Squire Thornhill. Taking to the road in pursuit of his daughter, who has been seduced by the rakish Squire, the beleaguered Primrose becomes embroiled in a series of misadventures – encountering his long-lost son in a travelling theatre company and even spending time in a debtor’s prison. Yet Primrose, though hampered by his unworldliness and pride, is sustained by his unwavering religious faith. In The Vicar of Wakefield , Goldsmith gently mocks many of the literary conventions of his day – from pastoral and romance to the picaresque – infusing his story of a hapless clergyman with warm humour and amiable social satire. In his introduction, Stephen Coote discusses Goldsmith’s eventful life, the literary devices used in the novel, and its central themes of Christianity, justice and the family. This edition also includes a bibliography and notes.

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Details

Bookseller: Wheeler's Bookshop (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 009892
Title: The Vicar of Wakefield
Author: Goldsmith, Oliver
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used
Quantity Available: 1
Publisher: Dent
Place of Publication: London
Date Published: 1902
Keywords: olderstock

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Glossary

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Cloth: "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Plate: Full page illustration or photograph. Plates are printed separately from the text of the book, and bound in at production. I.e.,...
Spine: The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Gilt: The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...