The Rape of the Lock (Vintage Classics) [Import] [Paperback]

Alexander Pope (Author), Aubrey Beardsley (Illustrator), Sophie Gee (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0099511525 | ISBN-13: 978-0099511526

A hideous crime is committed at a fashionable London society gathering. The victim is the beautiful, innocent Belinda, her attacker is the dastardly Baron, and his weapon of choice is a pair of scissors. A hilarious mock epic, this is the sharp and witty tale of the most famous bad hair day in the history of literature, complete with Aubrey Beardsley’s beautiful illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mock-epic poem in heroic couplets by Alexander Pope. The first version, published in 1712, consisted of two cantos; the final version, published in 1714, was expanded to five cantos. Based on an actual incident and written to reconcile the families that had been estranged by it, The Rape of the Lock recounts the story of a young woman who has a lock of hair stolen by an ardent young man. Pope couches the trivial event in terms usually reserved for incidents of great moment--such as the quarrel between the Greeks and the Trojans. The poem marries a rich range of literary allusions and an ironic commentary on the contemporary social world with a sense of suppressed energy threatening to break through the civilized veneer. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Alexander Pope (1688–1744) is widely regarded as the greatest English poet of the early 18th century, best known for his satirical verse. His other works include The Dunciad (1728) and An Essay on Man (1734). Aubrey Beardsley is a noted illustrator. Sophie Gee is the author of The Scandal of the Season.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099511525
• ISBN-13: 978-0099511526
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.3 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,000,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate "mock epic", August 5, 2003

By 

bixodoido (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rape of the Lock: Illustrations (Paperback)

This poem serves two purposes. First, Pope wrote it in response to an upper-class quarrel over an event at a party in which a young girl had her hair cut. The incident itself was petty and stupid, but the families of the parties involved were taking it very seriously. Pope, then, wrote this poem in epic form (the most grand of poetic forms) to show the absurdity of the matter, and thus reconcile the offender and offended.

That is the first function of this poem. Even though the incident is long forgotten, the poem is still very funny. But there is a greater purpose to this poem--it was written like an epic. It contains several epic elements--an epic battle (at the card game), the invocation of muses and gods, the epic quest (to cut the hair), and several literary devices, such as epic-length similes and catalogs. This is what makes this poem so great, and what serves as a testimony to Pope's remarkable genius for wit and satire.

Pope was, in my opinion, one of the greatest English poets, certainly the greatest satirist. This is one of his greatest works, and it is short enough to read over and over again without investing too much time.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly written with wit, style, and a flair for detail., July 16, 1998

By 

Kate Gombrich - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rape of the Lock (Bedford Cultural Editions) (Hardcover)

This is a highly intelligent book on one of the finest poems by the eighteenth century's most celebrated poet. Brilliantly written with wit, style, and a flair for interesting detail, Wall's book includes textual information and a wealth of carefully selected secondary material that makes this "one-stop shopping" for anyone interested in the work or indeed in the period. Because of its combination of lively writing and scholarly erudition, I would recommend Wall's book for a wide variety of interest and knowledge levels. Wonderful Bedford series idea and terrific book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The way literature should be done!, June 10, 2004

By 

"jcbondservant" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rape of the Lock (Bedford Cultural Editions) (Paperback)

This review should be taken seriously considering I didn't really like "The Rape of the Lock" and still give this book 5 stars!

"History is not a vacuum," one of my university history professors always told us. Neither is literature for that matter! This book examines the mock-epic poem "Rape of the Lock" in its social, literary, and historical contexts. The poem takes up a small portion of the book, and the rest is made up of diary entries, letters, essays, newspapers, etc. that help to explain the culture surrounding Pope. The city of London, clothes, card games, coffee, makeup, social norms, and countless other things are discussed in very readable and enjoyable ways in order to make "The Rape of the Lock" truly come alive.