The Vicar of Wakefield - Illustrated by Arthur Rackham — Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith's 'The Vicar of Wakefield' from 1766 has remained for generations one of the most highly regarded and beloved works of eighteenth-century fiction.

It tells of the rise and fall of the Primrose family, presided over by the benevolent vicar, the narrator of a fairy-tale plot of impersonation and deception, the abduction of a beautiful heroine and the machinations of an aristocratic villain.

This edition is beautifully illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Rackham was one of the premier illustrators of the early 20th Century. Throughout his career he had developed a very individual style that is was to influence a whole generation of children, artists and other illustrators. His haunting humour and dreamlike romance adds to the enchantment and fantasy of children's literature.