Zuleika Dobson · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm.

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Chapter 1
Note to the 1922 Edition
Max Beerbohm reflects on the pronunciation of Zuleika's name, noting that after the book's 1911 publication, many London acquaintances referred to her as 'Zu-like-a,' a pronunciation he disapproves of, preferring 'Zu-leek-a.' He hopes readers will adopt his preferred pronunciation.
Chapter 2
Epigraph
The chapter consists solely of the dedication 'Illi Almae Matri', which translates to 'To the Nourishing Mother' or 'To the Alma Mater', indicating a tribute to Oxford University.
Chapter 3
Zuleika Dobson
The novel introduces Zuleika Dobson, a beautiful and famous young woman who arrives at Oxford and captivates the undergraduates, particularly the Duke of Dorset, leading to a series of romantic and tragic events.
Chapter 4
I
Zuleika Dobson arrives at Oxford station and is greeted by her grandfather, the Warden of Judas College. Her beauty captivates the undergraduates, causing them to neglect their own relatives. As she rides through Oxford, she encounters the Duke of Dorset and the homely Noaks, both members of Judas. The chapter foreshadows the peril Zuleika represents, with the Roman Emperor busts sweating in premonition.
Chapter 5
II
This chapter delves into Zuleika Dobson's inner life, contrasting her with the shepherdess Marcella from Cervantes. Unlike Marcella, who boasted she could never love, Zuleika is of passionate fibre and yearns to love a youth she can respect—one who does not fall prostrate before her. The narrative traces her triumphant career from a remote music-hall to international fame in Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Madrid, and America, where she revels in press adulation and public homage. Yet, as she sits in her Oxford window, she looks forward to the week ahead, wondering if the young equestrian who ignored her—whom she is to meet at dinner—might be the one she could adore.

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Note to the 1922 Edition

Epigraph

Zuleika Dobson

I

II