Rating: 
Summary: Delicious Satire, Exquisite Prose
Review: The introduction to this version of the novel contains a quote to the effect that "[Beerbohm] only mocked what he loved." How he must have loved Oxford! This novel's outrageous satire doesn't fail to please from one page to the next, as Beerbohm swerves from one affectation to another in satirizing the Edwardian Dandy, the Modern Woman and anyone who comes between them. Structurally, the book consists of various collisions between caricatures of the sort that made Beerbohm famous: from the Duke of Dorset to Mr. Oover to Noaks to the fateful Zuleika herself, each character charms and delights.Beerbohm's prose is liquid, self-consciously affected and simply hilarious. It's the kind of prose that can't be recreated in today's literary environment, but the kind that ought to be treasured and brought out often at night, like the Duke's bottles of port. (If I had one complaint, it would be that the book is a bit too long, and the plot's fanciful consummation is postponed for a few too many superfluous chapters. But that's minor, since the book isn't very long in any case.) The unerring owls have hooted. The Emperors of Oxford smile in approval. This book is for the ages.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious Satire, Exquisite Prose
Review: The introduction to this version of the novel contains a quote to the effect that "[Beerbohm] only mocked what he loved." How he must have loved Oxford! This novel's outrageous satire doesn't fail to please from one page to the next, as Beerbohm swerves from one affectation to another in satirizing the Edwardian Dandy, the Modern Woman and anyone who comes between them. Structurally, the book consists of various collisions between caricatures of the sort that made Beerbohm famous: from the Duke of Dorset to Mr. Oover to Noaks to the fateful Zuleika herself, each character charms and delights. Beerbohm's prose is liquid, self-consciously affected and simply hilarious. It's the kind of prose that can't be recreated in today's literary environment, but the kind that ought to be treasured and brought out often at night, like the Duke's bottles of port. (If I had one complaint, it would be that the book is a bit too long, and the plot's fanciful consummation is postponed for a few too many superfluous chapters. But that's minor, since the book isn't very long in any case.) The unerring owls have hooted. The Emperors of Oxford smile in approval. This book is for the ages.
Rating: 
Summary: should be cast into a river...
Review: The only reason that I do not consider this book to be even less than two stars is because of the author's note that precedes the first chapter. Here, Beerbohm at least warns us to not look for some sort of satirical meaning to his story; he says that he himself supposed "it was just a fantasy" and that this fantasy was applicable to the "old Oxford" with which he was acquainted. My goodness... the old Oxford must have been well-stocked with buffoons! I am critical of the story itself, rather than the style in which it is written. Beerbohm wrote with great elegance and wit... I only wish this was not his only published novel so we could see him having a go at some better content. The whole idea of an entire class of scholars flinging themselves "like lemmings" into the Isis River over this gal Zuleika is too absurd for me to comprehend, and when I began to realize that this in fact was going to happen in the story I wanted to give up and quit reading. But I finished it and conclude that it is not worth re-reading, and it will suffer a drier fate than its idiot characters did, for it will end up in my dust bin. If Oxford is your alma mater, I can understand you reading this book with the same heartfelt enthusiasm as someone who continues to cheer for their home team while badly losing the game. The rest of us will scratch our heads and wonder how this book ever got to be on The Modern Library's list of the Best 100 Books of The 20th Century.
Rating: 
Summary: Lovely.
Review: The year is 1910. The setting is Oxford. The main protagonist's name is John, Albert, Edward, Claude, Orde, Angus, Tankerton (pron. Tacton), Tanville-Tankerton (pron. Tavvle-Tacton), fourteenth Duke of Dorset, Marquis of Dorset, Earl of Grove, Earl of Chastermaine, Viscount Brewsby, Baron Grove, Baron Petstrap, and Baron Wolock, in the Peerage of England (titles French, Scottish and Welsh we shall--regretfully--omit here). The Rhodes scholars are few and far between. An essential read.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, escapist, romantic fantasy
Review: This book demonstrates everything that is good about literature. It can be read on many levels, from the romantic love story to a reflection on society and values as they were. The characterisations are full, and the descriptons rich. I want to live in Oxford at that time!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring and silly
Review: This book was highly recommended to me, but I found it to be a complete waste of time. As a woman, the fascination the male students had with ZD went past me totally. If she was set up as an example of ideal womanhood of the time, then it's shameful. If she was supposed to be an example of how even a silly and stupid woman can be idolized by men in a frenzy, it's ridiculous. The story has nothing to offer today's women, and I would recommend that anyone with a sense of humor and a deep appreciation for the well-turned phrase to look elsewhere for entertainment. Max Beerbohm was obviously not a talented author. If you have an interest in him, find his collected cartoons, which are masterworks.
Rating:
Summary: Boring and silly
Review: This book was highly recommended to me, but I found it to be a complete waste of time. As a woman, the fascination the male students had with ZD went past me totally. If she was set up as an example of ideal womanhood of the time, then it's shameful. If she was supposed to be an example of how even a silly and stupid woman can be idolized by men in a frenzy, it's ridiculous. The story has nothing to offer today's women, and I would recommend that anyone with a sense of humor and a deep appreciation for the well-turned phrase to look elsewhere for entertainment. Max Beerbohm was obviously not a talented author. If you have an interest in him, find his collected cartoons, which are masterworks.
Rating:
Summary: Black comedy that will keep you laughing
Review: This is one of the greatest black comedies ever written. It should make you laugh out loud ... even if you're British. But be careful before giving it to your girlfriend ... she may start asking more of you than you'd expected.
Rating:
Summary: Dying For Love Can Be Hilarious!
Review: ZD is a young lady who has become a celeb on the vaudeville circuit as a magician. Her tricks are stupid but her looks are dazzling. So dazzling that when she visits her Oxford-don Granpapa, all the undergraduates fall in love. But ZD, who wants to love someone, does not want to love someone who loves her. The undergrads vow to throw themselves into the Thames. Will they follow through?--you'll have to read the book to find out!
In ways the novel is more about an elitist-ly promising young Duke and his inner turmoil, turmoil caused by Zuleika's love and not-love and by being the one who inspires the undergrads to make their vow.
There are elements of caricature and farce, as well as tenderness--but the mixture doesn't quite work. It would have worked better if Beerbohm had gone more over-the-top AND tender, and had not smoothed it all with his prose. He brings in ghosts and cognizant statues and his own narrator self (dispatched from Zeus with omniscient powers), and the end, of course.... I think I'm frustrated only because the novel comes close to being a perfect read but fails. (Fails at perfection, what kind of criticism is that?)
This was Beerbohm's first novel, after making his name as a caricaturist (drawing) and funny essayist. There's actually a nice-and-simple story underneath, and for long stretches it is paced admirably; and the characters, though caricatures, are not at all thin. His novel would have been improved if he had focused more on story-telling and structure.
Be prepared for some untranslated Latin and French, some obscure English, some Oxford nuances and philia, some Ancient World allusions, an unpretty American, a bit of Edward Gorey, youth! youth! youth!, and many well-written paragraphs.
Rating:
Summary: Uproariously funny
Review: Zuleika and the Duke are two towering caricatures who will keep you chortling. Bring a dictionary along for the ride (preferably the OED, in which you might find some words you look up cited for Beerbohm's usage), but you can still let the magical prose flow.
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