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(Mass Market Paperback - Reissue)
Average Customer Rating:
(8 ratings)
A marvelous, incisive social satire that gleefully exposes the greed and corruption raging in England during the turmoil of the Napoleonic wars through its tracing of the changing fortunes of two unforgettable women. It is a comic masterpiece that still resonates today.
More Reviews and RecommendationsWILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY was born in India to a long line of Yorkshire gentry recently mixed with equally ancient gentry. In 1817, two years after the death of his father a prosperous official of the East India Company, the boy was sent back to England. There he underwent the proper education of a young gentleman, including rounds of laziness and dissipation at Cambridge, where he made the acquaintance of Tennyson and other notables, and later at the Middle Temple.
He next crossed to Paris, where he studied art and made a love match with Isabella Shawe, whom he married in 1836, overcoming strong maternal resistence. The couple returned to London, where Thackeray embarked on ten years as a journalistic hack-of-all-trades. Meanwhile, two daughters were born and lived, Anne (1837) and Minny (1840), but one, Jane (1838) died after eight months. The serial publication of VANITY FAIR in 1847-48 ended Thackeray's days as a minor journalist and he went on to become the author of miscellaneous satires and reviews, including essays, lectures, and seven novels. After a period of deteriorating health, Thackeray died during the early hours of December 24th, 1863.
Number of Reviews: 8
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The Era of Wit is Over
Amrita Daniel, obsessed with classics!, 01/07/2008
Bring back the classics. We need them. Vanity Fair is one of Thackeray's most brilliant works that can compete with the best writings today. It deals principally with the lives of two young women, Miss Sedley and Miss Sharp and what they did after leaving school. It is about their loves, their ambitions, their terribly endearing families and most importantly, their dreams. The book openly and almost brutally describes the selfishness of human nature and the thousand little subtilities of everyday life during that time. Attitude towards women, status in society, the power of money and marriage are recurring themes in this delightful novel. Extremely unique characters like Miss. Crawley, Mr.Osbourne and Captain Dobbin give the book a splendid Dickensian touch. To me, it is an excellent read because like terrorism, it really makes you stop and take a step back.
Also recommended: The Rose and the Ring - William Thackeray, Martin Chuzzlewit - Charles Dickens
Incredible Classic from Thackeray
A reviewer
(sir73069@yahoo.com)
, an avid reader and book collector, 09/13/2005
William Thackeray's Vanity Fair is, by far, one of the most amazing works of fiction I have ever read. Unlike most authors of his age (especially those who wrote similar serials), Thackeray remains the consummate third-person satirist, creating characatures of some of the greatest minds in England of the time. Reading Vanity Fair was like eating the richest possible chocolate. Do not be turned off by the size, Vanity Fair is well worth the time.
Also recommended: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
More Customer ReviewsA deliciously satirical attack on a money-mad society, Vanity Fair, which first appeared in 1847, is an immensely moral novel, and an immensely witty one. Called in its subtitle “A Novel Without a Hero,” Vanity Fair has instead two heroines: the faithful, loyal Amelia Sedley and the beautiful and scheming social climber Becky Sharp. It also engages a huge cast of wonderful supporting characters as the novel spins from Miss Pinkerton’s academy for young ladies to affairs of love and war on the Continent to liaisons in the dazzling ballrooms of London. Thackeray’s forte is the bon mot and it is amply exercised in a novel filled with memorably wicked lines. Lengthy and leisurely in pace, the novel follows the adventures of Becky and Amelia as their fortunes rise and fall, creating a tale of both picaresque and risqué. Thackery mercilessly skewers his society, especially the upper class, poking fun at their shallow values and pointedly jabbing at their hypocritical “morals.” His weapons, however, are not fire and brimstone but an unerring eye for the absurd and a genius for observation of the foibles of his age. An enduring classic, this great novel is a brilliant study in duplicity and hypocrisy…and a mirror with which to view our own times.
Number of Reviews: 8
Average Rating:
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Write a Review
The Era of Wit is Over
Amrita Daniel, obsessed with classics!, 01/07/2008
Bring back the classics. We need them. Vanity Fair is one of Thackeray's most brilliant works that can compete with the best writings today. It deals principally with the lives of two young women, Miss Sedley and Miss Sharp and what they did after leaving school. It is about their loves, their ambitions, their terribly endearing families and most importantly, their dreams. The book openly and almost brutally describes the selfishness of human nature and the thousand little subtilities of everyday life during that time. Attitude towards women, status in society, the power of money and marriage are recurring themes in this delightful novel. Extremely unique characters like Miss. Crawley, Mr.Osbourne and Captain Dobbin give the book a splendid Dickensian touch. To me, it is an excellent read because like terrorism, it really makes you stop and take a step back.
Also recommended: The Rose and the Ring - William Thackeray, Martin Chuzzlewit - Charles Dickens
Incredible Classic from Thackeray
A reviewer (sir73069@yahoo.com), an avid reader and book collector, 09/13/2005
William Thackeray's Vanity Fair is, by far, one of the most amazing works of fiction I have ever read. Unlike most authors of his age (especially those who wrote similar serials), Thackeray remains the consummate third-person satirist, creating characatures of some of the greatest minds in England of the time. Reading Vanity Fair was like eating the richest possible chocolate. Do not be turned off by the size, Vanity Fair is well worth the time.
Also recommended: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Life is not long enough
Mirna (debilicious@excite.com), student, 03/01/2005
The story was a very intriguing one. I would recommend an shortened, abridged version of this book. The book is about 800-900 pages long. I feel that the story could have been successfully told, without loosing any credibility and intensity, in about 400-500 pages. In my opinion there were far too many details. 300 pages into the book and the story finally started to unravel. Often times it became harder to stay with characters and the story when you are being bombarded with meaningles, and frivoulous details. Do yourself a favor and watch the movie, unless you have a few hours to kill.
Also recommended: Holy Blood, Holy Grail Majority of Ann Rice's collection
Hilarious...
L.Young (chiefeditor85@hotmail.com), a poet entranced by England., 11/05/2004
I thought at first that this book would be a tad bit on the boring side, but as I started reading it, I was absolutely enthralled. It is hilarious, the way Thackeray pokes fun at the aristocrasy and rampant hypocrisy. For instance, Sir Pitt Crawley married Grizzel, sixth daughter of Mungo, Lord Binkie. And a friend of the Crawley family is named 'Huddleston Fuddleston.' I am entranced by the language of this era. This book is definitely a good read.
Beautiful
A reviewer, A reviewer, 09/21/2004
This book was just so good, and I recommend this book to anybody. It was just so good, and the book did not get enough praise as it should've.
Also recommended: I capture the castle, by D. Smith.
Showing 1-5 Next| Before the Curtain | ix | |
| I | Chiswick Mall | 11 |
| II | In Which Miss Sharp and Miss Sedley Prepare to Open the Campaign | 18 |
| III | Rebecca Is in Presence of the Enemy | 29 |
| IV | The Green Silk Purse | 38 |
| V | Dobbin of Ours | 52 |
| VI | Vauxhall | 64 |
| VII | Crawley of Queen's Crawley | 78 |
| VIII | Private and Confidential | 87 |
| IX | Family Portraits | 97 |
| X | Miss Sharp Begins to Make Friends | 105 |
| XI | Arcadian Simplicity | 112 |
| XII | Quite a Sentimental Chapter | 128 |
| XIII | Sentimental and Otherwise | 137 |
| XIV | Miss Crawley at Home | 150 |
| XV | In Which Rebecca's Husband Appears for a Short Time | 171 |
| XVI | The Letter on the Pincushion | 181 |
| XVII | How Captain Dobbin Bought a Piano | 190 |
| XVIII | Who Played on the Piano Captain Dobbin Bought | 200 |
| XIX | Miss Crawley at Nurse | 213 |
| XX | In Which Captain Dobbin Acts as the Messenger of Hymen | 225 |
| XXI | A Quarrel About an Heiress | 236 |
| XXII | A Marriage and Part of a Honeymoon | 246 |
| XXIII | Captain Dobbin Proceeds on His Canvass | 256 |
| XXIV | In Which Mr. Osborne Takes Down the Family Bible | 263 |
| XXV | In Which All the Principal Personages Think Fit to Leave Brighton | 278 |
| XXVI | Between London and Chatham | 300 |
| XXVII | In Which Amelia Joins Her Regiment | 309 |
| XXVIII | In Which Amelia Invades the Low Countries | 316 |
| XXIX | Brussels | 326 |
| XXX | "The Girl I Left Behind Me" | 341 |
| XXXI | In Which Jos Sedley Takes Care of His Sister | 351 |
| XXXII | In Which Jos Takes Flight, and the War is Brought To a Close | 364 |
| XXXIII | In Which Miss Crawley's Relations Are very Anxious About Her | 383 |
| XXXIV | James Crawley's Pipe is Put Out | 395 |
| XXXV | Widow and Mother | 414 |
| XXXVI | How to Live Well on Nothing a Year | 426 |
| XXXVII | The Subject Continued | 436 |
| XXXVIII | A Family in a Very Small Way | 452 |
| XXXIX | A Cynical Chapter | 468 |
| XL | In Which Becky is Recognized by the Family | 479 |
| XLI | In Which Becky Revisits the Halls of Her Ancestors | 489 |
| XLII | Which Treats of the Osborne Family | 502 |
| XLIII | In Which the Reader has to Double the Cape | 510 |
| XLIV | A Roundabout Chapter between London and Hampshire | 521 |
| XLV | Between Hampshire and London | 532 |
| XLVI | Struggles and Trials | 542 |
| XLVII | Gaunt House | 551 |
| XLVIII | In Which the Reader is Introduced to the Very Best of Company | 561 |
| XLIX | In Which We Enjoy Three Courses and a Dessert | 574 |
| L | Contains a Vulgar Incident | 582 |
| LI | In Which a Charade is Acted Which May or May Not Puzzle the Reader | 593 |
| LII | In Which Lord Steyne Shows Himself in a Most Amiable Light | 613 |
| LIII | A Rescue and a Catastrophe | 625 |
| LIV | Sunday After the Battle | 635 |
| LV | In Which the Same Subject is Pursued | 645 |
| LVI | Georgy is Made a Gentleman | 663 |
| LVII | Eothen | 677 |
| LVIII | Our Friend the Major | 686 |
| LIX | The Old Piano | 699 |
| LX | Returns to the Genteel World | 711 |
| LXI | In Which Two Lights are Put Out | 718 |
| LXII | Am Rhein | 733 |
| LXIII | In Which We Meet an Old Acquaintance | 745 |
| LXIV | A Vagabond Chapter | 759 |
| LXV | Full of Business and Pleasure | 777 |
| LXVI | Amantium Irae | 786 |
| LXVII | Which Contains Births, Marriages, and Deaths | 803 |
| Afterword | 823 | |
| Selected Bibligraphy | 831 | |
| A Note on the Text | 832 |
1. In her Introduction, Joanna Trollope asserts that "one of the huge charms of [Vanity Fair] is that nothing is conventional." Do you think Thackeray's choice of a protagonist speaks to this claim, given the novel's picaresque structure? How does this choice inform the novel? In what other ways does the novel confirm Trollope's claim?
2. What is your opinion of Thackeray's preface, "Before the Curtain"? How does it illuminate for you what he is attempting to do in the novel? In what ways is Thackeray "manager of the performance"? Discuss the role of the narrator in the novel. Is he reliable?
3. Why does Thackeray insist that this is a "novel without a hero"? Do you agree? What are the implications, if any, of such a claim?
4. Compare Becky and Amelia. What, if anything, does Thackeray intend by their contrasting destinies? Does one represent or confirm Thackeray's moral viewpoint better than the other, or do neither? What do you think of the preponderance of unlikable characters? Do you find Thackeray's outlook in any way misanthropic?
5. Anthony Trollope points out that many of Thackeray's contemporaries concluded upon reading Vanity Fair that he "was no novelist, but only a cynic." Do you agree? Do you think this judgment was simply a consequence of the period?
6. Robert Louis Stevenson, in a comment about the novel, remarked on Rawdon's striking of Lord Steyne in chapter 53, saying, "If Rawdon Crawley's blow were not delivered, Vanity Fair would cease to be a work of art." Do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not?
7. Discuss the significance of the Battle of Waterloo. Whatrole does this crucial event play in the novel? Does it in any way serve as a metaphor for other episodes in the text?
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