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"Re-reading Vanity Fair, one realises what a brilliant innovation this was in the English novel," remarked V. S. Pritchett. "Thackeray is like the modern novelists who derive from James and Proust, in his power of dissecting (and of desiccating!) character."

Generally considered to be his masterpiece, Vanity Fair is Thackeray's resplendent social satire that exposes the greed and corruption raging in England during the turmoil of the Napoleonic wars. Subtitled "A Novel Without a Hero," it traces the changing fortunes of two unforgettable women: the scheming opportunist Becky Sharp—one of literature's most resourceful, engaging, and amoral heroines—and her foil, the faithful, naive Amelia Sedley. Thackeray's subversive, comic attack on the hypocrisy and "dismal roguery" of an avaricious world resonates 150 years later with implications for our own times.

"Thackeray is an urbane nineteenth-century guide and commentator in a portrait gallery that is for all time," observed Louis Auchincloss. "He is the restless inhabitant of a prudish age, nostalgic, discursive, anecdotal, sentimental, worldly-wise, now warning us, now making fun of us, now reproving us .... Thackeray's harshest criticism of humanity is simply the point where ours commences. His perception of self-interest in every act is the ABC of modem psychology."
]]> 5797 176 1057468 book 1847 Vanity Fair total:5790|5:1322|4:2138|3:1617|2:529|1:184| 5790 21255 9750 578 3953 3.67 6131 632 20288017 94602 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.66 4685
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 4 12 false Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Wed Apr 16 07:40:42 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 16 08:46:41 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1260297 75633 398202 0375757260 9780375757266 19 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174427199m/398202.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174427199s/398202.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/398202.Vanity_Fair_A_Novel_without_a_Hero 3.75 76
"Re-reading Vanity Fair, one realises what a brilliant innovation this was in the English novel," remarked V. S. Pritchett. "Thackeray is like the modern novelists who derive from James and Proust, in his power of dissecting (and of desiccating!) character."

Generally considered to be his masterpiece, Vanity Fair is Thackeray's resplendent social satire that exposes the greed and corruption raging in England during the turmoil of the Napoleonic wars. Subtitled "A Novel Without a Hero," it traces the changing fortunes of two unforgettable women: the scheming opportunist Becky Sharp—one of literature's most resourceful, engaging, and amoral heroines—and her foil, the faithful, naive Amelia Sedley. Thackeray's subversive, comic attack on the hypocrisy and "dismal roguery" of an avaricious world resonates 150 years later with implications for our own times.

"Thackeray is an urbane nineteenth-century guide and commentator in a portrait gallery that is for all time," observed Louis Auchincloss. "He is the restless inhabitant of a prudish age, nostalgic, discursive, anecdotal, sentimental, worldly-wise, now warning us, now making fun of us, now reproving us .... Thackeray's harshest criticism of humanity is simply the point where ours commences. His perception of self-interest in every act is the ABC of modem psychology."
]]> 1847 2 7 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Wed May 16 17:33:19 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 19:34:44 -0800 2009
On a small scale, I thought the writing was too long-winded. This is not a fancy story and i...more...]]> 8072179 544124 1103573 0785772960 9780785772965 18 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181011854m/1103573.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181011854s/1103573.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1103573.Vanity_Fair 3.77 158
This edition includes a new introduction, a chronology of Thackeray's life and works, a select reading list, and an appendix containing parodic material Thackeray cut from the 1853 edition.]]> 1847 4 5 false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Oct 22 09:36:21 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 22 09:36:58 -0700 2007
He's part Oscar Wilde, part Jonathan Swift, with a dash of Dickinson, but all his own voice.

Since the story is so long and sprawling, I only jotted down a few notes on my impressions.

* He b...more...]]> 20010877 1070450 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 5 3 false Sat Apr 12 11:41:38 -0700 2008 Sat Apr 12 11:41:38 -0700 2008 more...]]> 13930883 849065 1103573 0785772960 9780785772965 18 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181011854m/1103573.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181011854s/1103573.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1103573.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
This edition includes a new introduction, a chronology of Thackeray's life and works, a select reading list, and an appendix containing parodic material Thackeray cut from the 1853 edition.]]> 1847 5 2 true Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 29 08:18:07 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 29 08:55:25 -0800 2008
I've actually got the "Barnes & Noble Classics"...more...]]> 922639 69881 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 2 2 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Apr 27 21:32:44 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 18:34:52 -0800 2009 more...]]> 2040642 124482 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 4 2 false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Sat Jun 16 19:22:24 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 21:45:59 -0800 2009 more...]]> 23081977 587238 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 5 1 true Tue May 27 17:23:27 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 04 14:27:11 -0700 2008 more...]]> 17242127 975151 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 5 1 false Fri Mar 07 10:40:43 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 11 15:07:35 -0700 2008 The characters portray types of people that still exist in the world today. Amelia is dependent on another for her own happi...more...]]> 20377449 554828 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 4 2 false Thu Apr 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 17 08:38:26 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 24 14:25:17 -0700 2008 more...]]> 78919101 479902 7072094 1449528279 9781449528270 3 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7072094-vanity-fair 3.71 58 1847 4 1 false Tue Nov 24 21:08:23 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 24 21:08:23 -0800 2009 more...]]> 45258524 172552 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 4 2 false Sun Feb 08 15:46:10 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 03 10:05:26 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 08 15:46:10 -0800 2009 24598243 834827 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 4 1 false Mon Jun 16 03:59:18 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 16 04:02:53 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2180822 138947 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 5 1 false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Jun 20 15:12:34 -0700 2007 Wed Jun 20 15:23:47 -0700 2007 more...]]> 59178881 589958 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 3 1 false Sat Mar 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 13:16:24 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 20:35:27 -0700 2009 more...]]> 58583144 968631 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 4 0 false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 05 15:45:52 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 05 16:05:56 -0700 2009 ...more...]]> 60434544 29671 337152 1853260193 9781853260193 4 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173853629m/337152.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173853629s/337152.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/337152.Vanity_Fair 3.89 27 1847 5 0 false Sat Jun 20 13:21:59 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 21 13:59:33 -0700 2009
Some might shy away from Thackeray's supposed cynicism or misanthropy. The book is certainly unsparing of the flaws of...more...]]> 61003492 2448143 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 5 0 false Mon May 05 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 24 19:14:54 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 24 19:15:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 81389693 1068292 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 5 0 false Fri Dec 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 18 08:06:19 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 18 08:07:38 -0800 2009 4 or 5, at least more...]]> 52345612 185680 5797 0141439831 9780141439839 422 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706m/5797.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165547706s/5797.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5797.Vanity_Fair 3.67 5790
Edited by John Carey.]]> 1847 4 0 true Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Sat Apr 11 18:43:23 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 19:21:50 -0700 2009 more...]]> 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=398202