book data
26 ratings, 3.62 average rating, 7 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
September 13th 2006
by Echo Library
binding
Paperback, 656 pages
isbn
1406821373
(isbn13: 9781406821376)
description
This clear print title is set in Tiresias 13pt font for easy reading
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 47)
Read in May, 2007
It took me six months to read Henry Esmond. A friend of mine claims that Thackeray has three genres--social, biographical, and historical. This is one of the historical novels, and it gets so overwhelmed in the history that the plot vanishes. For example, it was fun that Richard Steele and Joseph Addison are characters. It was not fun to read a (very) extended chapter of Spectator pastiche, attributed to Henry Esmond. It was fun that Henry Esmond served under the Duke of Marlborough. It w...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone who enjoys long and complicated 19th-century novels
This is one of my all-time favourite novels, which I've read several times over the years. I loved Thackeray's style, with his blend of satire and melancholy, as much as ever, but this time round I noticed more than I have done in the past how hard he is on women, especially on beautiful "bad girl" Beatrix.
At times the historical events are quite hard to follow, so I was glad that the edition I was reading has footnotes and other material to explain the background. I also got hold o...more
At times the historical events are quite hard to follow, so I was glad that the edition I was reading has footnotes and other material to explain the background. I also got hold o...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
Astute observations of the institution of marriage, history, politics, and "great" men along with fluid prose, but what a cop-out of an ending! Disturbing, even - and almost entirely at odds with the rest of the book. But then again, considering what happened to Becky Sharp (of Vanity Fair fame)...
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
Much dryer and dark than his other books but apparently he wrote this after being spurned so all the sturm and drang makes sense...still...his writing never disappoints...this one just requires more from the reader.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Many Victorians considered this to be Thackeray's masterpiece, but it's very hard to understand why. There are a couple of memorable characters, but its insights now seem very humdrum.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
You know what? This book isn't all that great. Sorry, William Makepeace Thackeray.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Erik's and my current bedtime reading. Mysterious and interesting so far.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
to-read
(on 9 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 3 people's shelves)
2007 (on 1 person's shelf)
novels (on 1 person's shelf)
have-read (on 1 person's shelf)
fiction (on 1 person's shelf)
classics3 (on 1 person's shelf)
british_lit (on 1 person's shelf)
1700-1900-literature (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
currently-reading (on 3 people's shelves)
2007 (on 1 person's shelf)
novels (on 1 person's shelf)
have-read (on 1 person's shelf)
fiction (on 1 person's shelf)
classics3 (on 1 person's shelf)
british_lit (on 1 person's shelf)
1700-1900-literature (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
