Men's Wives

by William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair (1847), a panoramic portrait of English society. Thackeray began as a satirist and parodist, with a sneaking fondness for roguish upstarts like Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair, Barry Lyndon in Barry Lyndon (1844) and Catherine in Catherine (1839). In his earliest works, writing under such pseudonyms as Charles James Yellowplush, Michael Angelo Titmarsh and George Savage Fitz-Boodle, he tended towards the savage in his attacks on high society, military prowess, the institution of marriage and hypocrisy. His writing career really began with a series of satirical sketches now usually known as The Yellowplush Papers, which appeared in Fraser's Magazine beginning in 1837. Between May 1839 and February 1840, Fraser's published the work sometimes considered Thackeray's first novel, Catherine also notable among the later novels are The Fitz-Boodle Papers (1842), Men's Wives (1842), The History of Pendennis (1848), The History of Henry Esmond, Esq., (1852), The Newcomes (1853) and The Rose and the Ring (1855) .

Genres: Fiction, British Literature, Novels

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1843

About the author

William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist, satirist, and journalist, best known for his keen social commentary and his novel Vanity Fair (1847–1848). His works often explored themes of ambition, hypocrisy, and the moral failings of British society, making him one of the most significant literary figures of the Victorian era.
Born in Calcutta, British India, he was sent to England for his education after his father’s death. He attended Charterhouse School, where he developed a distaste for the rigid school system, and later enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge. However, he left without earning a degree, instead traveling in Europe and pursuing artistic ambitions.
After losing much of his inheritance due to bad investments, Thackeray turned to writing for a living. He contributed satirical sketches, essays, and stories to periodicals such as Fraser’s Magazine and Punch, gradually building a reputation for his sharp wit and keen observational skills. His breakthrough came with Vanity Fair, a panoramic satire of English society that introduced the enduring character of Becky Sharp, a resourceful and amoral social climber.
Thackeray’s later novels, including Pendennis (1848–1850), The History of Henry Esmond (1852), and The Newcomes (1853–1855), continued to explore the lives of the English upper and middle classes, often focusing on the contrast between personal virtue and social ambition. His historical novel Henry Esmond was particularly praised for its detailed 18th-century setting and complex characterization.
In addition to his fiction, Thackeray was a noted public speaker and essayist, delivering lectures on the English humorists of the 18th century and on The Four Georges, a critical look at the British monarchy.
Despite his literary success, he lived with personal struggles, including the mental illness of his wife, Isabella, which deeply affected him. He remained devoted to his two daughters and was known for his kindness and generosity among his friends and colleagues.
His works remain widely read, appreciated for their incisive humor, rich characterizations, and unflinching critique of social pretensions.

Reviews

[Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The Ravenswing” es una novela corta o novella publicada por William Thackeray en Fraser’s Magazine de manera serializada en cinco entregas, entre abril y septiembre de 1843, como parte de la tetralogía Men’s Wives. Esta originalmente incluía otros tres relatos mucho más cortos, también publicados en Fraser’s Magazine: “Mr and Mrs Frank Berry (marzo 1843), “Dennis Haggarty’s Wife” (octubre 1843) y “The _’s [Executioner’s] Wife (noviembre 1843).
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Siempre me han cautivado los autores que muestran una prodigiosa habilidad en el uso de la lengua inglesa y ponen su plasticidad y economía al servicio de la sátira. Y esto resume los motivos por los que me enganché a la lectura de esta novella casi desconocida de Thackeray.
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Se trata de una comedia de enredos, con un argumento banal en torno a una heroina, Morgiana Crump, llamada “the Ravenswing”, apodo de significado equívoco que algunos interpretan como “Raven’s wing”, en alusión a los bucles negros que adornan el rostro de Morgiana.
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Ésta es la agraciada hija de un hostelero acomodado, que es cortejada por un sastre y un peluquero, pero que termina fugándose y casándose con un sinvergüenza –el “capitán” Walker– que la maltrata psicológicamente y se aprovecha de ella sin escrúpulos.
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Pero bajo esta poco prometedora superficie, se prefigura el autor irónico que solo cuatro años después triunfaría con La feria de las vanidades. Encontramos, pues, una sátira fina de la burguesía, la nobleza, los clubes de caballeros y las mujeres que se entregan a sus maridos y justifican sus abusos.
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Casi todo en esta novela está en clave sarcástica. Así, el último capítulo, aunque subtitulado “In which Mr Walker shows great prudence and forbearance”, realmente relata cómo el “capitán” Walker, encarcelado por deudas, manipula y culpabiliza a Morgiana y, cuando se entera de que ésta se ha convertido en una cantante célebre, aprovecha la circunstancia para salir de prisión y explotarla a sus anchas.
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Thackeray tenía 31 años cuando publicó “The Ravenswing” de manera serializada –como se ha dicho–en Fraser’s Magazine bajo el pseudónimo de George Fitz-Boodle. Este actúa además como narrador; un narrador que a menudo rompe la “cuarta pared”, realiza digresiones y, hacia el final, entra en escena como un personaje más.
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No me ha parecido una lectura memorable, pero sí un agradable y corto aperitivo para una futura incursión en La feria de las vanidades.

[Perry Whitford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three satirical advertisements for bachelorhood by Thackeray (who was himself a pretty good advertisement for spinsterhood).

'The Ravenswing' is Morgiana Crump, 'a tulip among women, and the tulip fanciers all came flocking round her,' basically a Victorian dolly bird, beset by two unlikely suitors until she is stolen from under their noses by a pseudo-gentleman called Captain Morgan.

Thackeray's aim here is on the industry behind celebrity, a theme as relevant today then as it was then. The humour is gentle ('Why need there be a reason for laughing? Let us laugh when we are laughy, as we sleep when we are sleepy.'), the snobbery frightful; at one point the narrator took a potshot at The Morning Post for labelling his story as 'vulgar.'

In the second story, 'Mr. and Mrs. Frank Berry', an old schoolfriend of the narrator, winner of the most notorious fight at Slaughter House (Charterhouse) which lasted two and half hours and went one hundred and two rounds, is later domesticated by a “a regular Tartar."

Lastly, and on reflection leastly, 'Dennis Haggerty's Wife' is another argument in favour of bachelorhood as well as a typical piece of nastiness aimed at the Irish, a speciality of Thackeray's during his days at Punch

All you really need to know about Thackeray's comic intent is that his narrator goes by the extraordinary name of George Fitz-Boodle.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just found this hard going

[Yasmina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dense, and this edition in special has many mispelling mistakes.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, funny, telling.

[Nicola Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Thackery's lesser known works, and I can see why, but still an enjoyable read.