Vanity Fair is perhaps Thackeray's most famous novel. First serialized over the course of 19 volumes in Punch Magazine and first printed as a single volume in 1849, the novel cemented Thackeray's literary fame and kept him busy with frequent revisions and even lecture circuits.The story is framed as a puppet play, narrated by an unreliable narrator, that presents the story of Becky Sharp and Emmy Sedley and the people in their lives as they struggle through the Napoleonic Wars. The story itself, like many other Thackeray novels, is a satire of the lives of the Victorian English of a certain class. Thackeray packed the novel with allusions, many of which were difficult even for his contemporary readers; part of the heavy revision work later he did on Vanity Fair later in his life was revising it to make the allusions more accessible to his evolving audience.As part of his satirical bent, Thackeray made a point to make each character flawed, so that there are no "heroes" in the book--hence the subtitle "A Novel Without a Hero." Thackeray's goal was not only to entertain, but to instruct; to that end, he wanted the reader to look within themselves after finishing the unhappy conclusion, in which there's no hint as to how society might be able to improve on the evils shadowed in the events of novel.Vanity Fair received glowing praise by its critical contemporaries, and remains a popular book well into modern times, having been adapted repeatedly for film, radio, and television.
Thackeray's most representative novel - a picture of society on a broad scale, with Becky Sharp, the adventuress, a principal character. Includes a famous account of the Battle of Waterloo. First published in 1848.
Gail Sheehy on Hillary Clinton. Ingrid Sischy on Nicole Kidman. Jacqueline Woodson on Lena Waithe. Leslie Bennetts on Michelle Obama. And two Maureens (Orth and Dowd) on two Tinas (Turner and Fey).
Chronicles the exploits of Becky Sharp, an unscrupulous young woman who is determined to achieve wealth and social success
Offers the history of "Vanity Fair" by presenting how the magazine displayed American culture in the many decades of its operation, including the Jazz Age, the Depression, the Reagan Years, and the Information Age.
The novel is now considered a classic, and has inspired several film adaptations. In 2003, Vanity Fair was listed at #122 on the BBC's The Big Read poll of the UK's best-loved books.
The stories behind the stories of some of Hollywood's most iconic movies The magazine world 's monthly arbiter of culture, personality, and world affairs, Vanity Fair has always offered the definitive insider's look at Hollywood power and ...
The irreverent diaries of the author's celebrated years as editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair also serves as a vibrant portrait of the 1980s in New York and Hollywood, describing her summons from London in the hopes of saving Condé Nast's ...
Named one of the best books of 2017 by Time, People, The Guardian, Paste Magazine, The Economist, Entertainment Weekly, & Vogue Tina Brown kept delicious daily diaries throughout her eight spectacular years as editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair ...
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) was famous for his satirical novels, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society of the 19th century, featuring Becky Sharp, a strong-willed and cunning young woman determined to ...