Favorite Classics: Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

 

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. I have only read one of his books, but I loved it so much it deserves its own post (here are some of my other favorite classics). Originally published in serial form in 1847–1848, Vanity Fair is probably Thackeray’s most well-known work. The Penguin Classics edition I read follows the text of Thackeray’s revised edition of 1853.

The novel chronicles the lives of two women who stand as polar opposites of each other. Becky Sharp is an orphan who can only rely on her ambition and wit. Her schoolmate Amelia Sedley is a stereotypically naive Victorian heroine and the pampered daughter of a wealthy family. The story begins as they leave school and enter the world of Regency society. Becky is determined to climb the social ladder, while sentimental Amelia only longs for a caddish soldier George Osborne.

Vanity Fair was my favorite read in 2020. I loved the narrator’s voice and the satirical portrayal of early 19th-century British society. With eight hundred pages, it’s a huge book, but definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoy a more satirical style and an omniscient narrator who breaks the fourth wall.