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Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. Thackeray''s upper-class Regency world is a noisy and jostling commercial fairground, predominantly driven by acquisitive greed and soulless materialism, in which the narrator himself plays a brilliantly versatile role as a serio-comic observer. Although subtitled ''A Novel without a Hero'', Vanity Fair follows the fortunes of two contrasting but inter-linked lives: through the retiring Amelia Sedley and the brilliant Becky Sharp, Thackeray examines the position of women in an intensely exploitative male world.

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Top reviews from the United States

RIRN5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Classic Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2019 Decent paperback version at an excellent price. Unabridged. This review refers to the physical book, not to the text. Helpful Report Candice brenner5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Great Reading Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2019 A classic you might have forgotten. A quick and fun read. Characters come to life Helpful Report Michael A Racanelli5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Great writing. Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2021 Good read. Helpful Report major fashionista4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase “Vanity Fair” by William Thackeray is one of the best satirical novels I have read to date Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2017 “Vanity Fair” by William Thackeray is one of the best satirical novels I have read to date. Full of intellect and a well thought out criticism of British culture in the 19th century, “Vanity Fair” is a must read for any budding feminist and satirist. As was... See more “Vanity Fair” by William Thackeray is one of the best satirical novels I have read to date. Full of intellect and a well thought out criticism of British culture in the 19th century, “Vanity Fair” is a must read for any budding feminist and satirist.

As was common in this time period, the story started out as a serialized set of stories, published in twenty parts between January of 1847 and July of 1847. This does lead to Thackeray writing extremely long phrases, filled with colorful language and elaborate explanations of everything. People were paid by the word in this time, so it’s understandable why this was done. It can be a tedious read, but once you get use to the language, you should be fine.

The story follows Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley as they grow up in Britain as each of their lives change and grow from when they left their school. Amelia, the mild mannered, respectful girl, fits right in with the role of women in this time period. Becky is the complete opposite and is regarded as the anti-heroine in the story. She is manipulative, ambitious, and practically independent. The two contrast beautifully, and their differences are emphasized when it’s shown how each girl feels about how they end up in their lives.

The two main characters in this novel, Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley, are both well fleshed out for their purposes in the novel. Becky is witty and manipulative; she wants what she wants and will do anything to get it. Amelia is the perfect girl of the 19th century, but she’s unhappy. She gets autonomy over her emotions and they aren’t invalidated for the way they feel, something uncommon in this time period from male writers. I personally was able to relate to Becky in many ways, especially her ambition.

If you have never done any research on the novel or the author or the time period, the plot can be highly unexpected. However, no matter if you have no experience in this style of writing or have a doctorate in satirical Romantic writing, the story is intriguing all the way through.

If you’ve ever read “The Taming of the Shrew”, this novel will interest you. Both stories involve two girls, one more independent and headstrong, while the other is more docile and fits more into the societal mold of the time. However, Vanity Fair can clearly be seen as a criticism and a feminist novel, while Shrew is blurred. That leads for an interesting comparison to the two, one that I invite other readers to think and ponder over!

The novel is a satire. That much is obvious. It address societal issues, the way women are treated being a major one, and spins it in a way that you can’t passively think about. It requires in-depth thought and focus. When reading this, it is important to keep in mind that the culture of the world was different from today, and that characters like Becky, although she is painted as a protagonist in this, is unusual and her being an outcast would not look as positive as it does in this novel.

If you’re a person who likes satires, feminism, or really long descriptions of everything, this is the novel for you. 6 people found this helpful Helpful Report HMS Warspite4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Breaching the fourth wall... Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2021 William Makepeace Thackery''s long novel of the Napoleonic era in England is in theory a romance. In fact, it is a satire of the period, making endless fun of its (very imperfect) characters. It may be most notable for the way in which its author regularly breaches the... See more William Makepeace Thackery''s long novel of the Napoleonic era in England is in theory a romance. In fact, it is a satire of the period, making endless fun of its (very imperfect) characters. It may be most notable for the way in which its author regularly breaches the so-called fourth wall between a story and its readers, and does so in a sometimes unreliable way.

The novel follows respectable, nice girl Amelia Smedley and her scheming, social-climbing friend Becky Sharp through their young lives during the Regency period in England, and against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars., including the decisive battle of Waterloo. Readers are forewarned that the narrative is unconventional and may not present as satisfying an ending as might be expected. Cautiously recommended. 3 people found this helpful Helpful Report Anita1.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Horrible book about horrible people Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018 Hate, hate, hate this book. All the characters are horrible and deserve horrible fates. I don''t understand why this story persists as a classic. That''s hours of my time I''ll never get back... 3 people found this helpful Helpful Report Mary M. McCue5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Good read! Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2019 My local theatre is doing a play based on Vanity Fair. So I wanted to re-read the book before it opens. Book arrived early, in great shape, and was a terrific (though long) read. Thank you very much! Helpful Report Amazon Customer2.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase The book is too long and boring. I got it from a school college list Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2017 The book is too long and boring. I got it from a school college list. Only for those with high vocabulary who enjoy reading extremely long unpopularized books. Helpful Report

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Top reviews from other countries

Robert J. Pisarek5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Vanity Fair - superb seller Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2020

Arrived quickly, book in perfect condition. The book was delivered very quickly and packed properly - brand new and with no damage, fresh print. Attached photographs for any prospective buyers looking for specifics such as Ed. or Print style. Pagination is 700+ Regards,...See moreArrived quickly, book in perfect condition. The book was delivered very quickly and packed properly - brand new and with no damage, fresh print. Attached photographs for any prospective buyers looking for specifics such as Ed. or Print style. Pagination is 700+ Regards, Roberto 4 people found this helpful Report jkl5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase I know a lot of Becky sharpe,s Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2018 What a great book , written about many women i know. They strive for to be seen as richer than most, house bigger than most . Husband,s Business is flourishing (amazing) . They sing How great i art To themselves but they go to church on Sunday and pretend that God is...See moreWhat a great book , written about many women i know. They strive for to be seen as richer than most, house bigger than most . Husband,s Business is flourishing (amazing) . They sing How great i art To themselves but they go to church on Sunday and pretend that God is Sovereign over their lives. Thet dominate their husbands (COVERTLY). They get pleasure in other peoples misfortune.Most of these women are damaged during their early years of life but DEMAND rhey need no help. Sad. I love the book but am not a Becky , I know quite a few. We are all broken. Some of us go to be fixed . Others no , they are perfect . AMAZING One person found this helpful Report Amazon Customer4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase "It is all vanity to be sure, but who will not own to liking a little of it?" Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2012 This is a dauntingly large novel to pick up, written (and originally published in 20 instalments) in a time when there wasn''t much else in the way of entertainment for the average man other than the reading of hefty novels. The narrative is sprawling and digressive, the...See moreThis is a dauntingly large novel to pick up, written (and originally published in 20 instalments) in a time when there wasn''t much else in the way of entertainment for the average man other than the reading of hefty novels. The narrative is sprawling and digressive, the pace leisurely, and over 700-odd pages this could become a bit of a chore were it not so consistently enjoyable. Arch, knowing, sardonic but never nasty, it''s a brilliantly funny skewering of pretension, snobbery and hypocrisy. There are no wholly admirable characters, but you can''t help feeling a sort of twisted respect for the gloriously awful social climber Becky Sharp, and a bit of sympathy for the lumpen, love-struck Dobbin. In fact all the characters are alive in their awfulness, and it''s no small measure of skill that Thackery can make the reader care so much about such ghastly people. I suppose part of the appeal is that their weaknesses and pretensions are still recognisable today. I thought the book reached a peak midway, in the scenes set around the battle of Waterloo (which is conveyed brilliantly without actually visiting the battlefield itself). The narrative slumps a bit when the action returns to London, with Becky''s repeated forays into high society becoming a bit tiresome, but things are reined in beautifully at the end, with a few moments of genuine emotional force adding depth to the novel''s many superficial pleasures. 5 people found this helpful Report Gary D.5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Good read Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2019 Bought this after watching the tv series , more detailed version . Report Amazon Customer4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase 100 pages in and Vanity Fair was still very dull. 50 pages later things start to pick up ... Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2016 This is part of my required reading for undergraduate study. 100 pages in and Vanity Fair was still very dull. 50 pages later things start to pick up and from there on the novel proved to become worthy of its acclaim for me. Genuinely laughed and cried for the characters....See moreThis is part of my required reading for undergraduate study. 100 pages in and Vanity Fair was still very dull. 50 pages later things start to pick up and from there on the novel proved to become worthy of its acclaim for me. Genuinely laughed and cried for the characters. Thackeray writes some wonderfully candid and insightful passages. One person found this helpful Report

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