What possibly fascinates me the most about this novel is how despite the immaculately detailed portrayal of the English society of that time, the novel's anti-hero Becky remains something of a dark mystery. The novel introduces us to both of its female protagonists: Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley early on. At start it feels a bit like bildungsroman- but Vanity Fair has an unreliable narrator and is undoubtedly ironic. I mean if it wasn't so ironic and featured morally questionable characters, you could confuse it for a bildungsroman. Well, Amelia is not morally questionable by most standards but she is a bit of a bore (alright, a big bore). The contrast between the two ladies is absolutely brilliantly carried out throughout all of the book. At start, the difference between the two girls are mostly in their position but later we get to see how completely different they are one from another. As the novel follows Beck and Amelia, their marriages and lives during and after the Napoleonic Wars, the readers gets a such a detailed view into many aspects of their lives (as well as those of their families) that the novel starts to feel like a study of British society.

At the same time, Becky remains a mystery. We are not privy to her most intimate thoughts and many of Becky's actions remain something ambiguous, especially as the novel progresses. You are not quite sure what to think about Becky. Sure, the author hints of Becky's 'darkness' often but her lively spirit somehow counteracts that and makes you admire the way she puts up the fight. Compared to boring Amelia, Becky is a heroine filled with life and courage. Even if you find Becky to be morally problematic (and it's hard not to), compared with the boring Amelia, Becky absolutely shines. You are often tempted to admire Becky as a reader, but at the same time (almost as he was aware of that), the author keeps you on your toes and implies Becky might be truly wicked.

Vanity Fair is, in many ways, a book without a hero. When it was published as a single volume, it was with the subtitle A Novel without a Hero while when published as a series the subtitle was- Pen and Pencil Sketches of English Society. Both of these subtitles are very telling of what author was trying to achieve with this novel. William Makepeace Thackeray did achieve a lot with this book- he created a classic that stood the test of time and that can still keep us on our toes.

I did not expect this, but I had a fantastic time with Vanity Fair!

The length of this classic can be intimidating but I admit I was so entertained I just could not put it down and actually finished it in a few days. There is a lot happening over the course of many years and I did not find any dull moment.

Becky Sharp is a master of ingenuity and manipulation, you can’t pretend that you don’t admire her cleverness and cutthroat attitude. The cast of this masterpiece is brilliant and so full of nuances, you really get a full range of personalities and experiences.

I had a very good time, William M. Thackerey definitively has a great sense of humor. I will certainly re-read this again, such a great surprise, really recommend!

I have read this book so many times over the years, that i cannot even recount them.

Vanity Fair is a portrait of it´s time and society - an excelent portrait, i will say. It has it all: the rise and fall of a pair of swindlers, the stupidity and prejudice of the upper-classes not to mention the part that is set during the Napolionic Wars - brilliant!

And Mr. Thackery gave me my favourite heroine: Rebecca Sharp. And for this i thank him.

She is as humaine as it can be - although she does not end well, and was selfish and ruthless, she also had spunk to go round. She never knew how to content herself or love those who where desperate to love her - she was always in the persuit of something more, higher, better.... until the downfall.

There was a girl I knew in school that made my formative years (for this purpose I'm considering the "formative years" to be 11-14) a bloody hell. She was a nasty, manipulative, cruel girl who, unfortunately for me, also had the luck of being beautiful and popular. She was wretched to the little people, and I was a little person. She was mean to me but I so wanted her to be my friend because I thought if I was her friend and a part of her circle, then everything would be okay. Life would be perfect.

I remember one day in class as we were down to the last few minutes before the bell, our teacher just let us all sit around and talk. There was a school dance that evening and it was all anyone wanted to talk about. The teacher happened to ask this popular girl if she was looking forward the dance. This girl made a comment that has stayed with me all these years: "Yeah, but I still haven't decided how I'm going to act tonight." The teacher asked what she meant by that and this girl went on to explain, "Well, if I act sad I can get a lot more attention from people, like the boys." She said it so nonchalantly, as if this was something she did every day, like waking up and brushing her hair; looking back I realize she probably did. She probably did think about what sort of attention she would get based on how she behaved. I was sort of scared of her in that moment - someone my age who knew more about human nature than I thought I ever could, someone who knew how to manipulate everyone around her. It was freakish and sort of awesome all at once.

I thought of that girl a lot while reading Vanity Fair. Becky Sharp is just as dangerous a character as that girl I knew was in real life. The concept of "being nice" was foreign to both of them; why bother being nice to people who couldn't get you anywhere in life? Why bother being nice to someone who is, for all intents and purposes, below you? It's a crazy thought process but that's what Becky (and this other girl) were all about.

What's interesting to me is that Becky is not really the main character of the story. Just like that girl I knew in school. As far as I was concerned at the time, the sun rose and set because of her. Everyone knew who she was, everyone wanted to be her friend, even the teachers. Looking back as an adult I realize everyone was really just afraid of her as I was, but I thought there was something more to the power she held. But no, she (and Becky Sharp) were just that insidious. There were other people in the school - myself included - but none of those other people mattered when she was around. Same holds true with Vanity Fair. There are other characters, like Amelia, but they're almost completely overshadowed by this really insignificant person - even during the parts that didn't include Becky, the reader is just waiting for her to step her precious little foot back into the story.

I hear that this girl from my school days is married and has some kids and has found religion. I'm told she's not as bad as she used to be. But I'm not going to lie - that girl messed me up, and now I can't imagine her being a good mother to her kids; I sort of think she probably treats them the same way Becky Sharp treated her own child in the story: as a nuisance, serving only the purpose of gaining attention for herself when necessary. Perhaps that's being unfair to that girl from school to imagine that's how she is; everyone can change. Hell, I'm not the same kid I was back when I knew her, so chances are she's just as capable of change as well. But a part of me needs her to still be that nasty little bitch I knew then because it makes me feel better about me - which, funnily enough, isn't that different from Becky Sharp at all.

The truth of the matter is that we all have a little Becky Sharp in us somewhere. It may be larger piece in some than in others, and maybe we all have a little bit of Amelia as well (who isn't quite as interesting but worthy of a little disgust thrown her way too, just for different reasons). We all love having someone to hate on - for some it's the Kardashians, for some it's Lady Gaga. It contributes to the way society works, and no one is free of it. We love to hate, and Thackeray wrote some characters in Vanity Fair that are absolutely delicious to hate - it's just Becky Sharp is the strongest of them all.

'Cause she's a bitch, through and through.

With this, completing 10 of 339 from The Rory Gilmore Reading List.

4.5/5 stars

Yet another book from the rory gilmore reading list that I enjoyed reading. The show didn't disappoint me, neither did its reading list. I'd a fantastic time reading Vanity Fair.

n  "Are not there little chapters in everybody's life, that seem to be nothing, and yet affect all the rest of the history?"n

Would you be convinced to read Vanity Fair if I told you that this is a novel without heroes. No? Okay. Would you be convinced enough to read it if I told you that Vanity Fair was an inspiration for Tolstoy's War and Peace? Yes? Thought so.

At first, I was intimidated by the size of the book, but once I started reading the first chapter, there was not stopping it. I just could not put the book down. Thackeray created a classic that stood the test of time and that can still keep us on our toes. Throughout the novel I felt like I was reading a drama series. And I mean that in the best possible way.



Becky Sharp is one who is a master in manipulation. You might hate her but you can't pretend that you don't admire her cleverness and practical attitude. Amelia, on the other hand is the purest soul you can find on Earth. If I've to describe both, Becky is the brain whereas, Amelia is the heart.



I'd read Gone with the Wind just before Vanity Fair and I somehow found analogy between two of the characters of Vanity Fair to that of Gone with the Wind. Becky's character was somewhat similar to Scarlett O'Hara's and Amelia's character was similar to that of Melanie's. Having said that I want to state this too that Scarlett O'Hara was cleverer. Scarlett was written by a woman after all.

n  "A woman may possess the wisdom and chastity of Minerva, and we give no heed to her, if she has a plain face. What folly will not a pair of bright eyes make pardonable? What dullness may not red lips are sweet accents render pleasant? And so, with their usual sense of justice, ladies argue that because a woman is handsome, therefore she is a fool. O ladies, ladies! there are some of you who are neither handsome nor wise."n

Vanity Fair has brilliance and we can't deny it. I'm glad I read it and experienced Thackeray's satire. His writing style was so on point. It was infuriating. It revealed awful truths about the world we live in. Thackeray didn't care if his readers were having a great time with the novel. He wanted to make a statement. He wanted to disturb us from our comfortable seats and boy do I love him for that.

I would like to end my review with a question that I'm leaving for you. Should we be like Rebecca, smart, intelligent and practical who knows how to extract the best out of a situation and transform according to the situation's demand? Or should we continue to live by our qualities and virtues and never change just to gain worldly belongings?

Review Posted: 19 August 2022.

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n  The world is a looking glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly kind companion; and so let all young persons take their choice.n

There seems to be little to say about Vanity Fair that is worth the time in saying it. This is an open book; its appeal is direct, its themes obvious, its interpretation unambiguous. It is an extended satire of Victorian England—what more is there to add?
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I was prepared for the nineteenth-century prose; indeed, Thackeray’s unadorned style has aged uncommonly well. I had readied myself for its protracted length and copious cast of characters. I was even prepared for the strong authorial voice and frequent asides; in this, Thackeray follows Henry Fielding quite closely. But I was not quite ready for such a depressing novel. For the secret of Vanity Fair’s lasting success is not, I think, due merely to Thackeray’s execution—brilliant as it is—but owes itself far more to the novel’s triumphant immoralism.
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Like many great novelists, Thackeray opens the book by introducing to us a pair of characters, Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley, who are to be foils for each other. Amelia is simple and good, while Becky is calculating and wicked. Following the standard conventions, we should expect Amelia to emerge triumphant and Becky to be foiled. And yet Thackeray consistently and persistently flaunts this expectation. Instead, he throws his characters into a world full of cowards, egoists, hypocrites, dullards, drunkards, gluttons, dandies, and every other species of vice—in short, Vanity Fair—and shows us that, in such a world, virtue is a luxury few can afford.
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Indeed, the frightening thing about this novel is that Thackeray gradually pulls us into sympathy with Becky Sharp. The daughter of a painter and a dancing master, she hoists herself up from the lowest to the highest ranks of society using only her wit. In the process, it becomes clear that she is a sociopath in the proper sense of the word—seeing others as mere instruments, unable to care for anyone but herself. And yet we feel—we are made to feel—that she is not morally lower than those around her (who also only care for money and status), only cleverer and more determined.
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In a word, Thackeray’s thesis is that, in our depraved world—where people care only for vanities, and where unjust accidents such as birth determine the distribution of these goods—the only logical course of action is to be ruthless. Thackeray completes this impression by showing how commonly virtue leads to misery. Amelia’s virtue, though genuine, is consistently made to look foolish. Her dedication to her husband is rendered ridiculous by her husband’s unfaithfulness, her dedication to her son rendered absurd by her son’s unconcern with leaving the house, and so on. For my part I found it very difficult to like her, and more often found myself rooting for Becky.
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William Dobbin is the only character who is allowed to appear really admirable. Yet his virtue, too, is for most of the story ignored and unrewarded. And when he finally obtains his goal—by which time he has grown bitter with waiting—this is arguably caused, not by his action, but by Becky Sharp, the only effectively active character in the book.
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The final result of this has been to leave me with a feeling of emptiness. Thackeray’s portrayal of Vanity Fair is convincing enough to leave the reader with a numbing sense of cynicism, scarcely pierced by the novel’s few tender moments. Despite this, I must recommend the book highly. Thackeray has, in many ways, aged better than his chief rival, Dickens. His prose is leaner and sharper, his characters more realistic, and his ethos free of Dickens’ dripping sentimentality. This is satire raised to a sweeping view of human life—which does not make it any funnier.

In the pantheon of English literature, William Makepeace Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" stands as a towering achievement, a sharp and sprawling satire of early 19th-century British society. Awarding it a five-star rating is an acknowledgment of its brilliance as a social commentary, its rich tapestry of characters, and its enduring relevance.

Thackeray's "Vanity Fair," subtitled "A Novel without a Hero," offers a panoramic view of upper-middle-class society during the Napoleonic Wars, exploring themes of greed, social climbing, and the fickleness of fortune. The novel is anchored by two memorable characters: Becky Sharp, the cunning and charmingly ruthless social climber, and her foil, the gentle and kind-hearted Amelia Sedley.

Thackeray's masterful storytelling is evident in his rich, detailed narrative and his use of irony and humor to critique the society of his time. The novel's title, drawn from John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," serves as a metaphor for the superficial, morally bankrupt high society of London and the battlefields of Europe where much of the story unfolds.

One of the most striking aspects of "Vanity Fair" is its complex female protagonist, Becky Sharp. She is both a product of her society and a rebel against its conventions, using her wit and charm to navigate a world dominated by men and class hierarchies. Her moral ambiguity makes her one of the most interesting and enduring characters in Victorian literature.

Despite its length and the depth of its social critique, "Vanity Fair" remains highly readable. Thackeray's narrative style is engaging, filled with asides and comments directly to the reader, which gives the novel a modern feel. The episodic structure, reflecting its original serial publication, keeps the narrative dynamic and varied.

However, it's important to note that the novel's portrayal of certain social attitudes, particularly in terms of gender and colonialism, reflects the period in which it was written. Contemporary readers may find some aspects dated or uncomfortable. Nevertheless, these elements also provide valuable insight into Victorian society and the historical context of the novel.

In summary, "Vanity Fair" is a masterpiece of English literature, offering a critical, yet entertaining, portrayal of 19th-century society. Its enduring appeal lies in Thackeray's incisive social commentary, rich characterizations, and the novel's capacity to provide a window into the mores and attitudes of Victorian England. This five-star rating celebrates not only the novel's literary merits but also its lasting significance in the canon of great literature.

I'm in the minority here, and the lovers of this book wouldn't be so pleased with what I have to say. But I must have my say. It is only Thackeray's use of satire that held me through the novel. When that collapsed at the end, being replaced by sentimentality instead, and when an unwanted twist, just to give a touch of eeriness, trespassed on the coherent flaw, there was nothing for me to cling to, the floor being blown under my feet. Beaten and exhausted, with a sense of waste of time, is something quite unpleasant to feel after reading a classic that is said to be a 'must-read".

Some of the lengthy Victorian novels have soap-operatic quality, and Vanity Fair would easily pass as one. The introduction chapters in which the author introduced his story and characters were unalluring, and I had to struggle to find my way through the novel. Despite my indifference to the story and the greater aversion for its characters, I found ground in Thackery's satire. The whole of Victorian society, from the people's individualistic behaviour to their morals and conventions, hasn't escaped Thackery's satirical eye. The caricature portrayal of the characters, whether they are from the houses of Crawleys, Osbornes, Sedleys, or Steyns, or individuals - either not attached to a prestigious house, like our "remarkable" heroine, Rebecca Sharp, or attached to a house to which much credit wasn't given, like that of our hero, Dobbin - was entertaining.

This brings us to the point where I must address the contradictory nature of the novel's subtitle: A novel without a hero. Notwithstanding Thackeray's protestations against a hero, he has unwittingly introduced two, not one, from both genders. If one can see the story of Vanity Fair as a battle between good and bad, the hero, Dobbins, and heroine, Becky, were the respective representatives of the two factions. Even though Thackeray was cynical of both sides, and unintentional in appointing a leader to each side, there is no denying that he has brought about a heroine and hero to a story.

I didn't care much about the story, nor I cared for the characters - they exasperated me to no end. But I enjoyed the satire which enveloped the story. This was unchanged until towards the end when Thackeray decided to change the colour in favour of sentimentality. This is where the total estrangement ensued between him and me. When the only thing to which I have anchored my reading has been pulled out, I was completely drowned. However, I later learned Thackaray's reason for switching modes and adopting a sentimental tone - part of the story being semiautobiographical; but it didn't help me change my opinion about the book.

This is my personal perspective, and no one should be guided by it. Given its popularity, I feel the book deserves an audience. Although my response to the novel was poor, yours may be better. For my part, I was disappointed in my expectations.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

I feel I've reached a milestone, having finally read this. I'd spent years avoiding it – partly its length and negative comments from people unable to finish it. I found it very readable and hugely entertaining. I now feel quite bereft as I had got to know Thackeray's characters pretty well and came to regard some of them as old friends, others as familiar foes. I'd expected to be bored but it is difficult to be bored by Vanity Fair, just over indulged perhaps.

It is a satire on Life and Society, the names chosen by Thackeray for many of his characters makes this very clear. This was my first Thackeray, so not sure how representative V.F. is of his other work. For me there were shades of Jane Austen, Dickens and Henry Fielding here and of course oblique references to Bunyan and Pilgrim's Progress, hence Vanity Fair I guess?

Set c.1815 – c. 1837 there is plenty of action on the part of the characters and the world in which they move, including the battle of Waterloo. It is timeless in its appeal, in its depiction of human nature, the fickleness of fashion and morality.

It is long and at times taxingly wordy but it is a gem of a book and I can see why it entices readers back to it again and again. One to read at least once before you die!

This 19th century satirical novel centres around the lives and loves of schoolfriends Amelia Sedley and Rebecca (Becky) Sharp as they seek to make their way in a male-dominated world. While Amelia is mild-mannered, somewhat naive and sees the good in everyone, Becky is willing to lie and cheat her way through life, making use of men as best she is able to. This earns Becky somewhat of a reputation as her fortunes fluctuate up and down throughout the course of the book. The author himself acts as narrator and a somewhat satirical observer of the Regency society and its strict social etiquette, poking fun at the hypocrisy exhibited by many of the featured characters. There are some wonderful character names, for example the political attache Tapeworm and the Lord Transparency and his Transparent family, that serve as identifiers of the characters themselves and are quite amusing. Overall, although I was reading this book in short segments due to its length whilst also reading other books, it was a very enjoyable read - 8.5/10.

I am not entirely sure how to respond to this book. It does not help that I finished Wives and Daughters and Middlemarch just before this one, both of which I, strictly speaking, enjoyed more. I wouldn't put Vanity Fair on my favorites shelf. But I think from a classic standpoint, this one carries the day over those two. It was one of those books you read and then discover you've known it all your life because it has impacted Western civilization in some distinctive way. The characters Thackeray draws ring true to life not just because I recognized them from the people around me, but because his distinct slant of looking at them found an echo in the literature that followed.
It is an interesting book. It has wonderful contrast in its heroines and something of an antihero in Becky Sharp. (She reminded me of Lady Susan.) Much like Dickens, Thackeray never met a rabbit trail he didn't like but he breaks the fourth wall enough to make it amusing and even inserts himself in the narrative at a random point.
Sometimes it felt like a bit of a slog but I am truly glad I read it.

Thoughts Before Reading

It's a weird feeling, discovering a world-renowned classic author hailing from your home city when he was a British coloniser.

Thoughts While Reading

◻ Not that I want to, but if I were ever a character in a regency novel, I'd want to be like Ms Becky Sharp rather than any Austen heroine.

◼ "the girls have only to turn the tables, and say of one of their own sex, “She is as vain as a man,” and they will have perfect reason. The bearded creatures are quite as eager for praise, quite as finikin over their toilettes, quite as proud of their personal advantages, quite as conscious of their powers of fascination, as any coquette in the world."

I'm already loving this book!

◻ Potentially controversial take, but I get what the author of Bridgerton was trying to say when she defended her choice to completely exclude racial diversity from her historical romance books. I don't think any of our regency protagonists would have a nerdy Asian best friend, you know. At any rate, the racism in this book is nauseating but understandable.

◼ Live laugh love our feminist queen Ms Crawley.

◻ At one point the author went, "I know you readers don't give a shit about this character," and I was like yes, Sir, we don't, only for him to proceed to go on a three-chapter-long tangent about said unimportant character. Classics, amiright?

◼ Every smart gf lowkey needs a himbo boyfriend.

◻ Bring Becky back ! Bring Becky back ! Bring Becky back ! Bring Becky back !