Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

by William Makepeace Thackeray
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe)
Publication Date: 09/01/2025

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"Vanity Fair" is a social satire that offers a panoramic view of English society during the early 19th century. The novel follows the lives of two main characters, Rebecca "Becky" Sharp and Amelia Sedley, as they navigate through a world shaped by vanity, ambition, and social stratification.Rebecca Sharp, a resourceful and cunning young woman from a poor background, is determined to rise in society and achieve wealth and status. Amelia Sedley, on the other hand, comes from a wealthy family and embodies innocence, kindness, and naivety. The contrasting paths and fortunes of these two women form the core of the narrative.Thackeray's novel explores various themes, including social mobility, the pursuit of wealth and status, the fickleness of society, and the consequences of ambition and greed. Through a vast cast of characters, the author provides a detailed and often satirical portrayal of different social classes and their interactions."Vanity Fair" is notable for its rich characterizations, sharp wit, and incisive observations of human behavior. Thackeray employs a narrator who comments on the characters and events, providing insightful commentary on the flaws and virtues of society.The title "Vanity Fair" itself is a reference to John Bunyan's Christian allegory "The Pilgrim's Progress," where Vanity Fair symbolizes a place of worldly temptations and illusions. Thackeray uses this term to highlight the transient and shallow nature of society and its preoccupation with appearances and social standing.

ISBN:
9789358580266
9789358580266
Category:
Adventure
Format:
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe)
Publication Date:
09-01-2025
Language:
English
Publisher:
Zinc Read
William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta in 1811. On his way to England from India, the small Thackeray saw Napoleon on St Helena.

In 1837, Thackeray came to London and became a regular contributor to Fraser's Magazine. From 1842 to 1851, he was on the staff of Punch, and this was when he wrote Vanity Fair, the work which placed him in the first rank of novelists. He completed it when he was thirty-seven.

In 1857, Thackeray stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate for Oxford. In 1859 he took on the editorship of the Cornhill Magazine. He resigned the position in 1862 because kindliness and sensitivity of spirit made it difficult for him to turn down contributors.

Thackeray drew on his own experiences for his writing. He had a great weakness for gambling, a great desire for worldly success, and over his life hung the tragic illness of his wife Isabella, with whom he had hree daughters, one dying in infancy.

Thackeray died December 24, 1863. He was buried in Kensal Green, and a bust by Marochetti was put up to his memory in Westminster Abbey.

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