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Vanity Fair

By William Makepeace Thackeray
Series: Oxford World's Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Vanity Fair follows Becky Sharp, a cunning and ambitious woman determined to climb the social ladder by charming and manipulating wealthy men during the Napoleonic wars. Her rise is contrasted with Amelia, her gentle but less worldly best friend, while the story paints a rich portrait of Regency society, exploring themes of war, money, and national identity. Thackeray's sharp satire captures the fierce social battles of the era with wit and profound insight.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4200

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Vanity Fair is ideal for readers interested in classic literature, historical fiction enthusiasts, and those who appreciate sharp social satire set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars.

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Set during the Napoleonic wars, Vanity Fair follows Becky Sharp as she cuts a swathe through Regency society. War, money, and national identity are the themes of Thackeray's great satirical novel, as it exposes a world on the make. In Becky, Thackeray created one of the most memorable female characters in Victorian fiction.

A new edition of one of the greatest Victorian novels.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'I think I could be a good woman if I had five thousand a year.'

Becky Sharp is sharp, calculating, and determined to succeed. Craving wealth and a position in society, she charms, hoodwinks, and manipulates everyone she meets, rising in the world as she attaches herself to a succession of rich men. Becky's fortunes are contrasted with those of her best friend Amelia, who has none of Becky's wit and vitality, but whose gentle-heartedness attracts the devotion of the loyal Dobbin.

Set during the Napoleonic wars, Vanity Fair follows Becky as she cuts a swathe through Regency society. Thackeray paints a panoramic portrait of the age, with war, money, and national identity his great subjects. The battle for social success is as fierce as the battle of Waterloo, and its casualties as stricken. The satire is at once biting and profound, sparing none in a clear-eyed exposure of a world on the make. Thackeray's scepticism of human motives borders on cynicism, yet Vanity Fair is among the funniest novels of the Victorian age. This new edition includes all Thackeray's original illustrations.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years, Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Jonathan McAloon of Telegraph online praises Vanity Fair as the greatest novel about Waterloo, highlighting its relevance two centuries later. He notes Thackeray's focus on the impact of war on ordinary people rather than heroes, underscoring the book's enduring significance and immersive storytelling.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780198727712

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 June 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Oxford University Press

Illustration: 193 black and white illustrations by Thackeray

Contributors:

  • Edited by Helen Small
  • Edited by Helen Small
  • Edited by Helen Small

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 46.0mm

Width: 123.0mm

Height: 193.0mm

Weight: 698g

Pages: 1024

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction History & Archaeology History & Military Literary Fiction Military History Series: Oxford World's Classics William Makepeace Thackeray

About the Author

Helen Small is the author of The Long Life (2007), winner of the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism (2008) and the Rose Mary Crawshay Prize from the British Academy (2008). For Oxford World's Classics she has edited George Eliot's The Lifted Veil and Brother Jacob, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, and Trollope's The Eustace Diamonds and The Last Chronicle of Barset. Her most recent book is The Value of the Humanities (2013).

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