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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This book would have been so much better if it wasn't so long. It took me a very long time to get through this book, and there were many chapters that seemed overly detailed with no real relevance to the story. The end got quite exciting as the reader truly gets closure on each and every character in the book. I feel like the main bulk of the drama was within the last 30% of the book (according to my Kindle).
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”
Read if you like:
🖋️ Classics
😆 Satire
💎 Dresses, jewels, the finer things in life
📚 Really big books
Vanity Fair is the classic satire of wealth and society in 1800s London. The two opposing main characters are Becky Sharp, an orphan with no standing in society and nothing of her own except her wit, charm, questionable morals and an unwavering ambition. Contrasted by Amelia Sedley, meek, blindly following society’s rules and the path her wealthy family has set for her.
I enjoyed this book, but I would have loved it if it was about 500 pages shorter. I do see that the length gave the narrator time to pause from the story to provide needed context, it just took me out of the story. Becky is probably my favorite character even though she’s kind of horrible and manipulative, I have to respect her drive. Sweet Amelia is just so weak but represents the usual heroine of the era. The author states the book has no hero, however I feel that steadfast William Dobbin who puts everyone in their place is the true hero of the book, and thank goodness for one likable character!
I feel like this is a underrated book. Well, not underrated, because it is considered a classic, but it has nowhere near the followers that Austen's do. And it holds a place in my heart right up with Austen's novels.
The writing is engaging and funny, the characters are fleshed out and three dimensional, and the romance, though limited, is very sweet. I'd honestly take Dobbin over Darcy (though Darcy is great, but I feel like he needs a Lizzie to handle him and I am not Lizzie.)
Though Vanity Fair is of course a masterful satirical of society and it's vanity, it is also a piece of literature that would be liked even if you are not a English major (which I am not) and with characters that will pull you in.
I truly love this book and was surprised by how much! For a great film adaptions, check on the BBC 1998 version.
The writing is engaging and funny, the characters are fleshed out and three dimensional, and the romance, though limited, is very sweet. I'd honestly take Dobbin over Darcy (though Darcy is great, but I feel like he needs a Lizzie to handle him and I am not Lizzie.)
Though Vanity Fair is of course a masterful satirical of society and it's vanity, it is also a piece of literature that would be liked even if you are not a English major (which I am not) and with characters that will pull you in.
I truly love this book and was surprised by how much! For a great film adaptions, check on the BBC 1998 version.
I really liked the writing and the characters. Very funny & interesting once I got into it.
Very rarely do I feel such relief from finishing a book. This took me over a month to read. It was tedious, had a lot of characters (some with the same name) and spanned a length of time that was sometimes hard to discern. The story mainly centers around Becky and Amelia, one who will step on anyone to get what she wants, and the other, who will let anyone step on her. Becky is cruel and mean but has spunk; Amelia is naive and needs to grow a backbone. Her devotion to a dead, lying husband borders on pathetic, as does Major Dobbins' devotion to her. One of my favorite parts of the book occurs at the end when he finally leaves her (although it was also satisfying that they wound up happily ever after given all the crap they'd both been through)
Most of the characters were mostly unlikeable. It was difficult to really feel too much sympathy or too much dislike for anyone. When Thakeray set out to create a novel without a hero, he did a good job. I give this book a C- -. And that's being generous (probably partly due to the relief from finishing it)
Most of the characters were mostly unlikeable. It was difficult to really feel too much sympathy or too much dislike for anyone. When Thakeray set out to create a novel without a hero, he did a good job. I give this book a C- -. And that's being generous (probably partly due to the relief from finishing it)
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this. A month after finishing it and I still think about it. I like the writing, the narration, style and framing and the satirical interludes from the narrator. None of the characters were particularly likable but Becky Sharp was atleast interesting and complex. Even when she wasn't on the page I wanted to know what she was up to. A strong woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it who was going to do what it took to get, even in a society in which she didn't fit due to her background. Lower social class, no money, half French. I think though that society accused her of some things which I don't think there is evidence in the text that she did because of their underlying biases towards her.
slow-paced