Take a photo of a barcode or cover
flybyreader 's review for:
Vanity Fair
by William Makepeace Thackeray
”Ah! Vanitas Vanitatum! Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”
One giant scary monster-classic down, many more to go. However, I have to admit this was no picnic! Though it takes time to get used to the narrative and Thackeray’s unusually sardonic style filled with bitter irony, I managed to finalize the novel with love&hate feelings.
We all read the content, back cover, introduction and reviews, we know the drill and more or less what to expect but I wasn’t prepared for this. This novel is full of anti-heroes, unlovable characters and abhorrent behaviors. There’s not a single protagonist here that I related myself with or feel sympathetic towards. Thackeray knows how to criticize, belittle and make fun of society and I respect that. The English people we have here are civilized savages, who worship money, live in pretensions, prioritize names-titles and positions above anything else. The burning desire for status and greed is the main focus of the book and we watch the little minx Rebecca with awe while she climbs the societal ladders. The whole story centers around one thing and that is money: the privileges that come with money and the status it provides. The rise and fall of families, shifting dynamics and fugitive glories create an unstable atmosphere in the lives of the main characters. It’s quite fascinating to watch the evolution of the two friends Amelia and Rebecca starting from the first chapter, when they graduate from school and start their lives with fresh excitement and hope for the future until the last page and see how their lives ended up much different from their expectations.
A fun criticism of society and a precious classic novel for the lovers of the genre and overall an enjoyable read.
One giant scary monster-classic down, many more to go. However, I have to admit this was no picnic! Though it takes time to get used to the narrative and Thackeray’s unusually sardonic style filled with bitter irony, I managed to finalize the novel with love&hate feelings.
We all read the content, back cover, introduction and reviews, we know the drill and more or less what to expect but I wasn’t prepared for this. This novel is full of anti-heroes, unlovable characters and abhorrent behaviors. There’s not a single protagonist here that I related myself with or feel sympathetic towards. Thackeray knows how to criticize, belittle and make fun of society and I respect that. The English people we have here are civilized savages, who worship money, live in pretensions, prioritize names-titles and positions above anything else. The burning desire for status and greed is the main focus of the book and we watch the little minx Rebecca with awe while she climbs the societal ladders. The whole story centers around one thing and that is money: the privileges that come with money and the status it provides. The rise and fall of families, shifting dynamics and fugitive glories create an unstable atmosphere in the lives of the main characters. It’s quite fascinating to watch the evolution of the two friends Amelia and Rebecca starting from the first chapter, when they graduate from school and start their lives with fresh excitement and hope for the future until the last page and see how their lives ended up much different from their expectations.
A fun criticism of society and a precious classic novel for the lovers of the genre and overall an enjoyable read.