A review by sakura_m
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

4.0

This book definitely was a novel without a hero ~ everyone had their flaws and that was quite refreshing to read, actually. Amelia annoyed the hell out of me, she was definitely a satirical example of the ideal woman of that era (innocent and morally pure) and Thackeray showed her to be a naïve, stubborn and rather stupid woman whom one should pity for being so frustratingly simple. Rebecca/Becky was a manipulative con artist and was definitely no heroine, but at least she tried to be cunning! Becky really showcased those types of people who are extremely selfish and will do anything to work their way up in the world, only to have her self-centeredness be their downfall. Out of all the characters, I think Dobbin was the closest thing to a "hero" because he kept sacrificing himself to help the ones he loved and kept everything in order. I could go on and on about each of the characters but I'll stop there, haha.

This work is satirical genius! It shows how people function in a structured society, how vain people are, and it can be applied to people of any era ~ I bet everyone's dealt with at least on "Becky Sharp" character in their own life. Vanity Fair is a hilarious and smart read, a little long-winded at times but definitely worth it.