One of the great Victorian novels by an author at the height of his powers, Vanity Fair follows the fortunes of the calculating, upwardly-mobile Becky Sharp and her gentle, good-hearted friend Amelia Sedley as they leave their boarding school and embark upon their lives in Vanity Fair – the social-climbing, wealth-obsessed world of Regency England in the time of the Napoleonic Wars. William Makepeace Thackeray was a British novelist, author, and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of British society, and the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick.

Vanity Fair

The Irish Sketch-book is a travelogue and collection of essays written by the famous 19th-century British author William Makepeace Thackeray. It was published in 1843 and presents Thackeray's observations and experiences during his travels in Ireland. In "The Irish Sketch-book," Thackeray provides a series of witty and satirical sketches that depict Irish society, culture, and landscapes. He offers both humorous and critical insights into various aspects of Irish life, including the people, traditions, history, and social conditions prevalent in Ireland at that time. The book is divided into several chapters or sketches, each focusing on a different topic or location. Thackeray explores various regions of Ireland, such as Dublin, Wicklow, Cork, Killarney, and the Giant's Causeway, providing vivid descriptions of the scenery and recounting his interactions with the locals. Thackeray's writing style is characterized by his keen observations, biting humor, and occasional sentimentality. Through his sketches, he aims to entertain readers while also shedding light on the complex realities of Irish society during the 19th century. He discusses topics like poverty, politics, religion, and the contrasting lifestyles of the Irish aristocracy and the working class. It is worth noting that Thackeray's perspective is that of an outsider, and his observations may reflect the biases and stereotypes prevalent during his time. Some critics argue that his portrayal of the Irish people perpetuates certain stereotypes and fails to capture the full complexity of Irish culture and history. Nonetheless, "The Irish Sketch-book" remains a significant literary work that provides valuable insights into Ireland's past and serves as a historical document of its time. William Makepeace Thackeray (18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of British society, and the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, which was adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick.

The Irish Sketch-book

Barry Lyndon is a picaresque novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published as a serial in Fraser's Magazine in 1844, about a member of the Irish gentry trying to become a member of the English aristocracy. Thackeray, who based the novel on the life and exploits of the Anglo-Irish rake and fortune-hunter Andrew Robinson Stoney, later reissued it under the title The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. The novel is narrated by Lyndon himself, who functions as a quintessentially unreliable narrator. The novel was adapted by Stanley Kubrick into his 1975 film Barry Lyndon.

Barry Lyndon: The Lost Manuscript

Looking with vicious wit at dazzling high-society and criminal low-life, privilege and ambition, this is a classic yet anything but stuffy. ‘Oh, those women! They nurse and cuddle their presentiments, and make darlings of their ugliest thoughts…’ Self-serving social climber and anti-heroine Becky Sharp will do anything to raise her status and attain wealth and standing with smart Society. Clever, lively and resourceful, orphan Becky is the the total opposite of her naive and sentimental schoolmate Amelia Sedley, a pampered, yet good-natured girl from a wealthy family. As both women build lives for themselves in London, Thackeray decadently satirises the corruption and flaws of 19th-Century English Society.

Published in book form in 1848, "Vanity Fair" is a novel of early 19th-century English society by William Makepeace Thackeray and it is considered by many his masterwork. Thackeray’s previous writings had been published either unsigned or under pseudonyms, but "Vanity Fair" was the first work he published under his own name. "Vanity Fair" follows the lives of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley amid their friends and families during and after the Napoleonic Wars. The novel takes its title from the place designated as the centre of human corruption in John Bunyan’s 17th-century allegory "Pilgrim’s Progress". The book is a densely populated multilayered panorama of manners and human frailties; subtitled A Novel Without a Hero, "Vanity Fair" metaphorically represents the human condition. Its characters are virtually lacking in positive qualities and are obsessed with social climbing and the acquisition of wealth.

A Bildungsroman (German expression meaning: "novel of formation, education, culture"), novel of formation, novel of education, or coming-of-age story is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood (coming of age), in which character change is extremely important. This Golden Deer Classics collection comprises the following classic coming-of-age stories: - The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling by Henry Fielding - Candide by Voltaire - Emma by Jane Austen - The Red and the Black by Stendhal - The Daughter of the Commandant by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - The History of Pendennis by William Makepeace Thackeray - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - What Maisie Knew by Henry James - Martin Eden by Jack London - Sons and Lovers by David Herbert Lawrence - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce - This Side of Paradise by Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Bildungsromans Anthology: A Selection Of Classic Coming-Of-Age Stories (Golden Deer Classics)

THE ANNOUNCEMENT. On the 1st of January, 1838, I was the master of a lovely shop in the neighborhood of Oxford Market; of a wife, Mrs. Cox; of a business, both in the shaving and cutting line, established three-and-thirty years; of a girl and boy respectively of the ages of eighteen and thirteen; of a three-windowed front, both to my first and second pair; of a young foreman, my present partner, Mr. Orlando Crump; and of that celebrated mixture for the human hair, invented by my late uncle, and called Cox's Bohemian Balsam of Tokay, sold in pots at two-and-three and three-and-nine. The balsam, the lodgings, and the old-established cutting and shaving business brought me in a pretty genteel income. I had my girl, Jemimarann, at Hackney, to school; my dear boy, Tuggeridge, plaited her hair beautifully; my wife at the counter (behind the tray of patent soaps, &c.) cut as handsome a figure as possible; and it was my hope that Orlando and my girl, who were mighty soft upon one another, would one day be joined together in Hyming, and, conjointly with my son Tug, carry on the business of hairdressers when their father was either dead or a gentleman: for a gentleman me and Mrs. C. determined I should be. Jemima was, you see, a lady herself, and of very high connections: though her own family had met with crosses, and was rather low. Mr. Tuggeridge, her father, kept the famous tripe-shop near the "Pigtail and Sparrow," in the Whitechapel Road; from which place I married her; being myself very fond of the article, and especially when she served it to me—the dear thing!

Burlesques

"Snobs are to be studied like other objects of Natural Science, and are a part of the Beautiful (with a large B). They pervade all classes". William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 – 1863) was an English novelist of the 19th century. He is famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.

How to be a perfect snob

This is Thackeray’s first full-length novel, which appeared in serialised instalments in Fraser’s Magazine between May 1839 and February 1840. The story of Catherine was written by Mr. Thackeray, under the name of Ikey Solomons, Jun., to counteract the injurious influence of some popular fictions of that day, which made heroes of highwaymen and burglars, and created a false sympathy for the vicious and criminal. With this purpose, the author chose for the subject of his story a woman named Catherine Hayes, who was burned at Tyburn, in 1726, for the deliberate murder of her husband, under very revolting circumstances. Mr. Thackeray’s aim obviously was to describe the career of this wretched woman and her associates with such fidelity to truth as to exhibit the danger and folly of investing such persons with heroic and romantic qualities.

Catherine

This edition includes the following editor's introduction: The parallel lives of two of the great masters of British literature: Dickens and Thackeray Originally published in serial form in 1844, “The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.” is a picaresque and historical novel by British author William Makepeace Thackeray. It tells the story of a member of the Irish gentry trying to become a member of the English aristocracy. “The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.” concerns the life and times of the title character and narrator, a roguish Irishman. The fast-flowing satirical narrative reveals a man dedicated to success and good fortune. Born Redmond Barry, he leaves his homeland after shooting a man in a duel. He becomes a soldier of fortune in both the English and Prussian armies and later works as a professional gambler. Remade as a man of fashion, he courts a wealthy widow, marries her, and assumes her aristocratic name of Lyndon. He mistreats both her and her son and spends and gambles away her money... Thackeray based the novel on the life and exploits of the Anglo-Irish rakehell and fortune-hunter Andrew Robinson Stoney. This novel was adapted by Stanley Kubrick into his 1975 film Barry Lyndon.

The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (Annotated)

This edition includes the following editor's introduction: The parallel lives of two of the great masters of British literature: Dickens and Thackeray Originally published in 1859, “The Virginians” (AKA The Virginians: A Tale of the Last Century) is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which forms a sequel to his “The History of Henry Esmond.” “The Virginians” follows the life of the family and descendants of Henry Esmond of Castlewood, Virginia. Although Esmond’s twin grandsons take opposing positions during the American Revolution, they reconcile after the war…

The Virginians (Annotated)

This edition includes the following editor's introduction: The parallel lives of two of the great masters of British literature: Dickens and Thackeray Published in monthly instalments from 1848 to 1850, “Pendennis” (AKA The History of Pendennis: His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy) is a semiautobiographical novel by English author William Makepeace Thackeray. “Pendennis” is set in 19th-century England and tells the story of Arthur Pendennis, an English gentleman who is born in the country and sets out for London to seek his place in life and society. The novel traces his youthful career: his first love affair, his experiences at “Oxbridge University,” his employment as a London journalist...

Pendennis (Annotated)

This edition includes the following editor's introduction: The parallel lives of two of the great masters of British literature: Dickens and Thackeray Originally published in 1839 under the pen name of Ikey Solomons, Esq., Jr., “Catherine: A Story” was William Makepeace Thackeray's first full-length work of fiction. Catherine's character was based on the real life criminal, Catherine Hayes, who was burned at the stake for committing petty treason by killing her husband in London in 1726.

Catherine: A Story (Annotated)

Romanzo picaresco che narra gli sforzi del protagonista, un esponente della borghesia irlandese, di farsi accettare come membro dell'aristocrazia inglese. Libro in lingua originale inglese con traduzione in italiano.

Evergreen

Le Memorie di Barry Lyndon (The Luck of Barry Lyndon)

What happens when a writer sets out to mock the fashionable “Newgate” novels that glorify criminals—only to find his own villainess oddly compelling? In Catherine, William Makepeace Thackeray crafts a darkly satirical tale of crime, corruption, and twisted charm. Loosely based on the real-life criminal Catherine Hayes, the novel follows the rise and fall of a scheming, manipulative woman whose cunning is matched only by her capacity for deceit. Intended as a parody, Catherine subverts expectations by making its heroine dangerously likable, blurring the lines between condemnation and fascination. Written in Thackeray’s signature ironic style, with frequent interjections from a narrator who is both amused and appalled, Catherine stands as an early experiment in antihero fiction—wicked, witty, and wildly ahead of its time. A must-read for fans of satire, historical crime, and literature that isn’t afraid to challenge morality and genre conventions. William Makepeace Thackeray (18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was one of the great English writers of the 19th century, best known for his sharp, ironic take on the society of his time. Born in 1811 in India (then under British rule), he spent most of his life in England, where he became one of the most prominent literary voices of the Victorian era. His most famous novel, Vanity Fair, is a sweeping portrait of English society.

This edition includes the following editor's introduction: The parallel lives of two of the great masters of British literature: Dickens and Thackeray Published in book form in 1848, “The Book of Snobs” is a collection of satirical articles by British author William Makepeace Thackeray. The pieces first appeared successfully in satirical magazine Punch as “The Snobs of England, by One of Themselves,” and are sketches of London characters that display Thackeray’s virtuosity in quick character-drawing. The pieces, which were immensely popular and thrust Thackeray into widespread public view, were rigorously revised before their collection in book form and omitted the numbers which dealt with then current political issues. This humorous study begins with the assertion that 'Snobs are to be studied like other objects of Natural Science.'

The Book of Snobs (Annotated)

This edition includes the following editor's introduction: The parallel lives of two of the great masters of British literature: Dickens and Thackeray Originally published in 1852, “The History of Henry Esmond” is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which was followed by the successful sequel “The Virginians” (1859). Both novels were composed in the author's mature period and are considered his purest works and his artistic triumph. Henry Esmond relates his own history in memoir fashion, mainly in the third person but occasionally dropping into the first person. Orphaned in the England of the later Stuarts, Henry Esmond is raised by his aristocratic, Jacobite relatives the Castlewoods. As a young man he falls in love with both Lady Castlewood and Beatrix, her beautiful, headstrong daughter, and is inspired to join the ultimately unsuccessful campaign to reinstate James Stuart to the throne... When “The History of Henry Esmond” appeared, noted writers and critics of the time acclaimed it as the best historical novel ever written. Thackeray valued it more than any of his other novels and it displays many of his own memories and emotions.

The History of Henry Esmond (Annotated)

"The Luck of Barry Lyndon" is a picaresque novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in serial form in 1844, about a member of the Irish gentry trying to become a member of the English aristocracy. Thackeray, who based the novel on the life and exploits of the Anglo-Irish rake and fortune-hunter Andrew Robinson Stoney, later reissued it under the title The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon.Stanley Kubrick later adapted the novel into the movie Barry Lyndon (1975). William Makepeace Thackeray (18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist of the 19th century.

The Luck of Barry Lyndon

It tells the story of Henry Esmond's twin grandsons, George and Henry Warrington. Henry's romantic entanglements with an older woman lead up to his taking a commission in the British army and fighting under the command of General Wolfe at the capture of Quebec. On the outbreak of the American War of Independence he takes the revolutionary side. George, who is also a British officer, thereupon resigns his commission rather than take up arms against his brother.

The Virginians

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