Vanity Fair

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Vanity Fair is also the name of a large-circulation American glamour magazine. See Vanity Fair magazine. It was also the name of a 1960s UK pop group recording on Page One Records.

The novel Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero by William Makepeace Thackeray satirizes middle-class English society of the early 19th century. As usually is the case with many 19th century novels, Vanity Fair was published serially in 1847 and 1848 before being committed to book form. It was the first work that Thackeray published under his own name, and was extremely well-received and popular at the time. Some editions had illustrations by Thackeray himself, unfortunately lost in most present editions.

Thackeray made clear as the narrator and in his private correspondence that the book was meant not to be only entertaining, but instructive as well. Although being a very rich novel, some say that it possesses some structural problems. Thackeray sometimes lost track of the huge scope of his work, mixing up characters' names and minor plot details. Also, the number of allusions and references make it a rewarding, albeit tough read.

The title is a reference to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

The novel has inspired several movie adaptations.

Plot

The story opens at Miss Pinkerton's Academy for young ladies, where we meet the protagonists Becky Sharp, an intelligent and cunning young woman determined to make her way in society, and Amelia Sedley, a good natured and kind rich girl. The book accompanies Becky and Amelia's life through happy times and sorrowful days between London, Brighton, the countryside and the Battle of Waterloo.

Criticism

With a very few exceptions, none of the characters in the novel are good; they are all flawed in very human ways. Vanity Fair can be seen as an exposition of human flaws (vanity itself being chief among them) and paints a fairly bleak view of the human condition.

Films

The book has inspired a number of film adaptations, the first being a silent movie in 1911. Notable movie versions include:

• A 1932 movie updated to set the scene at that date; see: Vanity Fair (1932 film)
• 1935 film Becky Sharp
• A 2004 movie titled 'Vanity Fair' by Mira Nair; see: Vanity Fair (2004 film)

External links

• The Victorian Web - Thackeray's Illustrations to Vanity Fair
• Free eBook of Vanity Fair at Project Gutenberg

ISBN

• Vanity Fair: ISBN 0192834436 (Oxford World Classics edition, that has explanatory notes and original illustrations)

The term "vanity fair" originates from the allegorical novel The Pilgrim's Progress published in 1678 by John Bunyan, and from the fair held in the town of Vanity in that work.