Brett's Books

Vanity Fair

You're so vain, you probably think this book is about you.

Weathered Paint: Blue, part of my Textures Series

Nothing Is Quite As Beautiful As Decay


Vanity Fair
A Novel Without a Hero
Written by William Makepeace Thackeray
Drawings by Robert Ball
1958 Random House Edition

Before the Curtain
London, June 28, 1848

Thoughts Going In

I've seen the movie (twice, the 2004 production starring Reese Witherspoon, among others) and enjoyed it thoroughly. So when I found an illustrated edition of Vanity Fair in the free pile, well, I knew I was going to read it.

What am I hoping for? Even more nuanced conversation, total duplicity, and our heroine coming out on top in the end despite a total lack of integrity.

Thus, humor, distraction, a little sex appeal (we'll see how that plays out), and intrigue... plenty of intrigue.

Let the games begin.


Notable Quotes

Well, he is a loft man of genius, and admires the great and heroic in life and novels; and so had better take warning and go elsewhere.
Who will be open where there is no sympathy, or has call to speak to those who never can understand?
"There was something about the girl, too."
"Green eyes, fair skin, pretty figure, famous frontal development... There is something about her."
The pursuit of fashion under difficulties would be a fine theme for any very great person who had the wit, the leisure, and the knowledge of the English language necessary for the compiling of such a history.

Glossary

{If I were to do this again, I would not provide real definitions. So, who knows (or really cares) how far off the mark some of these are.}

Running Thoughts

{I am enjoying Vanity Fair. But this may be the slowest I have every read any book that I was still actually reading. I started sometime in 2018. It is now 2020. And every few days, I read a chapter. But for the past half-dozen chapters, I have not felt like posting any commentary. Perhaps, that will change... or not. I really have no idea. Either way, over a year in, and I am only on Chapter XXVI. And the desire to say anything (anything at all) about the preceding six chapters is non-existent.}

The Debriefing

In the end, Vanity Fair was a Chapter or two, too long. But that said, Mr Thackeray is a marvelous writer. And may well do better at his style than I do at mine. Suffice to say, this is the type of work that tends to leave one (or at least, me) in awe. How does one copy this style? Um, if they are me, they do not.

But then, I ask myself: Did he write another book? And I question whether I shall ever bother to find out.

As I've said (numerous times in numerous places) my eyes fail. Will I bother to read another book? Printed? In hardback? The answer is likely "No!" Of course, if I live as long as some folks think I will that seems unlikely. But then, by the same token, it does seem more-and-more likely that I will become more-and-more frustrated with the reading experience, so one never knows. Videos, after all, are starting to fill the void. And Audio Books are easy enough to come by.

As to this sort of write-up, this possibly being the last, let me make a few comments:
And that's enough.

I heartily recommend Vanity Fair.

William Makepeace Thackeray is an awesome writer.

Maybe, I will do a Character Review. But if so, that will take place on another page... perhaps, elsewhere on this site.


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