Vanity Fair: Introduction by Catherine Peters (Everyman's Library Classics Series)

About this book

A panoramic satire of English society during the Napoleonic Wars Vanity Fair is William Makepeace Thackerays masterpiece. At its center is one of the most unforgettable characters in nineteenth-century literature: the enthralling Becky Sharp a charmingly ruthless social climber who is determined to leave behind her humble origins no matter the cost. Her more gentle friend Amelia by contrast only cares for Captain George Osborne despite his selfishness and her familys disapproval. As both women move within the flamboyant milieu of Regency England the political turmoil of the era is matched by the scheming Beckys sensational riseand its unforeseen aftermath. Based in part upon Thackerays own love for the wife of a friend Vanity Fair portrays the hypocrisy and corruption of high society and the dangers of unrestrained ambition with epic brilliance and scathing wit. With an introduction by Catherine Peters.