maferencak's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
heartsneedle's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
Satirical, Vanity, Emptiness
“She was an artist herself, as she said very truly: there was a frankness and humility in the manner in which she acknowledged her origin, which provoked, or disarmed, or amused lookers-on, as the case might be. ‘How cool that woman is,' said one; ”
Overall: The protracted length and copious cast of characters gradually lacked momentum, grew excessive.
Pros:
-- panoramic view of English high society
-- beautiful character portrait of Amelia
-- impressive ending
Cons:
-- needlessly detailed scenes
-- lots of dull, relentless conversations
Satirical, Vanity, Emptiness
“She was an artist herself, as she said very truly: there was a frankness and humility in the manner in which she acknowledged her origin, which provoked, or disarmed, or amused lookers-on, as the case might be. ‘How cool that woman is,' said one; ”
Overall: The protracted length and copious cast of characters gradually lacked momentum, grew excessive.
Pros:
-- panoramic view of English high society
-- beautiful character portrait of Amelia
-- impressive ending
Cons:
-- needlessly detailed scenes
-- lots of dull, relentless conversations
glitterbomb47's review against another edition
5.0
Thackeray's voice seemed self-conscious at first, but I quickly came to enjoy his frequent interpolations. His characters are so vivid and real - much more so than in any other Victorian literature I have read (which I think has been limited to Dickens before this). Apparently people of the day thought he was very cynical because all his characters are flawed. I, however, loved that about this book. I am irritated by glorified heroes and heroines. Even the characters that I cared for, and rooted for, were at times stupid, stubborn or foolish. Great book.
cinephilegirl_'s review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Todas mis estrellas son para Becky Sharp. Aguante Becky
laurenjpegler's review against another edition
DNF @ p.382
I can’t do it anymore, sorry. Not for me. Incredibly boring.
I can’t do it anymore, sorry. Not for me. Incredibly boring.
heidi_meredith's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
2.75
I found this so tedious, yet peppered with little gems of keen observation and wit, which were just about enough to keep me persevering. The last 150 pages were more bearable, but still full of references that were lost on me. Unnecessarily long.
vani_in_wonderland_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
With this book, I've got my answer to the question - Which author I'd like to have coffee with?
Hemingway came close but Thackeray's savagery and his sharp attacks on human hypocrisy are unmatched.
It took me a while to read this monster of a book but there were no two pages that missed a laugh in between. If you ever wish to read a well observed satire on early 19th century English society, look no further.
Hemingway came close but Thackeray's savagery and his sharp attacks on human hypocrisy are unmatched.
It took me a while to read this monster of a book but there were no two pages that missed a laugh in between. If you ever wish to read a well observed satire on early 19th century English society, look no further.
aprilhenrist's review against another edition
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
IM FREEEEE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY FUCKING LIFE
marshmallowbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I am a fan of old books, like this one. This one did take me longer than usual to read: six months, beat only by David Copperfield which took me over a year to read, because I took a year-long break in the middle of it.
The subtitle is "A Novel Without a Hero," and truly, it does leave you kind of wondering who to root for. Some of the characters are wimpy and some are selfish, and some are just mean and conniving, and some are stubborn. There is only one character I liked throughout: Major Dobbin. And I liked how his story ended up, as well, so that was nice.
I did enjoy how the author adds some commentary about "Vanity Fair" in general, that is, people in general trying to climb the social ladder and the things they'll do in their attempts, sometimes regardless of ethics, morals, the greater good, etc. He had some witty comments to make that I thought added to the story, although at times they were a bit of a tangent and I skipped paragraphs until the plot was back on track.
The subtitle is "A Novel Without a Hero," and truly, it does leave you kind of wondering who to root for. Some of the characters are wimpy and some are selfish, and some are just mean and conniving, and some are stubborn. There is only one character I liked throughout: Major Dobbin. And I liked how his story ended up, as well, so that was nice.
I did enjoy how the author adds some commentary about "Vanity Fair" in general, that is, people in general trying to climb the social ladder and the things they'll do in their attempts, sometimes regardless of ethics, morals, the greater good, etc. He had some witty comments to make that I thought added to the story, although at times they were a bit of a tangent and I skipped paragraphs until the plot was back on track.