Vanity Fair

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.}

• Peculation
• Embezzle
• Bandiweather
• See Forsooth, far below
  • {Note: There is no point looking for it now.}
• A Hot Acrid Climate
  • But don't count on it
• Arras
• Tapestry
• A Splendid Wall Hanging
• Dry Sillery
• Bubbly Mead
  • No, I am right.
  • There is no need to look it up.
• The Champagne of The Northern Wastes
  • "Dear Sir, are you calling me a liar? How dare you?"
• Desideratum
• Quite literally an item of desire
• Dunning
• "I want my two dollars."
• "I demand satisfaction."
• What a debt collector does...
  • If they are any good.
• I would guess this derives somehow from (or is greatly influenced by it's closeness to) Damning.
• Fag
• Under Classman
• Errand Boy
• Among Others
  • The implied evolution of the term tells a story all its own.
• Publican
• The best sort of politician...
  • A Bar Owner!
• Contumely
• Contemptuous Words
• Sedulous
• Clearly, derived from SED-U-Louse, an entreaty to use that old Stream EDiting standby or be insulted by ones peers... nay, betters.
  • SED: A Workhorse Text Editing Utility
• Sedulous: Some old word nobody ever uses.
• If you Sedulously interject the word Sedulous into your day-to-day speech, you will come off as anything but Sedulous and more likely be greeted with Contumely.
• Fine!
• Whatever!
• It means Constant Attention To Duty, ya bugger.
• Calomel
• Foot Powder...
  • Maybe.
  • Truthfully, how would you know if I was lying?
  • It's probably a type of East Indian Lion.
    • I won't spoil the story by relating which character dies unexpectedly whilst Tiger Hunting.
• Scapegrace
• Please see The Little Rascals for more than a few examples.
• Terrible Tykes, et al.
• Otiosity
• Being otiose.
  • Having otioseness as a quality.
• A common mixture of both Being & Nothingness.
• Probably, from whence the word odious derives.
• Much of my writing.
  • More of my life.
• A Function with no Side Effects whose Return Value is discarded.
• i.e. Patently Worthless and Appearing So.
• Tergiversation
• Inconstant in Attitude
• For instance, the creator of the word tergiversation clearly changed their minds several times during its creation:
  • "Ter...er... Giv... er... sation. Um, is that a word?"
    • Well, it is now.
• DAW
• Digital Audio Workstation
  • But I don't think that's what Thackeray had in mind.
• The Real Daws
• I take it to mean The Real Todo.
• Hocus
• See Hokum.
• Pertaining to a lie or deception.
• Perhaps, obviously, subsumed by Hocus-Pocus.
• I am led to believe Hocus pre-dates the coupling; whereas, Pocus does not.
  • Trick-Flick.
  • Or more properly, Flick-Trick.
  • And one sees how it is done.
• ------
• I shall not ruin your day.
• Page 509, in my edition.
  • Figure it out, if you wish.
• Reticule
• Drawstring Purse
• To Ridicule...
  • For having a Drawstring Purse.
• Spoony
• Loopy in Love
• For some reason, The Loving Spoonfuls come to mind.

Running Thoughts

• Three months later, I have reread the opening chapter.
• It has more grandeur than I remember.
• This is a story to be savoured and sipped at.
• I am ready to fall into a chair.
• It would appear Ms Sharp does not venerate the printed word.
• What a lovely heroine.
• I am greatly enjoying the writing.
  • Such flowery skill.
  • A singular way with words.
  • It is a joy to behold.
• Bonaparte is likened to Lucifer.
• I wonder how he would have felt about that.
  • Either...
• It's some great writing.
• Witty.
• Clever.
• Full bodied.
• And there he is.
• A wonderful (if mocking) full colour portrait.
• Such sublime pleasure.
• There weren't enough plums in the pudding.
• Perhaps, figs would have been better.
• The honour of defeat.
• I must confess. What, with their ever changing names, I found it amazingly difficult to keep the two characters straight in the last chapter.
• Turns out, there were three.
• That's what happens when you stop reading mid-chapter.
• And don't pick the book up again for a solid month.
• Small Beer is exactly as it sounds.
• It is the weak stuff.
• So very sad.
• But then, if it weren't, we wouldn't have a story.
• A man of money.
• That is what he is about.
• It is amazing how hard to read I find some of these passages.
• The author steps forward.
• It is wonderful.
• Such Words!
• Used Nevermore!
• Lots of References...
• I do not understand.
• Such a sketch of a character.
• A story all on its own.
• Novel by Innuendo!
• Good luck decoding that slang.
• Human nature and its folly is the subject.
• The study is quite revealing.
• And rings so true, it must assuredly be a lie.
• For, how could something so witty, also, be true?
• Such a pleasure.
• How many ways can a person say marvelous?
• Such a joy!
• Such a delight!
• Still, I must find a new way of commemorating this book.
• This endless fawning will get dull after a while.
• So, here's this:
  • It makes me want to be A Better Man.
  • But how?
  • Perhaps, I should take notes.
• Oh, right!
• I remember what happens now...
  • You know, from when I watched the movie, years ago.
• Three months later (and yes, it really is three months later) and I am having a hard time remembering who is who.
• Though, I like the cliff hanger.
• All will be revealed.
• Not quite the Cliff Hanger I was expecting.
• I am very impressed by the writing.
• After several chapters, I have little else to say but that.
• I can see why Vanity Fair is considered a classic.
• I've seen a movie adaptation.
• And as we go along, I am slowly remembering bits and pieces of the plot.
• 13^th Blessing!
• I am unable to figure out what this means.
• Napoleon Bonaparte...
• Or Boney, as I like to call him.
• One chapter a day is enough.
• But one note per chapter...
  • May be more than I can muster.

• Yep, maybe these sort of writing entries are a thing of the past.
• To read more, I must stay off the computer more.
• I mean, I might not be saying that if I didn't grow tired.
• But it is evening and time to rest.
• Let There Be War!
• If I must say something, I say Let There Be War!
• I am falling in.
• The negatives confuse me.
• I often have to discern meaning from context.
• It's not that I don't understand.
• It's that I lose sight...
  • In the sarcasm
  • Or subtle humour that loses some of its wit over time.
• There is a sadness, there.
• It is not only his wit, but his wisdom, as well.
• Thackeray's, that is.
• This is a great divergence from the movie.
• Where does Thackery get off?
• Take heed, young man.
• A note to self.
• I feel as though I am learning about life.
• Mr. Thackery's insights are keen...
  • Or so I believe.
• The characters do not so much come alive...
• As are alive.
• It's been literally (quite literally) over a year since my last comment.
• This may well be the last printed book I ever read.
• I'm doing videos, instead.
• Also, this is during Covid-19 (now at the end, I presume), so I haven't been going to the library...
  • Like at all.
  • Something which I am sure has changed my relationship to the printed word.
• Bottom line, my eyes are for shot.
• Ridiculous!
• I just looked down at The Copyright Information at the bottom {of this page}.
• The reading of this book spans four (count them, four) years.
• Insane!
• Forsooth! And Bandiweather!
• I know not what this means. But I must write something.
• It comes not from the book.
• Excitement!
• I am on Page 340 of my edition, just at the end of the chapter.
• There really is no excuse for my delay in reading.
• The book is grand.
• I simply haven't felt like reading...
  • Least of all, a hardback.
• Rather than stacks, this is literally the only book I own...
  • Outside of those used to prop-up my computer and monitor.
• The plot thickens...
• Even if I must pause over every character's name...
  • And each name's multiple variants.
• After two plot points of note, Becky is Making Bank.
• I can feel the pain...
• Of sadness.
• Puzzles & Poems
• It feels like space-filler, to me.
• Further, it wasn't that much fun, as the clues were worthless to me and no solution was provided.
  • Or perhaps, I'm missing the point.
• Whatever.
• I believe the story was serialized in a newspaper back in the day.
  • So, I take this to be a Big Sunday Insert Special!
    • You want it?
    • We got it.
• Poor Rawdon
• -1 -2
• I am ready for this book to be over.
• I'm just done with reading.
• I'm making a point of reading a chapter a day...
  • Which comes out to be somewhere between two and five chapters a week.
• It's not the book.
  • The book is great.
  • It's me.
• These are wonderful Character Sketches...
• A chapter all of his own.
• Captain Kirk!
• So, yes.
• You may be assured.
• It is a Star Trek reference.
• I wish to make time.
• I am ready for this book to be over.
• That said, the last chapter was quite exciting...
  • And as such, very conducive to a Quick Read.
  • I had to consciously slow myself down.
• There are those I care about.
• And those I do not.
• Diamonds are not my thing.
• I prefer coloured stones.
• It's quite the cast of characters.
• Each one, from beginning to end.
• Tired.
• Pushing on.
• Now, it is time for sleep.
• It is harder to make sense of all those asides and innuendos.
• But I am having fun.
• I'm getting near the end. I can feel it.
• I am very much about finishing this book, these days.
• Hardy-Har-Har! Somewhere along the way, I've become a non-reader.
• I would have thought Becky was a virtuous woman... honour among thieves and all that.
• But now, I am not so sure.
• I am beginning to think the true story lays between the lines.
• I know where my sympathies lay.
• It's a nice drama, that I should have such a reaction.
• Mere chapters to go.
• Mere pages.
• The Writer Done, The Book Ends.
• I liked The Hollywood Movie Version Ending better.

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:

• Preamble & Debriefing
• Being free-form, I've never had issue with either of these sections.
• Quotations
• I do not wish to steal or plagiarize, so this has always a trickly line to walk.
• Oh, well.
• I am more likely to delete entries wholesale in this section than anywhere else.
  • After all, that is the easy fix for having lifted too much.
• Glossary
• This, too, is a fine line, as the definitions come from somewhere... not me, that's for sure.
• I liked the fake entries that I started doing towards the end of this write-up (up in the Glossary section).
  • Maybe, I should only do fake definitions...
    • Or Multiple Choice Questions.
    • Or endlessly inappropriate Sample Sentences.
• Bullet Point Lists
• Well, I still like them...
  • Obviously.

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.