Title: Vanity Fair

Author: William Makepeace Thackeray

Genre: Classics 1847

Pages: 912

Rating:  3/5 stars    Movie: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics -- 19th Century; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading; Rory Gilmore (Perpetual); 1001 Books (Perpetual)

How I Got It: I own it!

Scorned for her lack of money and breeding, Becky must use all her wit, charm and considerable sex appeal to escape her drab destiny as a governess. From London’s ballrooms to the battlefields of Waterloo, the bewitching Becky works her wiles on a gallery of memorable characters, including her lecherous employer, Sir Pitt, his rich sister, Miss Crawley, and Pitt’s dashing son, Rawdon, the first of Becky’s misguided sexual entanglements.

Filled with hilarious dialogue and superb characterizations, Vanity Fair is a richly entertaining comedy that asks the reader, “Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”

Hmmm... I thought i would like this book more than I actually did.  The story is good.  The characters are good.  But I guess I just don't really like Thackeray's writing style.  There's something about the prose that annoyed me throughout the book.  Still, I would recommend this novel to those who already have a love of the 19th century classics.

Movie:

The movie was much more enjoyable than the book, probably because I didn't have to be annoyed by the writing style.  I loved this lengthy adaptation.  Reese Witherspoon is great as Becky Sharp, although I think she's nicer in the movie than the book.  Romola Garai is great as the meek Amelia.  And I so love Rhys Ifans as Dobbins.  Overall, a few changes from the novel, but I still really liked it.