Victorians! discussion

Our group read for March-April 2018 is Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. Originally published between 1847 and 1848 for Punch in 20 instalments, we will be reading the book over eight weeks.

Below is the reading schedule- I'm taking advantage of the schedule that Renee had so kindly worked out. (This is working out to a little over 80 pages per instalment in the edition I have).

March 3-10 ... Ch 1-9
March 11-17 ... Ch 10-18
March 18-24 ... Ch 19-27
March 25-31 ... Ch 28-35
April 1-7 ... Ch 36-43
April 8-14 ... Ch 44-51
April 15-21 ... Ch 52-59
April 22-28 ... Ch 60-67

E-versions of the book are available (in public domain) here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/599

Audio version at LibriVox
https://librivox.org/search?title=Van...

For those (like me) whose eds don't have illustrations, here are Thackeray's own illustrations for the book
http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illus...

Been meaning to read Thackeray for a while now; got the ebook, so I'll be joining in next month. ;)

I read this with another group a couple of years ago, and hope to drop into your discussions from time to time. Thackeray's illustrations are an integral part of the text, often even a bit contradictory. They are not just pictures of what the text is saying. This book gave me a whole new understanding of what illustrations can be. And despite the title of the Victorian Web site, they are not all there. I took pictures with my phone of the others, and will share some of them during the reading.

This link is to an article which does contain SPOILERS, but is very informative and thought provoking.
https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpresse...

A few quotes (with no spoilers) from the article:

"The case of Thackeray is different, more interesting, and ultimately more suggestive. Here is an artist who developed as caricaturist-illustrator and novelist simultaneously."

"Thackeray's most successful illustrations, aesthetically and interpretively, do not "illustrate" the text at all. The illustrations to Vanity Fair, The History of Pendennis, and The Virginians and the pictorial capitals in The Adventures of Philip create alternative story lines, presenting countervoices to Thackeray's narrations."

"The deliberate contrasts between image and text and the presence of metaphoric patterns argue that Thackeray intended his readers to read self-consciously. Paradoxically, the incomplete "versions" of characters and events that constitute a Thackeray novel free readers from entrapment in their own web of interpretations. Ultimately, to read a Thackeray novel without its illustrations is to miss the imp looking over your shoulder, holding a mirror to your own reading."

Lois wrote: "Been meaning to read Thackeray for a while now; got the ebook, so I'll be joining in next month. ;)"

Good to hear that Lois- I've read Vanity Fair once before (long ago) and enjoyed it- hope you do too.

Ginny wrote: "I read this with another group a couple of years ago, and hope to drop into your discussions from time to time. Thackeray's illustrations are an integral part of the text, often even a bit contradi..."

Thanks for sharing this Ginny!

I wasn't going to join this one, because I have so many other books going on and I didn't have a copy of Vanity Fair anyway. And then, today, I came across an old Heron books edition for £2, which, of course, I couldn't resist. So I guess I'm joining in after all! It has black and white illustrations but not all that many, so I'm sure there are a lot missing.

Leni wrote: "I wasn't going to join this one, because I have so many other books going on and I didn't have a copy of Vanity Fair anyway. And then, today, I came across an old Heron books edition for £2, which,..."

Good to hear that- never mind about the illustrations- I've posted a link above. My ed has none at all.

I came across something interesting: Thackeray was the editor of Cornhill Magazine(!), the same that published Gaskell's "Wives and Daughters" prior to his untimely death in 1863 at the age of 52.

It also seems that Thackeray was a fan of Gaskell's and it seems that Thackeray's daughters did spend time with Gaskell's own daughters some time after her own untimely death in 1865 at the age of 55. They must have bonded over their similar experiences.

I suppose they were very much contemporaries both in their ages and in their works, so it will be interesting for me to look at the book with that perspective in mind.

Lois wrote: "I came across something interesting: Thackeray was the editor of Cornhill Magazine(!), the same that published Gaskell's "Wives and Daughters" prior to his untimely death in 1863 at the age of 52. ..."

That's something I didn't know- what fun to find a connection like that between the two books that we're reading back to back. I love there connections that often pop up between books one is reading. Thanks for sharing this Lois!

Lois wrote: "I came across something interesting: Thackeray was the editor of Cornhill Magazine(!), the same that published Gaskell's "Wives and Daughters" prior to his untimely death in 1863 at the age of 52. ..."

That's really interesting! I don't much about Thackeray, other than Charlotte Bronte admired him as an author. It will be interesting to find out more about him.

The Kindle edition of Vanity Fair is currently free for purchase as well as free for Kindle Unlimited. Cheers!

Shelf Awareness wrote: "The Kindle edition of Vanity Fair is currently free for purchase as well as free for Kindle Unlimited. Cheers!"

Great! Thanks for sharing!

I wasn’t planning on reading Vanity Fair- too stretched with other books!- but I read a bit of the first chapter online and was taken right away with his writing style. I just hope I can keep up. I join several others who don’t really know anything about Thackery so any background info is welcome.

Linda wrote: "I wasn’t planning on reading Vanity Fair- too stretched with other books!- but I read a bit of the first chapter online and was taken right away with his writing style. I just hope I can keep up. I..."

I'm glad you're liking it- hope to see you in the discussion!

Here's a little background put together from wiki and Victorian Web (links below)

Thackeray was born in Calcutta in 1811 and after the death of his father when Thackeray was only five, sent home to England to be educated. He studied in several grammar schools (not the happiest time of his life) before going onto Trinity College, Cambridge which he enjoyed but left without a degree. He also went on to study law. On coming of age, he inherited £20,000 (one account says £17,000) but soon lost it through gambling and speculation.

To support himself and his family, he tried his hand at art but finally turned to writing, and journalism, contributing to various periodicals, including Punch, his writings including literary and art criticism. Some of his early books (such as The Paris Sketchbook (1840)) included collections of essays and observations, while his first novel Catherine is classified as picaresque. Vanity Fair was the first novel he published under his own name, and the first that brought him major success, despite a slow start. This was published in serial form between 1847 and 1848. His sympathies (according to some accounts) lay with Becky. Vanity Fair was followed by Pendennis, Henry Esmond, and The Virginians, among others. Like Dickens he too did a lecture tour of America. And he also has several 'literary quarrels' during his life including with Dickens (something that upset their friendship which was only mended during the last months of Thackeray's life).

Through his writing Thackeray managed to recoup the fortune he had lost and left an inheritance for his children, something he was proud of. He was considered 'the only possible rival' to Dickens but towards the end of the nineteenth century his reputation began to decline. As a person, he has been described as pleasant and modest and fond of good food and wine. He died on 24 December 1863.

For more details on his life and works:
Victorian Web:http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/w...

Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...

Encyclopaedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/...

The Literature Network: http://www.online-literature.com/thac...

Encycopaedia of World Biography: http://www.notablebiographies.com/St-...

Lady Clementina wrote: "Here's a little background put together from wiki and Victorian Web (links below)

Thackeray was born in Calcutta in 1811 and after the death of his father when Thackeray was only five, sent home t..."

Thanks! That was an interesting intro to the man.

I read Vanity Fair a few years ago - oddly, I had never gotten around to it before, although I had watched the 1967 BBC adaptation with the excellent Susan Hampshire when it first played in the US in 1973. Hampshire won one of her three Emmies for it.

Reading the novel was a joy. It is spectacular and completely worthy of its high reputation.

I am currently reading Thackeray's The History of Pendennis: His Fortunes And Misfortunes, His Friends And His Greatest Enemy, which is more of a "loose baggy monster".

Patrick wrote: "I read Vanity Fair a few years ago - oddly, I had never gotten around to it before, although I had watched the 1967 BBC adaptation with the excellent Susan Hampshire when it first played in the US ..."

I hope Pendennis turns out a good read, My only other Thackeray- The Virginians- which I read with a group some years ago was not a favourite with any of us in the group though it turned out that many of the members liked one half of the book, and I like the other- but I remember just plodding through to get to the end.

Nina wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "Here's a little background put together from wiki and Victorian Web (links below)

Thackeray was born in Calcutta in 1811 and after the death of his father when Thackeray wa..."

:)

Lady Clementina wrote: "Here's a little background put together from wiki and Victorian Web (links below)

Thackeray was born in Calcutta in 1811 and after the death of his father when Thackeray was only five, sent home t..."

Thank you for your researches, LadyC.

Reposting this here as well...

If anyone would like to check out all of Thackeray's illustrations, this site has it all(!):
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Vanity...

Click on the chapter links and scroll down to see the first-letter illustrations as well any other if present in the chapter.

Here's one I hadn't come across yet: