Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray is a classic satirical novel that examines ambition, social climbing and the hypocrisy of respectable society in nineteenth-century England.

At its centre are two very different women. Becky Sharp, an orphan with little money or social standing, relies on her sharp wit, determination and willingness to bend the rules to make her way into wealthy circles. Her former schoolmate Amelia Sedley, by contrast, is sheltered, trusting and accustomed to privilege. As their lives unfold against the backdrop of fashionable society and the upheavals of the Napoleonic Wars, their contrasting fortunes expose the compromises people make to gain wealth, status and security.

Known for its biting humour, memorable characters and unsentimental view of human nature, Vanity Fair remains a landmark of Victorian literature. Thackeray’s sharp observations of class, marriage and social ambition make it an enduring read for lovers of classic novels and literary satire.