Vanity fair

This book took a while to get into but in a good way (ultimately). We're thrown a couple of characters in Amelia, Rebecca, et al and I found myself not getting much in the way of interest until more things started happening and the character traits started to emerge. I'll admit, Becky Sharp is (as you might expect) the least ambiguous of the lot, but it took to near the end to finally figure out Amelia and the very end before it finally twigged that every character is a part of the 'vanity fair'; nobody lies outside of it, or even escapes!

Some people don't seem to like the back and forth nature of the story, but I found it helped break things up. So when I was just getting tired of reading about Emmy's banal woes, things switched to the tumultuous Becky and her escapades. Thackery's narrator helped with a feeling of consistency too. He's unreliable of course, but willing to amuse at the same time.

I did quite enjoy the satirical depiction of the upper classes. Nothing like a bit of gawking at your supposed 'betters' and realising they are just the same, only with more money, and alcohol.

The downsides include the usual old British colonialism, and more than a hint of anti-Irish sentiment. Although the latter is unsurprising given that Thackery was the prominent writer behind 'Punch' magazine's repugnant content with regard to Ireland and the Irish.

Overall, it's clear why this is a classic, and Becky Sharp is the primary reason why. Such a tenacious, ambitious, scheming woman can't help but attain a grudging respect from readers. Without her the book would be intolerably flat and lifeless. So while we can certainly begrudge her motivations and actions, we can't begrudge her worth to the other characters, and the story. Vanity Fair is well worth a read.