Vanity Fair - A Novel Without A Hero
By William Makepeace Thackeray
Published by Richard Edward King: London c1900
"William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair stands as one of the great satirical novels of the nineteenth century, a sweeping panorama of ambition, deceit, and moral hypocrisy set against the backdrop of early nineteenth-century English society. Subtitled "A Novel Without a Hero," it follows the contrasting fortunes of two women — the cunning and unprincipled Becky Sharp, and the gentle but naïve Amelia Sedley — as they navigate love, war, and social aspiration during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic era. Thackeray's biting wit, social insight, and moral irony expose the vanity and self-interest that underlie the glittering world of the English upper and middle classes.
This handsome Richard Edward King edition, printed around 1900, includes illustrations after Thackeray's own originals, preserving the author's distinctive artistic humour and narrative charm. Bound in textured blue cloth with gilt lettering, it reflects the period's classic design and durability. A fine vintage example of Thackeray's enduring masterpiece, appealing to collectors of Victorian fiction, lovers of literary satire, and admirers of nineteenth-century illustrated editions."