Vanity Fair

by William Makepeace Thackeray

Having been just a kid when I read this the first time, I got a lot more out of it this time. Vanity Fair is reminiscent of Dickens, but is much more concise. Also, the characters are more realistic than Dickens' (but I do love Dickens, nonetheless). Vanity Fair also reminds me of Gone With the Wind, which is of course unfair to Thackeray, as GWTW was published years later. I wonder how much Mitchell was influenced by Thackeray's work? The parallels between Becky Sharp and Scarlett, and Amelia and Melanie are awfully strong. There are a few other similarities as well, such as when certain characters who take too long to return love. Anyway, it's a classic, and quite enjoyable, so read it!