In a few words
A Victorian classic, full of humour, sadness, romance and scandal.
It is not so much what is done [in Vanity Fair], as the way in which it is done, that surprises and delights; and the manner is always inimitable, even when the matter is common.
More about
the book
Vanity Fair is a satirical masterpiece; a sweeping panorama of early 19th Century English Life. Thackeray’s much-celebrated novel has been dramatized for television, radio and most recently for film starring Reese Witherspoon and Romola Garai. It follows the fortunes of the virtuous Amelia Sedley and the infamous Becky Sharp. Becky is one of literature’s most important and controversial female characters; born into the lower classes, she must rely upon her wit, guile and sexuality to master Regency society. And neither friendship nor trust can abate Becky’s desire to climb London’s social ladder and satisfy her own ends.
Edward Petherbridge is an award-winning stage actor both in the UK and the US.
