Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing and dull for a "masterpiece"
Review: I was excited to dive into this long British classic, thinking I was possibly in for another Middlemarch, which I loved. The first section is fantastic, when we meet the girls and they leave boarding school and go to Vauxhall. But after that, it just dragged and dragged. We don't get nearly enough of feisty Becky, and instead it's all boring side stories about Bute Crawley and the entire extended family. It took forever to read and -- as I approach the last 20 pages -- I can't say what I really got from it. Sorry.
Rating:
Summary: A classic, but not great
Review: "Vanity Fair" was written by Thackeray for a magazine publication with no intention, at least during it's early stages, of becoming a novel. I think that this explains why it occassionally jumps from one line of thought to another, adding very little to the depth of the tale. It manages to keep the interest, but sometimes I found myself thinking "What is the point of this?"This criticism aside, I found the characters to be cleverly described. I would form an opinion about the nature of one character, only to have that opinion changed by his or her subsequent actions, or Thackeray's critical observations of those actions. At times, I found this frustrating. But I quickly learned to appreciate it. My knowledge of the characters grew with time, at that was realistic. Overall, a recommended read. There are greater classics, but this is still one to enjoy. It gives an interesting perspective on life of the wealthy, and former wealthy, English during the Napolean era.
Rating: 
Summary: Characters thoughtfully and beautifully developed
Review: I appreciate the beauty of language when I read something like this despite the fact that it makes sorting out who does what quite difficult. Fine writing though.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading more than once
Review: Hmmm, somehow, I feel that when Thackeray abuses Amelia as bland and soppy, he is only playing devil's advocate, and she is really his idea of the perfect woman. Becky Sharp grabbed me from the beginning with her rebellious spirit, and I think it is only pure Victorianism that she ends up....well, the way the novel ends, she's obviously on her way down. But as for the novel in general, it's a soap opera that keeps you tearing your hair out, because everytime you are waiting with your jaw hanging to find out what happens to character A, Thackeray suddenly switches to the storyline with character B, or off on one of his little side discussions of his club buddies or something. There's no better way to maintain suspense! The many humorous bits, especially Jos Sedley :o) , add to the books considerable charm. Boring? Never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A brilliant piece of literature.
Review: Vanity Fair is a wonderful book about many different characters in English society (1813-1830) and all the hypocrisies in "high society". It can be read in modern society because human nature is still the same; and the same attitudes about wealth, fame and social status are just as applicable now as they were then. Vanity Fair is not just great because it is sharp and cynical, it also has characters with depth. None of the characters are perfect and all have their faults, the same way all people do. It's refreshing to be entertained by people who are not simply Hollywood cardboard cutouts but real and accessible people.
Rating:
Summary: Thackeray's Vanity Fair: The Victorian Society
Review: When I read the book I got the impression that I was given a unique oportunity to look at the Victorian society and recognise the things that were both good and bad about it. The novel is "without a hero", as Thackeray proclaims, but it is about the life and development of two women Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley. By comparing and contrasting the two of them, Thackeray manages to show his readers that society in the Victorian Era influenced the development of the character of his heros, but not to the point of actually making them what they turn out to be. It is a wonderful book, full of insight and ever so true for our own time as well. If you want to know many truths about the Victorians and their lives, that's the book to read... You will, undoubtedly, enjoy the experience
Rating:
Summary: Powerfully insight of society.
Review: Thackeray's characterization of the different personalities that were prevelent in his day, and subsequently in our's is as psychologically accurate as Shakespeare. Becky Sharpe, Amelia Sedley, George Osborne, William Dobbin,and Rawdon Crawley: The lives of these people are intertwined with one another and insightful narration. This book contains the widest display of Thackeray's skill in any of his works.
Rating:
Summary: It is a humorous and thought provoking book
Review: I am reading Vanity Fair for a college class at school and discovered that it is a really good book, it is a book that I would read on my own independently,The characters are people you can envision in today's society and say that are very unusual and yet oyu would want to find out what is behind their demeanor.
Rating:
Summary: Model from which "Gone With the Wind" may have been written
Review: This is my favorite of several hundred great books I have read. I was prejudiced towards all that Jane Austen had written when I picked this 815 page book up in 1996, and I later had to admit that Thackeray outdid Jane in many ways. The best aspect of the book was the way in which the supposed main character, Becky Sharpe, lost her status as having been the main character by the time the book ended. The good people became the main characters. This brilliant twist in novel writing was later to be seen in "Daniel Deronda" and in "Gone With the Wind". Which leads to an interesting point: I feel too many Americans think that Margaret Mitchell meant to portray Scarlett Ohara as the heroine right down to the end of the latter novel. I think that it was clear that Melanie was the real "Mensch" all along. Many people go so far as to suggest that the latter novel was actually copied off of Vanity Fair.
Rating:
Summary: Victorian porn at it's best!
Review: The beautiful but naughty Becky Sharpe takes us all by our sexual organs in this brilliantly witty and wincingly cunning book.
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