Harvard Classics Volume 28: Essays: English And American

by William Makepeace Thackeray, John Henry Newman, Matthew Arnold

Contents:

1. Jonathan Swift, by William Makepeace Thackeray
2. The Idea Of A University, by John Henry Newman
3. The Study Of Poetry, by Matthew Arnold
4. Sesame And Lilies, by John Ruskin
5. John Milton, by Walter Bagehot
6. Science And Culture, by Thomas Henry Huxley
7. Race And Language, by Edward Augustus Freeman
8. Truth Of Intercourse And Samuel Pepys, by Robert Louis Stevenson
9. On The Elevation Of The Laboring Classes, by William Ellery Channing
10. The Poetic Principle, by Edgar Allan Poe
11. Walking, by Henry David Thoreau
12. Abraham Lincoln And Democracy, by James Russell Lowell


Also available:

The Complete Harvard Classics Collection (51 Volumes + The Harvard Classic Shelf Of Fiction)
50 Masterpieces You Have To Read Before You Die (Golden Deer Classics)

Genres: Classics, Essays, Nonfiction

512 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 1910

About the author

William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist, satirist, and journalist, best known for his keen social commentary and his novel Vanity Fair (1847–1848). His works often explored themes of ambition, hypocrisy, and the moral failings of British society, making him one of the most significant literary figures of the Victorian era.
Born in Calcutta, British India, he was sent to England for his education after his father’s death. He attended Charterhouse School, where he developed a distaste for the rigid school system, and later enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge. However, he left without earning a degree, instead traveling in Europe and pursuing artistic ambitions.
After losing much of his inheritance due to bad investments, Thackeray turned to writing for a living. He contributed satirical sketches, essays, and stories to periodicals such as Fraser’s Magazine and Punch, gradually building a reputation for his sharp wit and keen observational skills. His breakthrough came with Vanity Fair, a panoramic satire of English society that introduced the enduring character of Becky Sharp, a resourceful and amoral social climber.
Thackeray’s later novels, including Pendennis (1848–1850), The History of Henry Esmond (1852), and The Newcomes (1853–1855), continued to explore the lives of the English upper and middle classes, often focusing on the contrast between personal virtue and social ambition. His historical novel Henry Esmond was particularly praised for its detailed 18th-century setting and complex characterization.
In addition to his fiction, Thackeray was a noted public speaker and essayist, delivering lectures on the English humorists of the 18th century and on The Four Georges, a critical look at the British monarchy.
Despite his literary success, he lived with personal struggles, including the mental illness of his wife, Isabella, which deeply affected him. He remained devoted to his two daughters and was known for his kindness and generosity among his friends and colleagues.
His works remain widely read, appreciated for their incisive humor, rich characterizations, and unflinching critique of social pretensions.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays and speeches which purport to touch upon intellectual and moral topics of interest. Imagine that a college course (maybe loosely a political philosophy class) intended to develop students into "citizens of the world" - upstanding, right-thinking, practical, and with an appreciation of the arts and a poetical bent. Such a course could design its curriculum around this collection, and I think that's actually the best way to think about this book and its purpose.

If you read for escapism and entertainment, this book is not going to appeal to you (that should have been pretty evident from the title, but I'll make it explicit). A few of the more poetic pieces may interest you - maybe from Poe and Thoreau. This book is (much) less for the escapism/entertainment readers, and (much) more for the didactic/intellectual expansion readers.

To get to the actual essays themselves, they are very well curated. Though all are from appreciably in the past by this point, only one of the 28 essays is truly dated (Race and Language). The others remain perfectly relevant, moving, and thought-provoking even 100+ years later. All the pieces seem to have been chosen to have a hopeful and uplifting ultimate outlook, as well, even where the subject matter is treating society's areas in need of improvement.

[Ixby Wuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Ruskin, the ones about Milton and Pepys and Lincoln, and the others made me chuckle sometimes too.