Classics for Beginners discussion

Discussion thread for chapters 53-67.

I'm interested to see how this all ends....I'm thinking not well for most.

Through 55

(view spoiler)[
Hmm seems like there is something going on with Rawdon and his sister in law Jane. I didn't see that one coming...guess I missed it. I'm glad that he has found out about Rebecca and maybe will lead a different and better life like he said he would. I am skeptical though.

I'm not surprised either that everything seems to be crashing down on Rebecca. Her schemes are out in the open for her husband now.

I'm pleasantly astonished with Lady Jane's outburst. She stood up to Rebecca (which no one else has been able to do other than her husband recently) and her husband Pitts. I hope more people can follow her example. (hide spoiler)]

I am finished! I am also amazed that the author referred to Rebecca as "poor little Miss Becky" or something ridiculous, even at the end where she had done so much wrong.

Also I'm a little confused about a remark made near the end, so if anyone else can help me when they get to the end here it is...
(view spoiler)[ The narrator said something like "And Rebecca never was Mrs. Crawley" and then proceeded to explain how/when Rawdon died. Does that mean they weren't married? OR just that she never saw her husband again? (hide spoiler)]

Sorry I don't know page, but it was in the last chapter (I'm listening to the audio).

Here is my review...I didn't add any plot spoilers to it (view spoiler)[I give this book about 3.5 stars. I would have bumped it up to at least 4 stars, but it was just way too long for me. This book contains the lifetimes of many characters and spans so many years, that it is almost impossible to rate and review this book. As with someone's life story, there were interesting parts of this story and very dull ones. If the movements and histories of some of the "lesser" characters were omitted, and we just focused on Becky and those immediately around her, it would be a much quicker book. I also didn't really like ANY of the characters, so it made it harder to read. Becky was a sly and cunning, but very smart character. Quick on her feet and a wonderful actress, she was able to read everyone around her and use them for whatever they could give her. She knew how to work everyone and ingratiate herself to them. She was the master. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Amelia was way too trusting, meek and pathetic. I felt bad for her, but at the same time got a little tired of reading about her (until the end).

I did enjoy the narrator who was snarky and had an almost joking tone. That really added lightness to the whole novel.

I definitely want to see a film adaptation, because I think that might flow better because of its short length. (hide spoiler)]

Also I'm definitely going to stick around and chat with everyone as they read this! I happened to have a super lazy 2 weeks to listen to this audiobook at work ;)

Great review Rebecca. I'll wait til I get to this section before I go back and read your comments in spoiler tags.

So - a book you'd recommend or not??

I would recommend it if someone had a lot of time to read, or could take breaks. The characters, while not super likable, tend to be interesting and there is a lot of action.

I would recommend it if someone had a lot of time to read, or could take breaks. The characters, while not super likable, tend to be interesting and there is a lot of action.

I loved reading this book! I thought it was very interesting, and think Becky Sharp was a character you just love to hate.

RebeccaS wrote: "I am finished! I am also amazed that the author referred to Rebecca as "poor little Miss Becky" or something ridiculous, even at the end where she had done so much wrong.

Also I'm a little confus..."

(view spoiler)[My copy has 'she never was Lady Crawley' rather than Mrs. As Rawdon died before his older brother he never became Sir Crawley, so his wife doesn't get the title of Lady. (hide spoiler)]

I've just finished. Really enjoyed it, but I agree that some of the non-Becky stuff (and some of the random anecdotes about the history of minor characters) could definitely have been trimmed. And after spending so long to get there, the ending felt rather rushed.

Louise wrote: "RebeccaS wrote: "I am finished! I am also amazed that the author referred to Rebecca as "poor little Miss Becky" or something ridiculous, even at the end where she had done so much wrong.

Also I'..."

AH ha! Yes my copy probably did say "Lady" and I just thought Mrs. I guess I was trying to subconsciously add a little more drama.

I've made it into this section finally. The home stretch - woo!

RitaSkeeter wrote: "I've made it into this section finally. The home stretch - woo!"

Keep up the good spirit!! Hope I will make it here by the end of this week as well!

Made it to this part as well. I am almost sorry to say it but I am slowly but surely getting a little tired of the book. I also officially came to the point where I got a little lost with all the Lords and Ladies and their relations with each other but also decided that probably it doesn't matter too much who is whose son, daughter, mother-in-law or whatever.

Chapter 54: This is getting interesting, guess that some things will start changing now! Finally Rawdon seems to have enough of all this.

Nina wrote: "Chapter 54: This is getting interesting, guess that some things will start changing now! Finally Rawdon seems to have enough of all this."

I know! I kept waiting for him to "wake up and smell the deceit"!

RebeccaS wrote: "Nina wrote: "Chapter 54: This is getting interesting, guess that some things will start changing now! Finally Rawdon seems to have enough of all this."

I know! I kept waiting for him to "wake up a..."

I must say I start liking him quite a bit better than in the beginning of the story. He got some character, he is doing his best to be a good father in this difficult situation, he has good relationships with lady Jane and seems to prefer her to Rebecca. I didn't see much options in his character for developing positively but I guess I was wrong there.

Chapter 61:
(view spoiler)[ I wonder what else will happen in the next 150 pages. It seems that most is settled. Amelia's parents are both dead. So are George's and pretty much everyone else who is relevant and of their generation. Rebeca seems to have disappeared from the story as her case seems to be 'settled' as well. Dobbins seems to be set in the role of the admirer and benefactor, though this second is not necessary any longer. Jos never had a real role after his flirt with didn't lead to their marriage. The O'Dowds as well were pretty much side characters. (Entertaining ones though!) Same for the Osborne and Dobbin sisters and all other related family. The Pitts family has disappeared as well, I guess they are not relevant any longer as their role in story is over as well with the settled case of Rawdon and Rebeca. And Rawdon has long disappeared as well. (hide spoiler)]

It's interesting that once someone's case is made in Vanity Fair, they just disappear from the book. Some come back at a later point but most don't. And sometimes the author even says so explicitly. I feel that the entire book is very much written as a moral tale. And all the characters are thus in the book to be used as examples and prove certain points.

RebeccaS wrote: "Here is my review...I didn't add any plot spoilers to it I give this book about 3.5 stars. I would have bumped it up to at least 4 stars, but it was just way too long for me. This book contains t..."

Did you watch a film adaptation? If so would you recommend?

So, am I interpreting the ending correctly that (view spoiler)[ Becky murders Jos? (hide spoiler)]. Didn't really see that coming.

Nina wrote: "Chapter 61:
[spoilers removed]

It's interesting that once someone's case is made in Vanity Fair, they just disappear from the book. Some come back at a later point but most don't. And sometimes th..."

I would've liked to have heard how little Rawdon was doing.

Nina wrote: "RebeccaS wrote: "Here is my review...I didn't add any plot spoilers to it I give this book about 3.5 stars. I would have bumped it up to at least 4 stars, but it was just way too long for me. Thi..."

I really enjoyed the BBC TV series with Natasha Little, and preferred it over the Reese Witherspoon movie, though I thought that was okay too.

It was a long time ago I saw them though, and before I read the book, so not sure how true either of them are. The BBC are usually fairly faithful though.

That's how I interpreted it. Or at the very least that she (view spoiler)[altered the will (hide spoiler)].

Did your edition have Thakery's original illustrations? They suggest it more strongly than the text itself. I found an analysis here and here(MAJOR spoilers). But the consensus seems to be that it's deliberately ambiguous.

Nina wrote: "RebeccaS wrote: "Here is my review...I didn't add any plot spoilers to it I give this book about 3.5 stars. I would have bumped it up to at least 4 stars, but it was just way too long for me. Thi..."

I haven't seen it yet because we don't have anywhere to rent movies near us, but I am trying to find it.

Surprise, surprise, Becky is back. Who would have thought that. Though it might be necessary in the structure of the book in order to close the circle.

Louise wrote: "That's how I interpreted it. Or at the very least that she [spoilers removed].

Did your edition have Thakery's original illustrations? They suggest it more strongly than the text itself. I found a..."

I don't have the illustrations, so thanks for the links Louise. Given the significance of that image I'm a bit disappointed neither of my editions has the illustrations (Penguin has let me down!!!).

After reading the links, I'm sticking with my initial thought about what happened. Honestly didn't see it coming though.

Louise wrote: "That's how I interpreted it. Or at the very least that she [spoilers removed].

Did your edition have Thakery's original illustrations? They suggest it more strongly than the text itself. I found a..."

I totally missed that. I think I was just so exhausted that I didn't pick up on the ambiguity.

RebeccaS wrote: "Louise wrote: "That's how I interpreted it. Or at the very least that she [spoilers removed].

Did your edition have Thakery's original illustrations? They suggest it more strongly than the text it..."

I didn't really pick up on her (view spoiler)[ having murdered him in the concrete sense of the word. I got the feeling that she facilitated him to die, as in keeping him inside the house, making him be depressed and feel sick, etc. etc. Much so as Mrs. Bute tried with Miss Crawley somewhere earlier in the book. <\spoiler> Is does make sense though when I think about it now. (hide spoiler)]

Done! I must say I found it a so-so read. I'm glad I've read it but I don't think I'll ever read it again. After about half of the book I was just continuing in order to finish it. Without all the side stories and characters and at about 2/3 of the length I would have found it a much better book. Also, at some point the story really didn't surprise me so much any long. The characters were so clearly one-sided and there was just more and more evidence for their being entirely good or entirely bad. This, for me, also added to the book not being an exciting read and rather slow once I understood the 'general principle'. And finally, I didn't like anyone in the book. Maybe Mrs. O'Dowd but she wasn't an important character. Even Amelia who I liked and also pitied in the beginning, I really disliked towards the end, mainly because of how she treated Dobbin. And Dobbin, really, man up! At one point I just found him plain boring.