The Book Vipers discussion

Readalong thread for Vanity Fair. Spoilers in tags

Just started this and have read the first 5 chapters. I'm already intrigued by the characters, particularly by Becky. I think Amelia might end up being one of the soft, wishy-washy female characters that let down some Victorian novels for me but I hope not. Becky seems much more interesting and feisty.

I'm also enjoying the tongue-in-cheek social commentary particularly relating to women and marriage.

Looking forward to the rest of the story

I'm going to start this when I've finished the book I'm on - it seems to be taking longer that I thought!
How are you liking it so far?

I've just found out about the read alongs and have downloaded Vanity Fair - so I will start when I've finished my current book.

Starting this today. Who else is reading along?

Me! Just on the home strait with The Thirteenth Tale (which I'm not finding a compelling read - though it may be because we have house guests, and I don't have a lot of time right now) and I'll be with you!

Have read it before though, so hoping to catch up with the earlier starters.

I read this a year ago and loved it! I'm not going to reread it right now, but I may join in the discussion if that is okay.

Of course Leslie.

I'm now 20% of the way in. It's quite a slow read for me (especially as I keep picking up Enid Blyton books from my childhood to read instead) but I'm enjoying it. Becky is a very interesting character. (view spoiler)[ I'm wondering exactly what is going to come of her caring for the unwell Miss Crawley, I suspect she is hoping to get a share of the fortune somehow but I haven't got that far yet (hide spoiler)]

Still hope to join in on this in September, so thanks for using the spoiler alert! :)

Starting this later when I get back from shopping!

Finished this today!

I mentioned elsewhere that the book seemed very much like The Age of Innocence, but much better written with more realistic characters. (It predates Age of Innocence by about 70 years.)

I really enjoyed it. I liked very much how (view spoiler)[ the characters were multifaceted (even Amelia developed throughout the story) and how there was no poetic justice for any of the them. It felt very true to life in this regard. (hide spoiler)]

The writing was too blowsy at times, but I couldn't help reading all the clever names and titles anyway!

I thought the ending (view spoiler)[ was superb, how each character ended up back at their "beginning" in their relationships - do people change, or not really, after all? (hide spoiler)]

Very well done, I can see why this book is well-regarded.

Just dropping in to say I hope to start this next weekend. Really looking forward to it, as a couple of the novels I've read recently have been so - well - dull! I haven't read any Thackeray, but think someone here said that he inspired Trollope and if that's true I'm in for a rollicking read.

Why is it that modern so-called literary novels have no wit? Can anyone think of a Booker/Orange/whatever award-winning novel with a smidgen of humour in it? Nope, we seem to have to go to the classics for that!

Good question Jean. Could be the subject of a new thread?

I think some of them do have some humour but a lot of them just seem to take themselves too seriously! I have only read a little bit of Vanity Fair so far but Thackeray has definitely his tongue in cheek! It's actually a lot 'lighter' than I was expecting. Hope you enjoy it Jean!

Oooh yes, Elizabeth, feel free to start one! Laurel - yes, writers today seem to think they have to be po-faced all the time. Friends sometimes say to me that classic writers are long-winded, but I frequently find myself giggling out loud at a wry observation.

I found many giggles in Vanity Fair. I think that is part of the reason it has endured.

Jean wrote: "Oooh yes, Elizabeth, feel free to start one! Laurel - yes, writers today seem to think they have to be po-faced all the time. Friends sometimes say to me that classic writers are long-winded, but I..."

I've started a thread. Feel free to add thoughts, comments, novels, authors etc to it.

I have now started reading Vanity Fair..... again!! I realised before I had got to the end of page 1 that I had already read it. Never mind eh! I'll read it again!!

That's funny T4bsF - hope you enjoy it anyway!
I'm about 30% through an am struggling with the size of it even though it's really good. I just don't have enough time!

Feeling a bit miffed actually. to not let us (the readers) in on the secret of her secret marriage - well - I wouldn't have told anyone - honest!!

Ha ha, yeah I think he likes to play with reader's expectations a bit. Am quite a bit further on now (70%) and really wanting to find out how it ends for everyone!

T4bsF wrote: "Feeling a bit miffed actually. to not let us (the readers) in on the secret of her secret marriage - well - I wouldn't have told anyone - honest!!"

Becky likes to hedge her bets ;)

I've just read the first 9 chapters and I'm enjoying the witty depiction of the characters. Not so keen on it when Thackeray draws back out of the story and talks to his audience directly.

I've finished this at last - a bit of a sigh of relief, although I did enjoy most of it.
I'm a 'one book at a time' person, but in the end I read other things between episodes of Vanity Fair and I think that was probably a good idea, since it was initially published as a serial.
My main criticism is that it felt more like a soap opera than a novel with a proper shape and I suspect that Thackeray didn't know how it was going to end when he started writing!

Joy, I agree on Vanity Fair; kind of fluffy and soap-operaish. Glad I read it though

Finished! Here's my review of Vanity Fair if anyone's interested. It took me longer than usual to read this.

A surprisingly entertaining read. I expected this book to be rather dry, especially because it was so long. I was laughing aloud at Becky's antics, and had trouble putting it down whenever I picked it up to read a chapter.