The Book of Snobs [Hardcover]

William Makepeace Thackeray (Other Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

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.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Makepeace Thackeray was born in 1811 in Calcutta of Anglo-Indian parents. He was educated at English private schools and Cambridge but left without a degree. European travel was cut short by the loss of most of Thackeray's inheritance in 1833 in Indian bank failures, upon which he decided to make his living as a painter. Returning to London in 1837, he found himself with two young daughters and an insane wife by 1840 and forced to write for a living. Most of his early output was reviews, sketches, comic items or short serials for magazines, often under pseudonyms. His first novel, Barry Lyndon, was serialised in 1844, and Thackeray also published three travel books in the 1840s. His satiric vein and discontent with contemporary fictional norms led to his first major novel, Vanity Fair, in 1847, followed by a handful of other major novels over the next dozen years which turned from satiric to historical. Published lectures on the new field of English literature led to tours of the United States from 1852 and The Virginians, a novel set partly in America. Thackeray was a founding editor of the literary journal The Cornhill Magazine in 1859, but resigned due to ill-health in 1862, though his last works were published in the journal. He died in 1863. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809596725
• ISBN-13: 978-0809596720
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,684,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars English snobbery and class differences in the mid 19th century., May 23, 2010

By 

S. Laythorpe (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Book of Snobs (Kindle Edition)

I really enjoyed this book. Unlike the previous reviewer, I found it totally enjoyable and informative. It is not a book of jokes: it's mostly satire, and is amusing rather than funny, though I did laugh out loud a few times. What surprised me was that so many of these snobs still exist in the 21st century! The author says, "It is impossible for ANY Briton not to be a snob in some degree."

The book is a collections of articles Thackeray wrote for Punch, and is typical of that magazine. Thackeray's definition is, 'He who meanly admires mean things is a snob'. He starts at the top, by defining and describing Royal Snobs, Aristocratic Snobs, respectable snobs, city snobs, military snobs, clerical snobs, university snobs, literary snobs, etc, etc., and so descends to the lower classes, which are just as full of snobs as the upper. I found myself in this book! I believe myself to be a humble downright person, but Thackeray's perception is very acute. I would challenge any Brit to read this and NOT find himself.

A really good read. If you like 'Spitting Image' you'll like this.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Filler Material?, January 25, 2008

By 

Dick Johnson (Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Book of Snobs (Konemann Classics) (Hardcover)

I usually like Thackeray's works a lot. That's why I didn't hesitate to buy this. Book of Snobs seemed to be something he wrote to break in a new pen; or maybe he had promised a publisher something on a deadline and ran out of ideas. Parts are humorous, but I was bored. Thank goodness I read quickly; otherwise I'm not sure I would have finished it. Do not let this review of a single book turn you off to Thackeray. Do try Henry Esmond or Barry Lyndon. (The third star is because it's Thackeray - and maybe I missed something.)