William Makepeace Thackeray (1811—1863) / УИЛЬЯМ МАДЕПАС ТЕККЕРЕЙ (1811–1863)

W. M. Thackeray, a leading representative of critical realism in XIX century English literature, was one of the greatest authors of the brilliant school of British novelists. Chernyshevsky, the great Russian critic, wrote in 1856: 'Thackeray possesses great talent. Of all the European writers of the present time Dickens alone can be placed on a level with the author of 'Vanity Fair'.' Thackeray was born in India, but after his father's death he was brought to England and sent to school in London. He began his literary career as a journalist. Later he became a professional writer. His first book which attracted attention was 'The Book of Snobs' (1847). In this book Thackeray gave a satirical description of the ruling classes of England and criticized the bourgeois and aristocratic society. On the pages of this book, Thackeray laughed at a very common defect among the bourgeoisie of the time—snobbery. This book was followed by 'Vanity Fair', his masterpiece. It tells of the adventures of the beautiful, hard-hearted Becky Sharp and of the people whose lives were connected with hers. 'Vanity Fair' is a novel with many characters. Thackeray liked to describe the lives of whole families and the things that happened to them over many years. His characters seem very real to us; they are neither wholly bad nor wholly good—even his heroes are not perfect. He used to say that he wished to describe men and women 'as they really are — if they are good and kind, to love them and shake them by the hand; if they are silly, to laugh at them...; if they are wicked and heartless, to abuse them...' The subtitle of the book—'A Novel without a Hero'— emphasized the fact that the writer's intention was not to picture individuals, but to show the bourgeois and aristocratic society as a whole. In this book Thackeray managed to give a picture of the life of the ruling classes of England which remains a classic example of social satire up to the present day. What specially appeals to us in 'Vanity Fair' is the simple style, subtle humor. and biting satire, the deep insight we get into the human heart and the pleasant feeling of intimacy with the author. Thackeray also wrote one book quite different from these— a children's story, full of fun, called 'The Rose and the Ring'. He originally wrote and illustrated it (Thackeray was good at drawing) for his own children.