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Quick answer: If you loved Vanity Fair, read Thackeray's Barry Lyndon, then Middlemarch, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre and The House of Mirth. All are classic novels about society, ambition and the roles women play.
William Makepeace Thackeray's 1848 novel follows two women, the poor and clever Becky Sharp and the gentle Amelia Sedley, through the Napoleonic era in a satirical portrait of English society. The books below offer similar classics full of wit, ambition and social observation.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Lyndon | William Makepeace Thackeray | Adult | satirical picaresque |
| The Way We Live Now | Anthony Trollope | Adult | satire |
| Middlemarch | George Eliot | Adult | provincial life |
| Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | Adult | readers who love banter |
| Emma | Jane Austen | Adult | Austen's heroine |
| Persuasion | Jane Austen | Adult | readers who like second chances |
| Great Expectations | Charles Dickens | Adult | Dickens's finest |
| David Copperfield | Charles Dickens | Adult | coming of age |
| Jane Eyre | Charlotte Brontë | Adult | readers who want a classic romance |
| Wuthering Heights | Emily Bronte | Adult | stormy passion |
| Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Thomas Hardy | Adult | fate and love |
| The House of Mirth | Edith Wharton | Adult | society and money |
| The Age of Innocence | Edith Wharton | Adult | society and desire |
| North and South | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | class and romance |
| Wives and Daughters | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | gentle Victorian |
1. Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray
An Irish rogue schemes his way up society. Witty and sharp.
Best for: satirical picaresque.
2. The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
A financier's fraud shakes Victorian society. Long and shrewd.
Best for: satire.
3. Middlemarch by George Eliot
Dorothea Brooke and her neighbours seek meaning and love. Long, wise and rewarding.
Best for: provincial life.
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennet meets the proud Mr. Darcy. Witty, romantic and perfectly plotted.
Best for: readers who love banter.
5. Emma by Jane Austen
A confident young woman meddles in matchmaking and learns about herself. Funny and kind.
Best for: Austen's heroine.
6. Persuasion by Jane Austen
Anne Elliot gets a second chance with the man she once refused. Quiet and mature.
Best for: readers who like second chances.
7. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
An orphan named Pip rises in the world and learns what matters. Dark and moving.
Best for: Dickens's finest.
8. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
David grows up from a miserable childhood to become a writer. Warm and funny.
Best for: coming of age.
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Jane, a governess, falls for Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Hall. A classic with a strong narrator.
Best for: readers who want a classic romance.
10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Heathcliff and Catherine's obsessive love destroys them and the people around them. Wild, gothic and unforgettable.
Best for: stormy passion.
11. Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
A young woman's life is shaped by cruelty and fate. A heartbreaking Victorian tragedy.
Best for: fate and love.
12. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Lily Bart struggles to marry well in a society that judges her. A tragic masterpiece.
Best for: society and money.
13. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
A man in 1870s New York is torn between duty and passion. Sharp and bittersweet.
Best for: society and desire.
14. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
A southern woman moves to an industrial northern town and meets a mill owner. Romantic and sharp.
Best for: class and romance.
15. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
A girl adjusts to a new stepmother and stepsister in a country town. Warm and observant.
Best for: gentle Victorian.
How to Choose
For more Thackeray begin with Barry Lyndon. For witty heroines choose Pride and Prejudice or Emma. For social ambition pick Great Expectations or The House of Mirth. For depth read Middlemarch. Vanity Fair is long, so these picks suit patient classics readers. Vanity Fair was published in monthly instalments in 1847 and 1848 and has been adapted for stage, television and film many times. Becky Sharp is often considered one of fiction's great anti-heroines.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vanity Fair about?
Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley in Regency England.
Who wrote it?
William Makepeace Thackeray.
When was it published?
1847-1848.
How long is it?
Over 800 pages in most editions.
Is it funny?
Yes, it is satire.
Has it been adapted?
Yes, several times.
Who is Becky Sharp?
The ambitious heroine.
What should I read next?
Try Middlemarch or Pride and Prejudice.
Which book here is best for readers who love banter?
Try Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which suits readers looking for readers who love banter.
Which book here is best for Dickens's finest?
Try Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, which suits readers looking for Dickens's finest.
Which book here is best for stormy passion?
Try Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, which suits readers looking for stormy passion.
Which book here is best for society and desire?
Try The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, which suits readers looking for society and desire.
Which book here is best for satire?
Try The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope, which suits readers looking for satire.
Which book here is best for Austen's heroine?
Try Emma by Jane Austen, which suits readers looking for Austen's heroine.
Which book here is best for coming of age?
Try David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, which suits readers looking for coming of age.