Reviews for William Makepeace Thackeray

The average rating for William Makepeace Thackeray based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-03-30 00:00:00 Jason Greenberg If you want to learn a little more about William Thackeray, both as a person and of his works generally, this monograph will certainly satisfy you. Yet, what may astonish you is the overwhelming capacity of Trollope's mind, as well as the vastness of its repository, for he dissects many of his friend's works in such a meticulous way that would imply that he, Trollope, did nothing else in his whole existence other than study Thackeray's diverse writtings as well as every subject, personage or circumstance thereof treated or simply alluded to (even the misheard brogue of the Irish, often scoffed at, is analised!) Now, given the bulk and spectrum of his own oeuvre, coupled with the dissertation he delivered in this volume, I just can't reconcile myself to the notion that Anthony Trollope was a plain human being whose life stretch was shorter than 70 years, whereas it would take me at least a century to read half of what he examined for the composition of this volume alone. Our opinions of some stories do not concur (Barry Lyndon, The History of Pendennis: His Fortunes & Misfortunes, His Friends & His Greatest Enemy[*], Rebecca and Rowena he eulogised, whereas I ditched them unfinished); nevertheless, Trollope's critiques shed light on themes and details I had not remarked and piqued my interest in other tales by Thackeray I have still to check out (The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. and The Virginians are next on my list) ' whereupon reading this book I felt like attending a lecture on a topic I am crazy about by a congenial professor I also revere. [*] here's my lambasting of Pendennis

Review # 2 was written on 2011-07-19 00:00:00 Mark Avrech Honestly I do not believe this story deserves such a low rating as three stars. Nonetheless I have given such an appraisal simply because the story was uninteresting to me. Robert Louis Stevenson's writing is amazing, and flows with something like a poetic air. However, the tale he wove with these words was less than intriguing. It took me quite awhile to slog through and I dearly hope I do not have to read it again.