‎'‎I think I could be a good woman if I had five thousand a year‎.‎‎'‎ Becky Sharp is sharp‎,‎ calculating‎,‎ and determined to succeed‎.‎ Craving wealth and a position in society‎,‎ she charms‎,‎ hoodwinks‎,‎ manipulates everyone she meets‎,‎ rising in the world as she attaches herself to a succession of rich men‎.‎ Becky‎'‎s fortunes are contrasted with those of her best friend Amelia‎,‎ who has none of Becky‎'‎s wit and vitality but whose gentle‎-heartedness attracts the devotion of the loyal Dobbin‎.‎ Set during the Napoleonic wars‎,‎ Vanity Fair follows Becky as she cuts a swathe through Regency society‎.‎ Thackeray paints a panoramic portrait of the age‎,‎ with war‎,‎ money and national identity his great subjects‎.‎ The battle for social success is as fierce as the battle of Waterloo‎,‎ and its casualties as stricken‎.‎ The satire is at once biting and profound‎,‎ sparing none in a clear‎-eyed exposure of a world on the make‎.‎ Thackeray‎'‎s scepticism of human motives borders on cynicism yet Vanity Fair is among the funniest novels of the Victorian age‎.‎ This new edition includes all Thackeray‎'‎s original illustrations‎.‎ ABOUT THE SERIES‎:‎ For over 100 years Oxford World‎'‎s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe‎.‎ Each affordable volume reflects Oxford‎'‎s commitment to scholarship‎,‎ providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features‎,‎ including expert introductions by leading authorities‎,‎ helpful notes to clarify the text‎,‎ up‎-to‎-date bibliographies for further study‎,‎ and much more‎.‎