The Biographical Edition of The Works of William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray

Published by Smith, Elder, and Co. 1902-1906, London, 1902

An attractive thirteen volume set of the Thackeray's works, in very attractive leather bindings of Bayntun of Bath, and with frontispiece plates and illustrations throughout. This particular edition contains biographical introductions by Thackeray's daugher, Anne Ritchie. The set contains the following works: Volume I: Vanity Fair Volume II: History of Pendennis Volume III: The Memoirs of Mr Charles J. Yellowplush, The History of Samuel Titmarsh and The Great Hoggarty Diamond Volume IV: The History of Henry Esmond and The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon Volume V: Paris Sketch Book and Irish Sketch Book Volume VI: Contributions to Punch Volume VII: Henry Esmond Volume VIII: The Newcomes Volume IX: Christmas Books Volume X: The Virginians Volume XI: Adventures of Philip Volume XII: The Wolves and The Lamb, Lovel the Widower and Rounabout Papers and Denis Duval Volume XIII: Ballads and Miscelleanous Essays William Makepeace Thackeray (18 July 1811 24 December 1863) was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society. He worked for Fraser's Magazine, a sharp-witted and sharp-tongued conservative publication, for which he produced art criticism, short fictional sketches, and two longer fictional works, Catherine and The Luck of Barry Lyndon. From 1837 to 1840 he also reviewed books for The Times. Later, through his connection to the illustrator John Leech, he began writing for the newly created Punch magazine, where he published The Snob Papers, later collected as The Book of Snobs. In the early 1840s, Thackeray had some success with two travel books, The Paris Sketch Book and The Irish Sketch Book. He achieved more recognition with his Snob Papers (serialised 1846/7, published in book form in 1848), but the work that really established his fame was the novel Vanity Fair, which first appeared in serialised installments beginning in January 1847. Even before Vanity Fair completed its serial run, Thackeray had become a celebrity, sought after by the very lords and ladies whom he satirised; they hailed him as the equal of Dickens. On 23 December 1863, after returning from dining out and before dressing for bed, Thackeray suffered a stroke and was found dead in his bed in the morning. His death at the age of fifty-two was entirely unexpected, and shocked his family, friends, and reading public. An estimated 7000 people attended his funeral at Kensington Gardens. He was buried on 29 December at Kensal Green Cemetery, and a memorial bust sculpted by Marochetti can be found in Westminster Abbey. Contains the bookbinders' label of W.M. and A. of Westminster to each pastedown. In decorative half-morocco binding with gilt detailing and cloth covered boards. Externally sound, there are slight markings to the boards, some mild wear to the extremities and joints, as well as sunning to backstrips. Internally, the pages are generally firmly bound and are bright and clean throughout, aside from the odd spot. All the volumes bar one, two, seven, nine and twelve are missing their decorative front free endpaper and the half-title page of volume five is partially detached, and there are remnants of a bookplate to the endpages of volume eleven. Very Good. Seller Inventory # SET62-E-2

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Biographical Edition of The Works of ...
Publisher: Smith, Elder, and Co. 1902-1906, London
Publication Date: 1902
Binding: Leather
Illustrator: Various
Condition: Very Good
Book Type: book