Vanity Fair: A Novel Without A Hero

Sigh...I tried...I really did.

I tried to finish this book, but at 800 pages, it is just too long. Not that this is the major obstacle that kept me from finishing. Oh, no...the main problem has to do with Amelia Osbourne. I knew it would be a problem when, after page 10, I just cannot stand this character. I found myself wanting to grab a snow shovel and hit myself in the head until I bleed to death.

Oh, whatever happened to Elizabeth Bennett? Amelia makes Jane Bennett looks like Lady Macbeth

My favorite character, of course, is Rebecca Sharp. Realistically, Becky would be your worst nightmare. She is shrewd, deceitful, smart and charming (in an evil kinda way), but since this is a fantasy, she is so much fun to read. (Whereas Amelia is naive, kind, generous, but at times can be whining and (oftentimes) stupid).

The novel basically follows the lives of these two characters from their marriages to being mothers -- covering reversal of fortune (Becky from poor to rich to poor and vice versa for Amelia). Obviously, there are a lot of in betweens, which I won't go into.

The novel starts out well for me. I particularly like the scene where Rebecca threw out the dictionary from the carriage when she leaves Mrs. Pinkerton's school. But, like I said before, the character of Amelia got on my nerves and I just couldn't take it anymore. This is really a shame for me because the novel is a really good satire on the aristocracy/social status in England during Waterloo and some of his writing is really witty and funny.

EXCEPT FOR ONE THING: AMELIA OSBOURNE

So, which book do I want to read next? It has been raining every single day and I'm in a gloomy mood so I will pick up a book written by the greatest story teller in the world: Boccaccio's Decameron.

This will be my second reading of this wonderful book -- this is a book about greed, proper social conduct and death. And most importantly, there is no character that remotely resembles Amelia Osbourne