William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist and illustrator. He is most known for his satirical works, including the 1847-1848 novel Vanity Fair, a panoramic depiction of British society, and the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, which was adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick. Thackeray was born in Calcutta, British India, and moved to England after his father died in 1815. He went to several schools and briefly attended Trinity College, Cambridge, before leaving to see Europe. Thackeray spent a large portion of his inheritance on gambling and unsuccessful newspapers. He resorted to journalism to help support his family, primarily for Fraser's Magazine, The Times, and Punch. Thackeray began as a satirist and parodist, achieving prominence with pieces that reflected his penchant for roguish characters. He is well known for Vanity Fair, which starred Becky Sharp, and The Luck of Barry Lyndon. Thackeray's early works were characterized by scathing attacks on high society, military prowess, marriage, and hypocrisy, which were frequently written under several pseudonyms. His writing career began with humorous drawings, such as The Yellowplush Papers. Thackeray's later novels, such as Pendennis and The Newcomes, indicated a shift in tone, with a concentration on character maturation and critical social representations. During the Victorian era, Thackeray was second only to Charles Dickens, but he is today best remembered for Vanity Fair.
