William Makepeace Thackeray — Vanity Fair a Novel without a Hero

London , Smith, Elder and Co, 1890. Cloth. Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero is a novel by English author William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in 1847-48, satirising society in early 19th-century Britain. Illustrated throughout with engravings. The book's title comes from John Bunyan's allegorical story The Pilgrim's Progress, first published in 1678 and still widely read at the time of Thackeray's novel. "Vanity Fair" refers to a stop along the pilgrim's progress: a never-ending fair held in a town called Vanity, which is meant to represent man's sinful attachment to worldly things. Previous owner's ink inscription to front pastedown. In a cloth binding. Externally, sound but with some wear to extremities and slight loss to head and tail of spine and with marks to boards. Internally, firmly bound. Generally bright and clean throughout with only the odd slight mark and offsetting from inscription to following page. Good . Ill.: None. Good .