William Makepeace Thackeray was an English author, novelist, literary critic and satirist, who lived in the 19th century and went on to become one of the best known authors of the time. Thackeray is best known for his novel ‘Vanity Fair’ published in 1848 which satirized the upper class of English society of the time and is regarded as one of the most accurate depictions of that era. Earlier in life, Thackeray had squandered his inheritance on gambling and failed ventures, which forced him to take up writing in order to make a living. He worked for ‘The Foreign Quarterly Review’, ‘Fraser’s Magazine’, ‘Punch’ and ‘The Morning Chronicle’ among others. ‘Fraser’s Magazine’ had also published two of his works of fiction titled ‘The Luck of Barry Lyndon’ and ‘Catherine’. However, his fortunes changed completely following the publication of ‘Vanity Fair’ and readers compared his work with that of the legendary Charles Dickens. Thackeray could not replicate the success of ‘Vanity Fair’ with his subsequent novels but some of the notable ones include ‘The Newcomers’, ‘Pendennis’, ‘The Adventures of Philip’ and ‘Bildungsroman’. Thackeray was also a man of sharp and ironic wit that made him such a successful writer of satire. Whatever he has said or written have become quite famous as his quotes and thoughts and is quoted extensively. His thoughts and quotations tackle the most serious and sensitive topics in a lighter tone. Here are some of the best quotations and thoughts from William Makepeace Thackeray’s life and works.
The wicked are wicked, no doubt, and they go astray and they fall, and they come by their deserts; but who can tell the mischief which the very virtuous do?
William Makepeace Thackeray
A good laugh is sunshine in a house
William Makepeace Thackeray
The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name.
Ah! Vanitas Vanitatum! Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?-Come, children, let us shut up the box and the puppets, for our play is played out.
One of the great conditions of anger and hatred is, that you must tell and believe lies against the hated object, in order, as we said, to be consistent.
The little cares, fears, tears, timid misgivings, sleepless fancies of I don't know how many days and nights, were forgotten under one moment's influence of that familiar, irresistible smile.
