In a similar vein to his Vanity Fair, Thackeray’s The History of Pendennis is an insightful and satirical exploration of human character, particularly as it applies to the humans who populate the aristocratic circles of Victorian England. The main hero is a young English gentleman Arthur Pendennis, who is born in the country and sets out for London to seek his place in life and society. As with many English novels of this period: love is sought, marriages are arranged/thwarted, families meddle, and everyone worries about money and class. This edition is part of the Biographical Collection of Thackeray's works and contains an introduction by his daughter.
- Title: The History of Pendennis: His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy
- Author: William Makepeace Thackeray
- Publisher: Harper & Brothers Publishers
- Illustrator: William Makepeace Thackeray
- Introduction by Anne Ritchie (the author’s daughter)
- Place: New York
- Year: 1898
- Edition: The Biographical Edition (Volume II)
- Length: 752pp
- Dimensions: 5” x 8.25”
- Condition: The blue cloth covered boards are in good condition. A pattern of repeating T’s and rosettes is printed in a darker shade of blue on both the front and back covers, and there are gilt particulars on the spine. The spine is noticeably more tanned from light exposure, and the folds around it are showing the beginning of cracks and fraying. The pages are clean—no extraneous marks. The binding is tight, and there are no folds or tears. The top of the block has the dark glint of aged gilding. The edges of the pages are softened with age and use.