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William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray Quotes

Novelist

William Makepeace Thackeray was a prominent British novelist of the Victorian era, born on July 18, 1811, in India, and died on December 24, 1863. He is known for his satirical and humorous writing style and is considered one of the greatest novelists of the 19th century. His most famous work, 'Vanity Fair', is regarded as a classic of English literature.

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All Men Ifs Love Heart World Vanity Fair May Knows Looks Giving Eye People Littles Life Years Young Book Kind Pleasure Doe

Famous William Makepeace Thackeray Quotes

“It seems to me one cannot sit down in that place [the Round Reading room of the British Museum] without a heart full of grateful reverence. I own to have said my grace at the table, and to have thanked Heaven for my English birthright, freely to partake of these beautiful books, and speak the truth I find there.”

“There are other books in a man's library besides Ovid, and after dawdling ever so long at a woman's knee, one day he gets up and is free. We have all been there; we have all had the fever--the strongest and the smallest, from Samson, Hercules, Rinaldo, downward: but it burns out, and you get well.”

Men Wells Long Book One Day Library Devotion Get Up Knees Strongest Smallest Fever Get Well Burn Out Samson

Book:The Book of Snobs: And, Sketches and Travels in London ; [Character Sketches]

Source: The Book of Snobs: And, Sketches and Travels in London ; [Character Sketches]

“Out of the fictitious book I get the expression of the life, of the times, of the manners, of the merriment, of the dress, the pleasure, the laughter, the ridicules of society. The old times live again. Can the heaviest historian do more for me?”

Book Pleasure Expression Laughter Dresses Manners Historian Ridicule Old Time Merriment

Author:William Makepeace Thackeray

“Since the days of Adam, there has been hardly a mischief done in this world but a woman has been at the bottom of it.”

World Has Beens Book Done This World Bottom Adam Mischief

Book:The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.

Source: The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.

“A crow, who had flown away with a cheese from a dairy window, sate perched on a tree looking down at a great big frog in a pool underneath him.”

Book Bigs Tree Window Pool Cheese Frogs Crow Dairy Looking Down

Book:The Newcomes: Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family

Source: The Newcomes: Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family

“The book of female logic is blotted all over with tears, and Justice in their courts is forever in a passion.”

Book Passion Justice Forever Tears Female Logic Court

Book:Delphi Complete Works of William Makepeace Thackeray (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of William Makepeace Thackeray (Illustrated)

“If a secret history of books could be written, and the author's private thoughts and meanings noted down alongside of his story, how many insipid volumes would become interesting, and dull tales excite the reader!”

Ifs Writing Book Stories Reading Interesting Secret Written Reader Tales Dull Volume Insipid

Book:The History of Pendennis (Volume 2 of 2 ) (EasyRead Edition)

Source: The History of Pendennis (Volume 2 of 2 ) (EasyRead Edition)

“Certain corpuscles, denominated Christmas Books, with the ostensible intention of swelling the tide of exhilaration, or other expansive emotions, incident upon the exodus of the old and the inauguration of the New Year.”

Years Book Certain Emotion Intention Tides New Year Incidents Happy New Year Inauguration Exhilaration Swelling Exodus

Author:William Makepeace Thackeray

“Might I give counsel to any man, I would say to him, try to frequent the company of your betters. In books and in life, that is the most wholesome society; learn to admire rightly; the great pleasure of life is that. Note what great men admire.”

Men Life Giving Trying Book Might Life Is Leadership Pleasure Company Learning Greatness Notes Admire Great Men Admiration Pleasures Of Life

Book:The four Georges. The English humorists. Roundabout papers

Source: The four Georges. The English humorists. Roundabout papers

“How hard it is to make an Englishman acknowledge that he is happy! Pendennis. Book ii. Chap. xxxi.”

Book Hard Happiness Acknowledge Englishmen Chaps

Author:William Makepeace Thackeray

About the Author

Born: July 18, 1811
Died: December 24, 1863
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 311

Related Topics

Men Ifs Love Heart World Vanity Fair May Knows Looks Giving Eye People Littles Life Years Young Book Kind Pleasure Doe

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Delphi Complete Works of William Makepeace Thackeray (Illustrated)Related source material

Vanity FairRelated source material

Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a HeroRelated source material

The Virginians: A Tale of the Last CenturyRelated source material

The works of William Makepeace ThackerayRelated source material

Miscellanies: The book of snobs. Sketches and travels in London. Denis DuvalRelated source material

Miscellanies: The book of snobs. Sketches and travels in London. Denis Duval and other storiesRelated source material

The Newcomes: Memoirs of a Most Respectable FamilyRelated source material

The four Georges. The English humorists. Roundabout papersRelated source material

Vanity Fair (Diversion Classics)Related source material

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