Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by William Makepeace Thackeray

Quote by William Makepeace Thackeray

Work

Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is a satirical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, published in serial form between 1847 and 1848. The story is set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars and explores themes of ambition, social status, and the pursuit of wealth and power. The novel features a complex web of characters and is known for its wit and social commentary. more

Author

William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray

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. more

You May Also Like

“Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals, as that which the term particularly expresses. This being the end of government, that alone is a just government which impartially secures to every man whatever is his own.”

“The book, as it stands, seems to me to be one of the most frightful muddles I have ever read, with scarcely a sound proposition in it beginning with page 45 [Hayek provided historical background up to page 45; after that came his theoretical model], and yet it remains a book of some interest, which is likely to leave its mark on the mind of the reader. It is an extraordinary example of how, starting with a mistake, a remorseless logician can end up in bedlam.”

“Most, probably, of our decisions to do something positive, the full consequences of which will be drawn out over many days to come, can only be taken as the result of animal spirits-a spontaneous urge to action rather than inaction, and not as the outcome of a weighted average of quantitative benefits multiplied by quantitative probabilities.”