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The Rose and the Ring

William Makepeace Thackeray

Book Overview: 

Victorian social satire hiding in a set of children's fairy tales by the author of the classic "Vanity Fair"

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Book Excerpt: 
. . .nd all other languages—she learned them from the teacher who came to Angelica. When the Princess was going out of an evening she would say, 'My good Betsinda, you may as well finish what I have begun.' 'Yes, miss,' Betsinda would say, and sit down very cheerful, not to FINISH what Angelica began, but to DO it.

For instance, the Princess would begin a head of a warrior, let us say, and when it was begun it was something like this—

But when it was done, the warrior was like this—

(only handsomer still if possible), and the Princess put her name to the drawing; and the Court and King and Queen, and above all poor Giglio, admired the picture of all things, and said, 'Was there ever a genius like Angelica?' So, I am sorry to say, was it with the Princess's embroidery and other accomplishments; and Angelica actually believed that she did these things herself, and received all the flattery of the Court as if every word of it was. . . Read More

Community Reviews

Parts of this ring of a mock-Shakespearean comedy. Being a fairy tale, it is playfully light. Thackeray messes around with the superficiality of appearances, and how eagerly susceptible to them we are. It would be a spoiler to reveal his more explicit moral since he just comes right out and tells it

loved it...still do! :)

Two kingdoms: Paflagonia and Crim Tartary.
Two rulers who have stolen the kingdom from the rightful heir.
A magical fairy who is weary of begifting newborns, disgusted with the results of earlier gifts of a magical rose and a magical ring which make the bearer appear the most beautiful of all, now pre

According to the author's introduction, this was intended to be put on as a dramatic presentation, or pantomime, at Christmastime, for children.

It was indeed published at Christmas (1854), but I'm not at all convinced that the main intended audience was children. This is, technically, a fairy tale,

I used to love this book as a child & still found it entertaining, especially the tongue-in-cheek approach to fairy tales.

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