The Book of Snobs by William Makepeace Thackeray

The Book of Snobs Reviews

• 
  Matthew Gatheringwater

  Everybody is a snob of some sort. The important thing is to discover just what kind of snob you are and then accommodate yourself to your fault. Thackeray has written a kind of natural history of snobs that assists the identification process. A close reading of this book will save years of therapy.
• 
  Amanda Bannister

  DNF @ 51%. I find myself skim reading most of this one, so I’m giving it up......
• 
  Melinda

  Given to me by a friend who knows I am a snob about many things (hopefully with humor!), I found this book to be entertaining and in some ways enlightening. Thackeray takes every type of character you could imagine, and discusses the stereotypical "snob" of that group. He does this with wit and humor, and swift rapier cuts that expose to the bone in some cases! Groups include military snobs, university snobs, great city snobs, aristocratic snobs, country snobs, dining-out snobs, literary snobs (ow! that one hit a nerve!), and even English snobs on the continent. Several of these groups get more than one chapter because they provide such a rich vein!
  
  Interestingly, I found that while Thackeray includes clerical snobs, he provides a very welcome defense of the clergy. While there are caricature's in every grouping of people, Thackeray recognizes that the work done by the clerics is more important and less open to ridicule.
• 
  Bob

  Any literary-minded American young person, particularly those of an Anglophilic bent, will discover Punch magazine at some point in their adolescence and probably think to themselves, "why is this considered funny?".
  
  This book anthologizes weekly columns Thackeray wrote for Punch in 1847-48 - of course, as was the custom at the time, he wrote under a pseudonym. Skewering pretension and snobbery in every realm of civic, political, religious and military life no doubt brought the editors of the magazine a large weekly mailbag of outrage which was no doubt considered a measure of success.
• 
  Janelle

  I've stuck this on my read shelf but (quiet whisper) I haven't actually finished it. The writing is witty, but too repetitive. As an article, it would be great, but as a book it just ends up rehashing the same old ideas and jokes.
• 
  Emer

  Sorry Thackeray
• 
  Kusaimamekirai

  “If Fun is good, Truth is still better, and Love best of all."
  
  Are you a snob? Chances are that if you lived in the mid 19th century and William Thackeray knew you, you were.
  There are in fact, according to him, snobs in every facet of life and someone needs to call them out. That someone being him of course.
  So yes, Irish snobs, club snobs, marriage snobs, rich snobs, literary snobs, clerical snobs, respectable(!) snobs, and on and on it goes.
  Quite funny in fits and starts, this book also tends to get weighed down by its dated put downs (I confess however that I can never hear the word ‘Jackanape’ enough) and satire of people we perhaps should know but don’t because we live in 2021 and we are not snobs (maybe).
  It is very fun for what it is though, Thackeray at his curmudgeonly sarcastic best, judging and telling you how annoyed he is by you.
  
  
• 
  Tim S.

  A periodically amusing book but many of its sections aren’t apt to have much relevance to modern readers. As a result I skimmed over a number of the chapters and ended up reading (most of) the book in random drips and drabs. In my opinion Thackery did a far better job of satirizing social climbers and inane snobbery in Vanity Fair, and I'd suggest readers interested in sampling his work start there.
• 
  Catherine Siemann

  The problem with humor of another era is that it doesn't necessarily make sense in another cultural context. Parts of this book were very funny, indeed, and parts were just a little tedious.
  
  Recommended only for the very knowledgeable in Victorian literature and culture.
• 
  Gwynneth

  An interesting take on Victorian social climbers that's not so different from what happened in the past several years here in America.
• 
  Sharon Barrow Wilfong

  This was well-written and cleverly elucidates the snobs on every level of society. I just couldn't get into it that much. Might have been the wrong time for me to read it.
• 
  José Luis Valenciano

  El esnobismo está de moda. Todos podemos ser unos esnobs de manual en mayor o menor medida y, gracias a William Thackeray (1811-1863) podemos conocer los rasgos que caracterizan al esnob.
  A Thackeray se le conoce sobre todo por "La feria de las vanidades", pero lo que muchos desconocerán es su vena satírica, pues fue colaborador habitual de la revista Punch, la decana de las publicaciones humorísticas británicas desde 1841 hasta su fin en 2002.
  Fue en este medio en que, durante un año entero, publicó semanalmente los artículos que se recopilarían luego en "El libro de los esnobs" y que, más de 170 años después, siguen de plena actualidad.
  Thackeray era de talante conservador, pero ello no era óbice para criticar con dureza los vicios de la alta sociedad y la aristocracia que tan bien conocía, por formar parte de ella. Los ataques a los cargos hereditarios, el trato de favor dado a cualquiera que tuviera un título e incluso el sistema de reclutamiento del ejército, donde los hijos de nobles hacían carrera a velocidades meteóricas, son asuntos tratados desde la sátira más mordaz.
  Pero Thackeray también recuerda que no es solo esnob aquel que, desde una posición de superioridad espera ser agasajado, sino aquel que, desde una posición social inferior (aunque posiblemente con más fondos), agasaja de modo servil a estos, esperando formar parte de ellos, aunque sea arrastrándose.
  Francamente, me ha parecido un libro maravilloso y revelador que debería ser leido en las escuelas, a fin de ayudar a los jóvenes a reconocer los comportamientos esnobs de hoy, que siguen extiendo, aunque hayan podido cambiar de formato.
• 
  Redderationem

  Le mie quattro stelle non si riferiscono esplicitamente a questa edizione del lavoro di Thackeray. La traduzione è palesemente datata e inadeguata a rendere con la dovuta originale brillantezza questo pamphlet.
  Si colloca infatti circa a due terzi del lungo periodo che intercorre fra la prima pubblicazione in volume dell'opera e il mio occhio di lettore moderno. Ci arriva inoltre senza curarsi di colmare il gap già accumulato e di cercare di esplicitare il senso che sta dietro all'uso di certe parole, non dico poi di cercare di renderne in italiano il gioco, sforzo spesso inumano.
  Però, scavando un po', strofinando con energia, si riesce comunque un po' a intuire quello che doveva saltare agli occhi di un lettore inglese che aveva appena visto insediarsi la più longeva delle monarche britanniche, prima di quella attuale.
  Fatti comunque salvi le situazioni e i bozzetti in cui la satira infierisce su certi "casi umani" esilaranti, che trascendono sia i tempi che la non sempre semplice definizione di snob.
• 
  Daria Zheglo

  I have chosen this book pretty much because of it’s title, because my opinion about snobs varies from hate to love, and from time to time I even admit, that the worst snob of the world is actually myself.
  Anyway, even though the descriptions of the characters are pretty sharp, I missed some English wittiness and William Thackeray wasn’t self-ironic enough to admit that he was as well a part of literate / intellectual snob groups himself.
  Not bad at all, but do not set high expectations, once you see that the author of my beloved Vanity Fair has written as well a novel with such a catchy name.
  
  
• 
  Gaby

  2.5
  
  To be honest, I started reading this book thinking that it may be somehow important (because of the picture of the English society back then). But as I was reading it, it became clear to me, that it isn't going to be such a book. For me, the more I read, the more exhausted and cringed I was. I truly felt as if I was reading a script for a bad stand-up... shame, but I still think it's somehow worth reading, especially if you're interested in English society in mid 19th century or a fan of Thackeray.
• 
  GONZA

  Some chapters were more funny compared to others, but the irony of Thackeray is really well used in this little sarcastic book.
  
  Alcuni capitoli erano più divertenti di altri, ma comunque Thackeray utilizza la sua ironia in quantità industriale per riempire questo breve libro di sarcasmo.
• 
  Lili Kyurkchiyska

  Да четеш "Книга за снобите" е да се върнеш в друга епоха, без да излизаш от своята собствена, защото снобите са все тъй живи и все тъй бродят сред нас. Дори и на Балканите...
• 
  Rebecca

  I recommend if you like Three Men in a Boat. Pure satires are not for me; I like a little plot with my satire.
• 
  Elizabeth S

  Hilarious. I just wish I knew more about manners and customs and society in Thackeray's time. I'm sure I missed a lot of jokes.
• 
  Giedre

  3+
• 
  Eileen

  2.5 stars (ok)
  
  A fun concept, a nice variety of snobs covered, and a few funny observations about entertaining with snobs, but the numerous references to specific people, places, situations, publications, etc. known to the author seemed to bog down the book and overshadow the illustrations of snobbery. :)
• 
  Marta Skoober

  Durante toda a minha vida carreguei livros comigo para onde quer que eu fosse, às vezes um, às vezes dois, mas geralmente três. Carregava meus livros na bolsa pelas ruas da cidade e aquilo para mim era normal, apesar de ter que ouvir minha mãe perguntar, vezes sem fim: "Menina, por que tem que carregar pedra na bolsa?"
  Até que os ombros começaram a reclamar, foi aí que corri à procura de livros de bolso. No início comprava três ou quatro por vez, o critério de escolha? Nenhum. Esse comprei pela capa, não conhecia Thackeray e mal lembrava de seu A feira das vaidades, esse já havia lido algo a respeito. E já faz um bom tempo que ele estava nas prateleiras. E paradoxalmente agora eu o leio em ebook, coisas de quarentena.
  
  Uma coletânea sempre pode envolver altos e baixos, é sempre bom ter isso em mente quando resolvemos nos aventurar nesse tipo leitura, "O livro dos esnobes" não é diferente. Thackaray tem um olhar aguçado e um senso de humor que me fez lembrar muito Wodehouse.
  Os esnobes do campo foram meus ensaios favoritos.
  
  Grifos:
  
  "Temos falhas e afetações diferentes e a nobreza já não domina mais a vida social, econômica e política, mas O livro dos esnobes nos diz muito sobre a natureza humana que ainda hoje é pertinente e nos proporciona uma clara visão da sociedade na Inglaterra vitoriana."
  
  "Sir George é mais asno aos sessenta e oito anos do que era quando entrou para o exército, aos quinze."
  
  "Escrevia todos os anos resmas de sermões tão bem-intencionados quanto enfadonhos."
  
  "Se você considera, caro leitor, o profundo esnobismo que o sistema universitário produz, vai admitir que já é hora de atacar algumas dessas superstições feudais da Idade Média."
• 
  No sin mis libros

  Haciendo alarde de una fina y elegante ironía, Thackeray repasa los distintos grupos sociales –desde la realeza a los clubistas y jugadores, pasando por los comerciantes, militares, eclesiásticos, estudiantes, los viajeros o los que viven en el campo-, así como las formas de comportarse en la mesa o el modo de concertar matrimonios de los ingleses, llegando a la conclusión de que esnobs hay en todas partes y lugares.
  Porque parece que el esnobismo es algo consustancial al ser humano y, de una forma u otra y en momento dado, siempre aparece en nuestras vidas. ¿Quién no ha querido alguna vez parecerse a alguien a quien admira, ya sea en su modo de vestir o en sus actitudes, y le ha imitado?, ¿quién no ha fingido en alguna ocasión ser o saber más de lo que es o conoce en realidad? ¿quién no ha pretendido estar siempre a la moda, al tanto de las últimas tendencias y vanagloriarse de ello? ¡Pues todos!
  He disfrutado muchísimo al leerlo y realmente fue una enorme sorpresa haberlo encontrado en la Feria del libro antiguo de Madrid. @joe_arcana me etiquetó con el tag #unexpectedbook y este libro viene muy a propósito.
  Pero tengo que poner un par de pegas a la edición (Planeta, 2008). En primer lugar, es una pena que no se hayan incluido las ilustraciones realizadas por el propio Thackeray e incluidas en la primera edición. Y en segundo lugar, echo de menos notas a pie de página que aclaren el doble sentido que tienen muchos de los apellidos de los tipos descritos, así como la identidad de los personajes reales a quienes se aludía con ellos.