Vanity Fair

The author of Vanity Fair intended a novel without a hero, according to wikipedia. At first protagonist Becky Sharpe seems like a heroine - a smart, strong-willed woman aiming at success - but her flaws soon become apparent, and they are many. And most of the people she meets are either no better, or better but much dumber.

Becky is neither all bad nor all good, although her bad qualities are sometimes very, very bad. To me it seems Becky is doing her best in a society in which the only option for a woman - no matter how smart - to achieve upward mobility is through marriage, and Becky is a character who should be wheeling and dealing but instead spends her time on seduction and plotting. (I don't know if that's how she comes across in the book.)

Olivia Cooke is wonderful as Becky (she has a cheeky, sardonic quality reminiscent of Phoebe Waller-Bridge), and the rest of the cast is excellent.

Highly recommended.

'Vanity Fair' is the story of Becky Sharp; a young woman determined to rise to the top of London society. To this end she flirts with the rich and powerful and is quick to move on to the next potential suiter if she thinks he will further her ambitions. Of course things don't always go according to plan but Becky is one of nature's survivors and is soon on her way up again. Her life is juxtaposed with that of her friend Amelia 'Emmy' Sedley; the daughter of a wealthy businessman whose life seems to be going in the opposite direction.

This satire on the social mores of the time it was written still feels delightfully fresh. The modern music during the opening and closings, and the electric lights on the merry-go-round the characters ride on during the introduction remind us that the World will always have its Becky Sharps wanting to get to the top. Becky could easily be an unsympathetic character but a combination of fine writing and great acting from Olivia Cooke make it hard for the viewer not to root for her. The rest of the cast is top-notch too; even the more comic characters feel real. As one would expect from a period drama everything looks great. Overall I'd certainly recommend this; even to people who don't consider themselves fans of adaptations of literary classics.

ITV are no slouches when it comes to the adaptation of classical novels, and I am delighted that Vanity Fair is proving to be a first class series. Thackeray's sharp wit and sometimes cynical view of human behaviour is portrayed with skill by a top class cast.

There is hardly a false step anywhere with Becky doing all she can to convince her tv audience and her companions in the Crawley household that she is the Queen of all she Surveys. She is ably assisted by a nimble cast, notably Martin Clunes as the roguish Pitt Crawley and Frances de la Tour as the irrepressible Miss Crawley. I don't know if a series as good as this needs the modern music and I am hoping ITV won't spring the BBC's favourite trick of changing the ending of the story.

Mary Gumsley

I have just finished watching the first episode of this latest adaptation of William Makepeace Thackary's classic tale of fighting against the tide of traditional class prejudice in Regency England. Aside from the odd choice of a contemporary song to open proceedings, it was note-perfect. Olivia Cooke was the perfect choice to play Becky Sharp, delivering a version of the character that has never felt more right, complete with occasional knowing looks through the 4th wall. This is all the more remarkable for the fact that Olivia Cooke has not come through the traditional dramatic training for period roles, and has done a fantastic job of delivering the required 'received pronunciation' instead of her native Northern British accent. From what I've seen of her so far, she has a glittering career ahead of her. If the rest of this series is a well made and paced as the opener, then it ought to be lauded as the finest example of the genre in quite some time.

'Vanity Fair' I think Gwyneth Huges has done a great job with this adaptation! Only the British do fine work, so much finess, costumes, beautiful new and modern music, and above all, the performances that are all on an extraordinarily high level, especially loving the friendship between the girls!

I have only seen 2 episodes so far (I intend seeing all, doesn't make sense to watch one or two and not the rest! Real dumb!

There's deceit, scheming, wicked behaviour from Becky, wonderfully played and then there is beautiful, sensitive and most of all devoted Amelia, both doing a great job in their extreme roles. The rest of the cast are incredible! With some very famous actors.

Is it an excellent drama? Yes! Does Is it clever and witty? Yes! No! Does it have wonderful acting? Yes! There are some rising stars and I look forward to seeing more of them