The study of Thackeray's major fiction reconstructs the novelist's working methods with the help of manuscript material, much of it previously unpublished. The book's main argument is directed against the commonplace view that Thackeray was in some way a 'careless' artist. Much that appears casual or unpremeditated in his work can in fact be explained by the mode of composition which he developed in response both to the publishing conditions of his age and to his own artistic temperament. An appreciation of Thackeray's writing habits helps clear up much of the critical confusion which has surrounded his reputation in the last hundred years. A particular feature of interest in the book is the use made of Thackeray's preparatory working materials. These were widely dispersed after the writer's death and have never been comprehensively examined.
- ISBN10 0485111462
- ISBN13 9780485111460
- Publish Date 10 June 1974
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 14 February 1992
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Athlone Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 174
- Language English