The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon Esquire Written by Himself and Catherine a Story

""The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon Esquire Written by Himself and Catherine a Story"" is a novel written by William Makepeace Thackeray. The book is divided into two parts, with the first part being the memoirs of the titular character, Barry Lyndon, and the second part being the story of Catherine, a young woman who is forced into a loveless marriage.The first part of the book follows the life of Barry Lyndon, a young man who rises from humble beginnings to become a wealthy and influential member of society. Barry is a charming and charismatic character, but he is also manipulative and ruthless in his pursuit of power and wealth. The memoirs detail his many adventures, including his time as a soldier, a gambler, and a lover.The second part of the book tells the story of Catherine, a young woman who marries a man she does not love in order to escape her unhappy home life. Catherine's husband is cruel and abusive, and she is forced to endure a life of misery and despair. However, she eventually finds solace in the arms of another man, and the two of them plot to escape her husband's clutches.Overall, ""The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon Esquire Written by Himself and Catherine a Story"" is a gripping tale of love, ambition, and betrayal. Thackeray's writing is masterful, and he expertly captures the complexities of human nature and the struggles that people face as they navigate the challenges of life.1902. With illustrations by the author. Vanity Fair is Thackeray's masterpiece, but he also showed great skill in writing historical fiction with fine attention to period manners and customs and a dispassionate sympathy for his character's actions. The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Thackeray's first substantial work, concerns the life and times of the title character and narrator, a roguish Irishman. Born Redmond Barry, he leaves his homeland after shooting a man in a duel. He becomes a soldier of fortune and later works as a professional gambler. Remade as a man of fashion, he courts a wealthy widow, marries her, and assumes her aristocratic name of Lyndon. He mistreats both her and her son and spends and gambles away her money, but eventually she extricates herself from the alliance. By the novel's end he is in jail, cared for by his mother. Also contained in this volume is Catherine: A Story, Thackeray's first novel. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.