ABSTRACT

The event of the year (1844)—it, in fact, marks an epoch in Thackeray’s literary life—was the publication in Fraser’s Magazine monthly, from January to December (October excepted) of The Luck of Barry Lyndon, A Romance of the Last Century. By Fitz- Boodle. Thackeray’s art criticisms were not at all pleasant reading to painters of day, as single perusal will convince any one; and there is rather an amusing passage about the way the artists felt towards Thackeray in a letter written in June by Edward Fitzgerald to Frederick Tennyson about Pictwre Gossip. The novelist replied that Thackeray’s hardly knew what subjects to point out as suited to his capacity, but suggested light matter connected with art, humorous reviews and critiques of novels. As an alternative, Thackeray proposed to review the Glances at Life, which could be coupled in an article with N. P. Willis’s Dashes at Life; or he might see what he could do with Lady Hester Stanhope’s book.