The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.

By William Thackeray

Originally published in 1902, this early work is a comprehensive and informative look at the life and history of Henry Esmond. The text is split into three books: Book I. The early youth of Henry Esmond, up to the time of his leaving Trinity College in Cambridge. Book II. Contains Mr. Esmond's Military Life and other matters appertaining to the Esmond Family. Book III. Containing the end of Mr. Esmond's adventures in England. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dickens Press
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781447482666

Reviews for The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.

[schmerguls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book in June of 1949, right after I finished my junior year in college. On June 10 I said of the book: Reading , slowly, in Henry Esmond. Moves in the lackadaisical style of the time it was written, and the style is torturous. On June 13 I said: "Am reading right along in Henry Esmond. The book is yet another example of why I say I dislike historical novels--though it is true I liked Kossak's well enough. But this thing, besides being couched in the sentimentally extreme language of emotion and dsvotion, injects its own characters into history--and I don't know where fact leaves off. There is really little to the story. I wonder only who the old hero marries. If he ends up marrying Beatrix, I'll laugh. But I guess he won't. Unless Thackeray has her reform: but all the time he has spent delineating her character would have been wasted." On June 14 I said: "Finished Henry Esmond. Laughed at the ending. ( SPOILER) He married Beatrix's mother. What a cumbersom-sounding story that was. i don't care for the style of novels of those days, and I think historical novels bad as a rule. If there are good ones, they are the exception. But all in all, I didn't mind the book.

[lindawwilson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first half of the book was very good, but the second half was disappointing. The romance shifting from a 10 year infatuation for the daughter to the mother was most disturbing and unsatisfying. I had intended to read the sequel, the Virginians, but now I am not so sure. The history was rather complex and required a lot of ancillary reading in order to understand all the Jameses, pretenders, Georges, Annes, etc. Each had several different monikers. However, learning that was a positive aspect of the book.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this as a romantic teenager and loved it, sympathizing with the sufferings of the young hero. However like other readers I found his marriage to the mother of the woman he had vainly loved a bit shocking.