William Makepeace Thackeray published 35 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections, 4 non-fiction books, 2 children's books, 1 poetry collection and 5 other books, beginning with The Luck of Barry Lyndon (1844). The best-known is Vanity Fair (1848).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with William Makepeace Thackeray
Standalone novels in order
The Paris Sketch Book (1840)
The Irish Sketch-book (1843)
The Luck of Barry Lyndon (1844)
The Book of Snobs (1848)
The History of Pendennis (1848)
Vanity Fair (1848)
Pendennis (1850)
History of Henry Esmond, Esq (1852)
Men's Wives (1852)
The Confessions of Fitz-Boodle (1852)
The Yellowplush Papers (1852)
Jeames's Diary (1853)
Mr. Brown's Letters to a Young Man About Town (1853)
Punch's Prize Novelists (1853)
The Newcomes (1855)
The Rose and the Ring (1855)
Burlesques (1856)
Sketches and Travels in London (1856)
The Virginians (1857)
The Virginians, a Tale of the Last Century (1859)
Lovel the Widower (1860)
The Adventures of Philip (1861)
The Adventures of Philip on His Way Through the World (1862)
Denis Duval (1867)
Early And Late Papers (1867)
The English Humourists (1867)
Ballads and Tales (1869)
The Christmas Books of Mr. M. A. Titmarsh, Etc (1898)
Henry Esmond (1900)
Christmas Books Etc (1903)
Catherine (1908)
Novellas in order
Short story collections in order
Stray Papers (1901)
A Shabby Genteel Story (1911)
Non-fiction in order
The English Humourists of the Eighteenth Century (1853)
The Four Georges (1860)
Cornhill To Cairo, Etc (1903)
Children's books in order
"Our Street." (1848)
Poetry in order
Ballads (1855)
Other books in order
The Kickleburys on the Rhine (1850)
Miscellanies (1855)
The Chronicle of the Drum (1882)
Reading a Poem (1891)
Heroes of the Sea (1912)
Film and TV adaptations
- Barry Lyndon (1975)Film · from The Luck of Barry Lyndon
- Vanity Fair (1911)Film · from Vanity Fair
- Vanity Fair (1915)Film · from Vanity Fair
- Becky Sharp (1935)Film · from Vanity Fair
- Vanity Fair (2004)Film · from Vanity Fair
- Pierścień i róża (1986)Film · from The Rose and the Ring
Free to read
All free classicsThe History of Pendennis, Volume 2
Barry Lyndon
Roundabout Papers
The Fitz-Boodle Papers
The Comic Almanack, Volume 2
The Comic Almanack, Volume 1
A History of Pendennis, Volume 1
The Tremendous Adventures of Major Gahagan
George Cruikshank
Some Roundabout Papers
The Bedford-Row Conspiracy
A Little Dinner at Timmins's
Little Travels and Roadside Sketches
The Wolves and the Lamb
About William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of British society, and the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, which was adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
William Makepeace Thackeray FAQ
- How many books has William Makepeace Thackeray written?
- William Makepeace Thackeray published 35 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections, 4 non-fiction books, 2 children's books, 1 poetry collection and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read William Makepeace Thackeray's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Vanity Fair.
- What is William Makepeace Thackeray's last book?
- The Adventures of Philip on His Way Through the World (1862).
- What is William Makepeace Thackeray's most famous book?
- Vanity Fair (1848) is William Makepeace Thackeray's most widely read book.
- Does William Makepeace Thackeray write under a pen name?
- Yes: William Makepeace Thackeray has also published as George Fitz-Boodle, Ikey Solomons and Michael Angelo Titmarsh.
- Which William Makepeace Thackeray books have been adapted?
- 3 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Luck of Barry Lyndon (as Barry Lyndon, film, 1975), Vanity Fair (film, 1911) and The Rose and the Ring (as Pierścień i róża, film, 1986).
- Can I read William Makepeace Thackeray's books for free?
- Yes. 37 books by William Makepeace Thackeray are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like William Makepeace Thackeray
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.