Barry Lyndon
by William Makepeace Thackeray
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Barry Lyndon" by William Makepeace Thackeray is a picaresque novel first published in 1844. An Irish gentleman schemes his way toward English aristocracy through a life of duels, military service, gambling, and seduction. Narrated by the unreliable Barry himself, the story follows his relentless pursuit of wealth and status across war-torn Europe. From fraudulent courtships to strategic marriages, Barry's fortunes rise and fall as ambition collides with fate, leading to a reckoning that strips away his carefully constructed identity.
- Satire
- Humorous stories
- Gamblers
- Ireland
- Europe
- Rogues and vagabonds
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #4558. Barry Lyndon on Wikipedia.
