The History of Pendennis, His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy

Pendennis is a novel about the education of a young Englishman. Arthur Pendennis grows up in a country village, cherished by his mother and guardian uncle, and then goes to university and to London, where he tries his hand at literary life. Along the way he falls in love unwisely, makes friends and rivals, and learns how far his own vanity and idleness are his worst enemy. Thackeray draws on the world of Victorian journalism and society, and the book is gentle, humorous and frank about the weaknesses of its hero.