William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) was an English novelist, mostly known for his satirical works which were full of irony concerning the English society of those times. His most famous work is a novel entitled 'Vanity Fair', first published in 1847. This novel is a bright example of Thackeray's style of writing, which features realistic but at the same time rather pessimistic view on life. Opposite to usual English novel with it's idealised characters, central figures in his works are egoistic and viceous. 'Barry Lindon', originally published as a series under the title 'The Luck Of Barry Lyndon' is a classical novel which tells us about a representative of Irish gentry who tries to become a member of English noblement. The story is based on the experience of a real man, and nowadays it's considered a bright example of a picaresque novel. In 1975 the novel was adapted into a movie by a famous film director Stanley Kubrick, and the movie became a classic of cinematography.