Advantages: A brillant, satirical portrait of Regency high society
Disadvantages: In my eyes none, but I own that some may not appreciate Thackeray's mocking of everybody!

...A novel without a hero but with not one but two very worthy heroines... William Makepeace-Thackeray was born in Calcutta, India in 1811 to parents of English decent. On his father's untimely death in 1815 William was sent to England to be educated leaving his mother behind in Calcutta. Despite the very few years he actually lived in India the country obviously had quite an impact on his consciousness because an Anglo-Indian figure features in Vanity Fair (Jos Sedley) and apparently some of Thackeray's other works as well. In England he completed the standard education of a gentleman first at boarding school and then Cambridge. Thackeray was no natural student, however, and ended up leaving Cambridge without his degree and setting off to travel around the Continent. On his return to England William lived the merry life of a single... Read review

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Advantages: Very funny, excellent characters, unpredictable plot
Disadvantages: I know some people won't like the length

...Even though this novel is set nearly 200 years ago, it is amazing how much of it is applicable today - even to those of us who do not socialise in the London circles that Thackeray terms Vanity Fair. The subtitle 'A Novel Without A Hero' has never been more accurate - this isn't some frilly Victorian morality novel or a banal good versus bad story. The characters come to life as you read; particularly those of Becky Sharp and Georgy Osbourne (Jnr.), making you fall in love with them because of their flaws - not despite them. The novel opens with Becky Sharp, an artist's poor orphan, and Amelia Sedgely, a wealthy and privileged but naive young girl, leaving Miss Pinkerton's school for young ladies. Amelia is sad to be leaving her friends and the security of the school, but Becky can't wait to enter the 'real' world and climb... Read review

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Advantages: James Purefoy, Bob Hospkins, and Geraldine McEwan, music, production values...
Disadvantages: ... Reese isn't a convincing English woman, plodding storyline, characters you can't care about

...THIS IS A FILM-ONLY REVIEW ------------------------------------------ (I did in fact watch this on DVD but didn't watch any of the extras, so I can't really review the DVD as a complete package.) ------------------------------------------ Vanity Fair is a modern adaptation of the novel by William Makepeace Thackery which I must confess I've never read. I have also not seen any other film or TV versions of it, so I had no preconceptions whatsoever before watching it. It was one of those "shall I, shan't I" films at the cinema that I never quite got round to watching but still wanted to see. So how did it fare? The Plot Becky Sharp spent most of her childhood as an unloved orphan. Despite this however she grew up into a very strong-minded young woman with great plans for herself. An example of her headstrong nature... Read review

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Advantages: A wonderful Magazine
Disadvantages: None that I can think of.

...I have been buying the VANITY FAIR Magazine for over 12 years. You might think it's a Magazine for Women because it has a glossy cover and is often found near the Women's Magazines on the racks. My Husband can't wait until I finish it because he enjoys it as well. I read the Magazine from cover to cover. It use to take me a few days, (when my sight was good), but now it takes me almost a Month. I have just finished reading the September 2002 issue. The Magazine comes out Monthly and is published by Conde Nash Magazines. When you open the first page the first thing you will notice is that there are no "drop out ads". I hate it when my lap is filled with them. The amount of ads in the Magazine depends on the Month. It seems like there are more ads in May and September when the new fashions and make-up comes out. The ads may... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent material and fine entertainment
Disadvantages: Can be a bit pricey and containing many advertisements

...I began reading my latest copy of Vanity Fair last night and thought of how much I enjoy receiving this wonderful magazine every month. Although Vanity Fair may be a bit pricey, it never fails to offer wonderful reads that are informative and interesting. Especially riveting are the articles concerning true crime. Dominick Dunne is an excellent reporter for this genre. From the OJ Simpson case, to the JonBenet Ramsey tragedy, to the recent reminder of the Sharon Tate murder, Dunne always shows that he has his facts in order. Dunne is, no doubt, biased in some of his opinions; however, I believe he has earned the right to be. After all, he has led a high-profile life surrounded by celebrities. Also, his daughter was tragically murdered by her boyfriend-turned stalker a number of years ago. Dunne writes from the heart... Read review

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Advantages: Clean, Tough, Looks very well built
Disadvantages: Expensive, have to remove to charge, slightly gets in the way of the hold button

...When I purchased my Ipod nano, I have heard plenty about how easily they are damaged so I made sure along side its purchase I ordered a case. I chose this on because it was a Belkin case which I like that brand. It also was white to match the Ipod and it also looked quite appealing to me for my tastes. Unfortunately the case was quite expensive coming in at about 15 pounds from the apple website but at least I was pleased to se it came with a "free/something to make it seem like your money was well spent" screen protector. The protector itself is a little film of plastic that is non-adhesive so it does not stick to your screen for easy removal. The case is made of nice looking quality leather. It is stitched so it's not just cheaply glued together. The inside is very soft and smooth so it is not to scratch the delicate mirror... Read review

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Advantages: Protects.
Disadvantages: None.

...First the technical stuff, the case is made of plastic, ethylene-vinyl acetate actually, which is a form of soft thermoplastic, including recycled materials, so you could say you are doing your bit for the environment. The outer covering is hardwearing Nylon. The carry case comes complete with a wrist strap, although personally I would not trust it. It has an improved zip, apparently the old one was prone to jamming. The picture Ciao have put up is of the old model, the new one is very similar, just a little more subtle. These cases are a good idea for keeping dust and scratches at bay, however, it may have been a better idea if the case was fitted with belt loops, so you could carry it on your belt, or a strap like binoculars have, rather than risk it slipping out of your pocket, or even leaving it in the car. The downside... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap price, Safe and Durable, Waterproof, and Camera Protective
Disadvantages: Made in China, Available in black only.

...Background to Vanguard Until I started to write this review I had no idea who they were. I searched online and read a few reviews about the company. The company specialise in manufacturing camera bags, binoculars, tripods and cases for guns to name a few products. This companies customers include major camera manufacturers. Vanguard Camera Case For a camera case it is a low priced entry level camera case used to hold, store and allow the user to move around with a camera inside the pouch. The camera case is black coloured throughout. The case has the Vanguard's logo encased on the closing part of the pouch. Also the material is polyester and I suppose that it is good that it is not made from leather as the leather in the summer weather reacts to the heat. This camera case also adheres to the international quality... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Brilliant writing
Disadvantages: Too many ads

...Americans do magazines so much better than Brits do? Maybe it's something to do with the fact that American magazines actually value decent journalism. Maybe it's because they don't assume that their readers are very, very stupid and only able to be interested in one thing at a time. Maybe it's because they realise that there are interesting things to be said about the most trivial of subjects. I don't know, but they're certainly getting something right. Vanity Fair is a case in point. It's an American magazine of course, but it publishes an English edition, which is what you'll find over here. The only difference tends to be different cover stars to appeal to the different markets - otherwise, the content is pretty much the same, and there are certainly no changes to philosophy or writing style. It is that rare thing in modern... Read review

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Advantages: Stylish, good range of features
Disadvantages: No 'piggy-back' connection

...to become more organised! As there are specific pockets for different things it means I am less likely to lose things (hopefully...) Although the bag is described as a 'Vanity Case' it is very versatile and I used it recently as my flight-bag/hand-luggage. The inside is expandable, so it is a good size. The only reservations I have are that, unlike other travel-bags, there is no 'piggy-back' connection to connect the bag to your suitcase. Also, there should be a detachable mirror inside the bag. The number of features are excellent and I would recommend this bag if you are looking for something practical yet fashionable.... Read review

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