In Pendennis, William Makepeace Thackeray skillfully shows the coming of age of Arthur Pendennis, a young gentleman trying to make his way in the world. Pen's difficulties in finding his place in the difficult maze of social obstacles are created to some extent by his being raised in the country and being from an ancient though impoverished family. We follow his course from the village in which he was raised via Oxbridge to London, meeting the most memorable characters, falling in and out of love, navigating the difficulties of society, and hopefully finally arriving at a happy end. - Summary by Carolin
Chapters
1 Dedication and Preface 6 min 2 Chapter I, Shows how First Love may interrupt Breakfast 13 min 3 Chapter II, A Pedigree and other Family Matters 49 min 4 Chapter III, In which Pendennis appears as a very young Man indeed 41 min 5 Chapter IV, Mrs. Haller 26 min 6 Chapter V, Mrs. Haller at Home 34 min 7 Chapter VI, Contains both Love and War 28 min 8 Chapter VII, In which the Major makes his Appearance 29 min 9 Chapter VIII, In which Pen is kept waiting at the Door, while the Reader is informed who little Laura was 30 min 10 Chapter IX, In which the Major opens the Campaign 19 min 11 Chapter X, Facing the Enemy 14 min 12 Chapter XI, Negotiation 21 min 13 Chapter XII, In which a Shooting Match is proposed 20 min 14 Chapter XIII, A Crisis 24 min 15 Chapter XIV, In which Miss Fotheringay makes a new Engagement 18 min 16 Chapter XV, The happy Village 29 min 17 Chapter XVI, More Storms in the Puddle 30 min 18 Chapter XVII, Which concludes the first Part of this History 28 min 19 Chapter XVIII, Alma Mater 29 min 20 Chapter XIX, Pendennis of Boniface 43 min 21 Chapter XX, Rake's Progress 36 min 22 Chapter XXI, Flight after Defeat 24 min 23 Chapter XXII, Prodigal's Return 27 min 24 Chapter XXIII, New Faces 42 min 25 Chapter XXIV, A Little Innocent 31 min 26 Chapter XXV, Contains both Love and Jealousy 26 min 27 Chapter XXVI, A House full of Visitors 36 min 28 Chapter XXVII, Contains some Ball-practising 23 min 29 Chapter XXVIII, Which is both Quarrelsome and Sentimental 35 min 30 Chapter XXIX, Babylon 30 min 31 Chapter XXX, The Knights of the Temple 24 min 32 Chapter XXXI, Old and new Acquaintances 31 min 33 Chapter XXXII, In which the Printer's Devil comes to the Door 33 min 34 Chapter XXXIII, Which is passed in the Neighbourhood of Ludgate Hill 29 min 35 Chapter XXXIV, In which the History still hovers about Fleet Street 16 min 36 Chapter XXXV, Dinner in the Row 27 min 37 Chapter XXXVI, The Pall Mall Gazette 16 min 38 Chapter XXXVII, Where Pen appears in Town and Country 39 min 39 Chapter XXXVIII, In which the Sylph reappears 26 min 40 Chapter XXXIX, Colonel Altamont appears and disappears 27 min 41 Chapter XL, Relates to Mr. Harry Foker's Affairs 29 min 42 Chapter XLI, Carries the Reader both to Richmond and Greenwich 21 min 43 Chapter XLII, Contains a novel Incident 27 min 44 Chapter XLIII, Alsatia 22 min 45 Chapter XLIV, In which the Colonel narrates some of his Adventures 25 min 46 Chapter XLV, A Chapter of Conversations 34 min 47 Chapter XLVI, Miss Amory's Partners 33 min 48 Chapter XLVII, Monseigneur s'amuse 39 min 49 Chapter XLVIII, A Visit of Politeness 16 min 50 Chapter XLIX, In Shepherd's Inn 17 min 51 Chapter L, Or near the Temple Garden 24 min 52 Chapter LI, The happy Village again 19 min 53 Chapter LII, Which had very nearly been the last of the Story 29 min 54 Chapter LIII, A critical Chapter 24 min 55 Chapter LIV, Convalescence 33 min 56 Chapter LV, Fanny's Occupation's gone 28 min 57 Chapter LVI, In which Fanny engages a new Medical Man 30 min 58 Chapter LVII, Foreign Ground 34 min 59 Chapter LVIII, 'Fairoaks to let' 26 min 60 Chapter LIX, Old Friends 31 min 61 Chapter LX, Explanations 22 min 62 Chapter LXI, Conversations 35 min 63 Chapter LXII, The Way of the World 42 min 64 Chapter LXIII, Which accounts perhaps for Chapter LXI 32 min 65 Chapter LXIV, Phyllis and Corydon 13 min 66 Chapter LXV, Temptation 28 min 67 Chapter LXVI, In which Pen begins his Canvass 22 min 68 Chapter LXVII, In which Pen begins to doubt about his Election 32 min 69 Chapter LXVIII, In which the Major is bidden to Stand and Deliver 28 min 70 Chapter LXIX, In which the Major neither yields his Money nor his Life 21 min 71 Chapter LXX, In which Pendennis counts his Eggs 17 min 72 Chapter LXXI, Fiat Justitia 21 min 73 Chapter LXXII, In which the Decks begin to clear 18 min 74 Chapter LXXIII, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Huxter 25 min 75 Chapter LXXIV, Shows how Arthur had better have taken a Return-ticket 19 min 76 Chapter LXXV, A Chapter of Match-making 20 min 77 Chapter LXXVI, Exeunt Omnes 46 min
