Publisher's Synopsis
The Kickleburys On The Rhine is a satirical novella written by William Makepeace Thackeray. The story follows the Kicklebury family, a group of wealthy and somewhat naive English tourists who embark on a grand tour of Europe, specifically Germany. The family is led by Mr. Kicklebury, a pompous and self-important man who is obsessed with his own social status and reputation.As the Kickleburys travel through Germany, they encounter a variety of characters and situations that highlight the absurdity of their own behavior and attitudes. They attend grand balls, visit historic sites, and engage in various cultural activities, all while making a spectacle of themselves and embarrassing those around them.Throughout the novella, Thackeray uses his trademark wit and humor to poke fun at the Kickleburys and their fellow travelers, as well as the larger social and political issues of the time. The book is a biting commentary on the excesses and follies of the Victorian era, and remains a classic of satirical literature to this day.I burst out in a scornful laugh. ""THAT!"" I say; ""he is a captain of dragoons, and his father an attorney in Bedford Row. The whiskers of a roturier, my good Lankin, grow as long as the beard of a Plantagenet. It don't require much noble blood to learn the polka. If you were younger, Lankin, we might go for a shilling a night, and dance every evening at M. Laurent's Casino, and skip about in a little time as well as that fellow. Only we despise the kind of thing you know, --only we're too grave, and too steady.""This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.