[EternalVigilance]

Vanity Fair was a fictional location in John Bunyan's famous allegorical novel, Pilgrim's Progress.

Indeed it was.

Pilgim's Progress is the second-best-selling book of all time---behind the Bible itself...and is in my opinion is the greatest work of English literature ever.

Bunyan's life story is exceedingly interesting...he wrote P.P. from prison, if my memory serves me correctly...he had been locked up for his active faith.

[bourbon]

yes, I'm sure at one time earlier in American history, everyone would have known recognized Vanity Fair as an allusion to Bunyan's book. As you said, the book was VERY popular.

Indeed, I only recognized the allusion not b/c I had read the book itself but b/c I've read a fair bit about the book. I must say this discussion and your extremely high praise of it does make me want to read it! thanks!

I should add that there is also a William Makepeace Thackeray book called Vanity Fair. Strangely enough, I just noticed this as I was looking at my bookshelves next to the computer!

(Grin!) But I've never read that book, either. I'm embarassed to admit that my reading list is growing more cluttered by the day.