Mrs. Perkins's Ball facts for kids
Mrs. Perkins's Ball is a fun and witty novel written by William Makepeace Thackeray. It was first published in 1846 under his pen name, "M. A. Titmarsh." This book is known as a "Christmas novel" because it came out around the holiday season.
The Story Behind the Book
Mrs. Perkins's Ball was published as one of many special books released for Christmas. It was the first time Thackeray tried writing a book in this style. When it first came out, about 1,500 copies were sold.
Thackeray's Own Review
Interestingly, William Makepeace Thackeray even wrote a review of his own book! He mentioned that during that Christmas season, about 25 to 30 other Christmas books were published. Some of these were illustrated by the very busy artist Isaac Robert Cruikshank.
In his review, Thackeray started to criticize Mrs. Perkins's Ball. But then, he pretended to realize in a funny way that he was the author! He joked about getting rid of "Father Christmas" and wanting to go to other places that don't celebrate Christmas. Even with his funny self-review, the book became quite popular.
A Famous Fan: Mark Twain
The book was popular enough that a famous American author, Mark Twain, might have been inspired by it. Some people believe that the main character, Mrs. Perkins, gave him an idea for his first known pen name. Mark Twain used the name "W. Epaminondas Adrastus Perkins" for an article he wrote in the Hannibal Journal on September 9, 1852.
