''Mrs. Perkins's Ball'' is a novel by

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his Satire, satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel ''Vanity Fair (novel), Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portra ...

, published under the pseudonym "M. A. Titmarsh" in 1846.

Publication history

''Mrs. Perkins's Ball'' was published as one of many Christmas novels; it was Thackeray's first attempt in the genre and its initial print run sold only 1,500 copies. In one review (written by Thackeray himself), he notes there were some 25 or 30 Christmas books published that season, including several illustrated by the "fast working" Isaac Robert Cruikshank. He then begins caustically reviewing ''Mrs. Perkins's Ball'' until, halfway through, he realizes in mock horror that he himself authored it and demands to "Kick old Father Christmas out of doors, the abominable old imposter! Next year I'll go to the Turks, the Scotch, or other Heathens who don't keep Christmas." The book was, nevertheless, popular enough that American author

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...

may have used the title character as an inspiration for his first known pen name, W. Epaminondas Adrastus Perkins, affixed to an article of his in the ''Hannibal Journal'' for 9 September 1852.Rasmussen, R. Kent. ''Critical Companion to Mark Twain: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work''. New York: Facts on File, 2007: 834.

References

External links

Mrs. Perkins's Ball at Internet Archive 1846 British novels Novels by William Makepeace Thackeray Christmas novels {{1840s-novel-stub