Redmond Barry, an Irish adventurer, recounts his rise and fall through the rigid social hierarchies of 18th-century Europe. Driven by an insatiable desire for status and wealth, Barry navigates the treacherous landscapes of military service, gambling, and high-society marriage. He faces constant opposition from the very aristocracy he seeks to infiltrate, as well as the consequences of his own moral bankruptcy. The narrative is presented as a first-person memoir, characterized by the protagonist's unreliable and self-serving perspective on his own life events.

Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of Thackeray's use of an unreliable narrator to expose the vanity of the protagonist. Readers frequently highlight the biting irony present throughout the text, which serves to distance the audience from Barry's self-justifying tone. Critics often note the book's role as a precursor to more complex psychological character studies in Victorian literature. The pacing is described as steady, reflecting the episodic nature of a life defined by constant movement and opportunistic schemes. Many readers appreciate the historical detail, though they emphasize that the primary focus remains on the character's relentless pursuit of social advancement.