A Foundling (Penguin Classics) - The History of Tom Jones

Absolutely gorgeous book. I'm so pleased to have this and read it. It's a classic that is as classic as they come. The previous owner took excellent care of it. It feels like an original first addition, and I am one that has an appreciation for those sorts of things (history). I love it.

There is some serious sexism in this book (as you would expect from the period) - among certain gems of wisdom, the author says that women shouldn't be allowed to testify against their husbands because they'd fabricate stories of domestic violence, and also that women like to cry 'rape!' for no reason at all. Of course the female lead is virginal and pure and obedient and constantly vows that she'd rather die than make her father unhappy (this father treats her like a prisoner) and faints at the drop of a hat, whereas the male lead is promiscuous (even fathers a child with someone other than the female lead) but she accepts him in the end. There is only one female character who believes women shouldn't have to be obedient to their fathers, and she ends up being a horrible cow. Considering when this book was written, there's rather more sexual content than you'd expect - even references to the pornography of the time.
Fielding is obsessed with defending himself against his critics, and from this we can glean that he was accused of meandering confusing rambling narratival style. Unfortunately this criticism is ABSOLUTELY TRUE, particularly in the first third of the novel.
Despite this, the actual plot ends up being quite compelling and intriguing, and the plot twists at the end are total bombshells. The picture of male-female relations is also rather more realistic than the sanitised version that you get in Austen. It is worth reading, but maybe a skilfully abridged version would be better?

This is a fairly wonderfully rendered e-book. Oxford seems to do better than Penguin with its digital versions (the number of misspellings and inoperable footnotes I've encountered with Penguin is surprising). However, there is no encoding for the asterisks here--which is the Oxford version of the footnote. It gets frustrating to come across these, and know there is some note that might help illuminate the passage, but only be able awkwardly get there through the table of contents then to the Notes, then to flip through pages, so that one can then go back.

The book itself is, of course, one of the greatest, funniest, most human novels ever written. Highly recommended.

Even though I never received the book never arrived the seller contacted me immediately to inform me of the error. I am greatly appreciative of the gesture and would gladly buy from this seller again.

1: Fielding is really funny!
2: It takes about 100 pages to really get rolling.
3: He's written a more approachable book that Sam Richardson (Pamela tends to go on a bit... And Clarissa just goes on and on -- great villain though)
4: Henry created one of the great names in literature, Mr. Blifel! Say it a few times and it makes you feel grubby enough that you'll need a shower!
5. Skip the first chapter of each book during your first read, it probably won't be on the test and it's always just Henry's latest blog on his most recent rant.

Jane Austen liked the book, although she seems to have preferred Richardson -- I suspect Sam wrote the first Chick lit while Henry wrote guy noir, so 'of course' Jane would prefer Sam's stuff -- or does she! (add scary Shadow type laugh here...).

You see, before Jane A (except, maybe, for Daniel Defoe [of Moll Flanders fame]), most novels (well, English novels, anyway) used the exchange of letters as the method of progressing the story. The entire novel would be in the form of letters and journals by the varioius protagonists (Bram Stoker used this in Dracula). Fielding utterly drops this conceit and sticks with straight narrative. And he seems to have been completely aware of how extreme this was for his time. Ms Austen made the same decision. So, you see, she may indeed have been more intrigued by the 'bad boy,' Henry Fielding, than we have believed. But let's let the English majors sort all this out. OK?

Oh, one last thing: If you want a bit more blood and thunder in your literature you might try one by Mrs. Ann Radcliffe (I liked The Mysteries of Udolpho); and if you REALLY want some truly serious goth try The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis. The Monk also has the advantage of being a frequently banned book and it's always good to support whatever "they" don't like, aye?

This is one of the great novels in English Literature. If you're an English student and read F. R. Leavis's "The Great Tradition," you might have skipped the novel on Leavis's extremely self-confident advice that Fielding's real importance was to influence the development of Jane Austen, and you don't really have time for such a big book as "Tom Jones" (as a true appreciation of Jane Austen will tell you) — you should read the much smaller "Joseph Andrews" instead. Well, my reaction is if we don't have time for "Tom Jones," we certainly don't have time for Leavis. In fact, this is a much better and more entertaining novel than "Joseph Andrews." It's true that Fielding begins new "books" within the novel by discussing his own work in light of the art of fiction. But he does it with uncanny grace. The incidents pile up hilariously, but they all seem part of an essay at the same time. Fielding can gives us characters like Tom and Sophie who are too perfect for this world (unlike Albert Finney and Susanna York's portrayals in the movie); and yet we actually enjoy them. They're part of the discussion that Fielding carries on about life and conduct; and their perfection works so well because of who they are (with Tom's true ancestry being part of this, but I won't spoil it for you) and also because of Fielding magnificent poise and style. You'll never read another novel quite like this. It belongs in our Great Tradition, if not in Leavis's. Read it and see.

Henry Fielding's Tom Jones is an absolute delight, and a bit of a miracle. It is a chock-a-block history, romance, philosophic muse and satire poured into the fledgling genre we call the novel. Fielding is thankfully unlike a few of his more off-putting contemporaries-- the rather dour Daniel Dafoe or the priggish Samuel Richardson. His story is bursting with folk both virtuous and vile; saintly and slimy. And yes it is a very big book. But complaining about Tom Jones' length is like saying the Grand Canyon is too big. Size is one of the things that makes both Grand.

One of my first observations was the unrestrained nature of fiction before the Victorians got their hands on it. Unwed mothers, adulterers of both sexes, attempted rapists, kidnappers, hypocrites and robbers abound. Firecrackers that keep the plot popping colorfully along. Equally apparent is how generous and uncritical Fielding is of human failing--this is no tongue-clucking, finger-wagging scold who is too good for the sorry lot we call humanity. Indeed, rogues and scoundrels are punished lightly, if at all. And while Fielding always distinguishes the bad from the good, he fully expects mankind to spend more time with the former than the latter.

Above all, Tom Jones is great fun. Tom, Sophia, Mr. Western, Squire Allworthy, Partridge, Lady Belaston, Blifil, Thwackum and Square: a gloriously motley crew, gamboling across hundreds of pages. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud at some observation or characterization. In the end I found myself wanting more, not less of this very, very, very big book.

Such a colorful racy British comedy, sure to provide many days of enjoyment due to its length. A great plot to boot, though I didn't like that the novel ends much differently than Fielding on several occasions implies it would. My guess is towards the end he came under pressure from his publishers and/or the public to keep the ending storybook. My quibble with this, though serious, I think hardly justifies docking a star over since the plot is excellent regardless.

Should you find you don't care for Fielding's rambling digressions that start each of the eighteen "books", I feel they can be skipped with negligible detraction from comprehension of the narrative. I read them all and they do vary quite a bit in quality, with a few of them quite good and others a relief to finish and move on to the narrative.

This is one to be read a few chapters at a time when you're not rushed. Fielding doesn't hold back on letting his readers know how he thinks people ought and oughtn't to behave, but his sermon is so replete with good-natured humor you'll forgive him his impertinence. Might need to have a dictionary or the Internet handy for those few abandoned words & obscure references commonly used in 18th century England but forgotten. To this end, the notes in the Penguin edition help a lot.

A classic English picaresque well worthy of its reputation as a giant of world literature for at least two reasons.

The first is its prose style. Here we have the English language at its most comic and cartoonish without any sacrifice of pathos or multidimensionality. Think Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven's Potato Head Blues for the closest musical analogy. And it's all rendered in a rich language of robust imperial confidence and deep irony. As such it provides an antidote to much of the sterile stuff published these days. Seriously, we need at least a splash of Fielding's purple to spruce up our prose here.

Secondly, it's an important book to read for the same reason all great books are worth reading: its therapeutic value. Tom Jones is a story of familial misunderstandings, wrongful estrangements and the often harsh vagaries of life. So we can learn from the mistakes of its characters, hoping to avoid such errors ourselves. Whereas they practiced callousness, we should counsel compassion; where avarice reigned, instead liberality should hold; instead of blind retribution, try a little forgiveness. Lucky for our heroes all ends well but it's clear that this comedy could just as easily have ended in tragedy. Time may not be as kind in your own story as it is in Tom Jones. Don't let it be too late.

This romantic farce holds the mirror up to human nature, and in the maelstrom of passion, folly, vice, and also virtue, we see that while manners have changed (a little) since 1749, the animal who adopts them has not.

I might never have read this book if it were not for the Britannica Great Books of the Western World series, a whole set of which I acquired in 2010 from a lady farmer in Minnesota. The 54-volume set contains just eight novels (the other seven are Gargantua and Pantagruel, Don Quixote, Gulliver’s Travels, Tristram Shandy, Moby-Dick, War and Peace, and The Brothers Karamazov), so it’s intriguing to think of how the editors of the series selected them.

The editors refer to the Great Books as the Great Conversation, and as the best conversation is about ideas, the novels in the set are novels of ideas. Tom Jones is divided into 18 books, the first chapter of each of these being a short humorous essay on some aspect of the work; in book 1, chapter 1, page 1, Fielding, likening himself to a restaurateur, posts his bill of fare, and it is a single dish: Human Nature. While acknowledging that other authors set out to offer the same thing, Fielding asserts that it’s all about how the meal is cooked and presented. And for this reader, as for the editors of the Britannica Great Books, he has here shown himself to be a master chef.

The book is long and composed of a complex interweaving of incidents, but in brief, it’s the story of how a bastard baby boy is discovered right in the very bed of an upright country gentleman named Mr. Allworthy, and how this Mr. Allworthy, a childless widower, decides to raise the boy as his own. The boy, who comes to be named Tom Jones, is raised as a gentleman, and grows to be a handsome, passionate, and exceptionally good-natured young man. He comes to love a beautiful and similarly good-natured girl named Sophia, daughter of the squire of a neighboring estate, but Tom’s status as a bastard precludes marriage with a woman of such quality. That’s a pity, for Sophia herself falls passionately in love with Tom.

Through the machinations of a step-cousin named Blifil, who is concerned about how much of Mr. Allworthy’s estate Tom is destined to receive, Mr. Allworthy is turned against Tom, so much so that he ejects and disinherits poor Tom, who must now make his own way in the world. Indeed, due to the dishonesty and opportunism of the people around him, including some whom Tom has done great favors for, Tom is stripped of the few resources he has, and his reputation with his family is completely and falsely blackened. With barely the shirt on his back and a few coins in his pocket he must seek his fortune.

A series of adventures ensues with a diverse array of colorful, well-observed characters, many of whom recur in surprising and unpredictable contexts. The story is an intricate clockwork of improbable coincidences, with Tom’s heart remaining devoted to Sophia, even as his good looks and passionate nature bring other women into his path who find him much too good to pass up. Sophia, meanwhile, is under siege by her own family to marry Blifil, whom she detests.

The action eventually converges on London, where, among fashionable society, people are even more hypocritical and cynical.

I was continually surprised by the behavior of characters in this book. The dominant human traits that I perceived were selfishness, fickleness, and opportunism. Mixed in with these, though, were generosity, love, and honor. The narrator takes pains at several points to caution the reader not to judge people too harshly, which is an excellent tip, and not just for reading his novel. It got me thinking about my own behavior, my own motives. How selfish am I? How fickle? How opportunistic? I think about a great scene in the TV adaptation of Paul Scott’s Raj Quartet, in which Major Merrick yells at an effeminate sergeant who is nonetheless battle decorated: “So which is it? Are you a hero, or a goddamned pansy?” The sergeant replies, “Quite honestly, major, I think that’s a question we don’t want to be asking ourselves.” Well, I found that Tom Jones got me asking myself questions.

Fielding’s narrator is arch, ironic, and does not hesitate to patronize the reader outright. He attacks literary critics repeatedly and mercilessly. And yet he also shows a becoming if ironic humility, and I get the feeling that his capacity for love was great. Fielding is explicit that he modeled Sophia after his own late wife Charlotte, and the biographical note at the beginning of the volume states that Fielding’s friends remarked on the intensity of his grief when Charlotte died after 10 years of marriage. I can’t help but feel that this novel is in some way a love-letter to her, and that the honorable, lion-hearted bastard Tom Jones was Fielding as he wished he could have been for her sake.

This book is a satire on human relations and failings. It is especially aimed at the landed gentry of England in the eighteenth century, those of title and fortune, servants, and trades people—especially innkeepers. The novel is broken into eighteen books and those into many short chapters, the first of which is an essay on the writer’s profession. The reading of the novel can be improved by skipping the eighteen first chapters, which have nothing to do with the story. Their only purpose seems, to this reader, to be that Fielding found a sneaky way to get his essays published by inserting them into the novel.
The story itself is wrapped around two themes, those of forced marriages and the treatment of children born out of wedlock. It is mostly a fast paced romp that really hits its pace in the last 200 pages. At that point I laughed as hard as I have in some time as certain devices unfolded. If I have a complaint (other than the first chapters) it is that an awful lot of women seemed to be able to walk around through an entire pregnancy without being noticed, while others are noticed immediately.
I didn't like the way Tom was inclined to give away his last pence to others in need when he had no prospects of gaining more himself, but upon reflection, it seems to me that he could have realistically have gained this propensity from his benefactor, who was also big hearted. I found it interesting that Fielding didn't seem to find it necessary to punish the Squire Western for his misdeeds and selfish disposition, and that Blifil was able to reestablish himself after his downfall. It shows Fielding to have an interesting mixture of the romantic and cynical side of things.

This classic novel needs no recommendation from me, if you're interested in diving into the extraordinarily complex plot and story of Henry Fielding's classic novel. This Signet Classic paperback edition of "Tom Jones" uses the 3rd edition, published in 1749, with a few passages from the 1st edition, also published in 1749, included in the Appendix. Frank Kermode provides an insightful Afterword, although one has to note his subliminal bias in his opening, where he calls "Tom Jones" "the second great novel", after Samuel Richardson's "Clarissa". Kermode obviously means "the second great English novel", brushing aside earlier non-English novels like "The Tale of Genji" and "Don Quixote". Kermode also notes the limitations of characterization and psychological depth inherent in "Tom Jones", but also puts that evaluation in the context of seeing "Tom Jones" now through the unintentional lens of all the literature that has appeared since then. Fielding helped to pave the way for such later novels, of course.

By the way, Coleridge's other two "most perfect plots" were "Oedipus Rex" and "The Alchemist". And if anyone sees a connection between Fielding's the Man of the Hill and the Beatles' Fool on the Hill, feel free to expostulate on it.

This classic novel needs no recommendation from me, if you're interested in diving into the extraordinarily complex plot and story of Henry Fielding's classic novel. This Signet Classic paperback edition of "Tom Jones" uses the 3rd edition, published in 1749, with a few passages from the 1st edition, also published in 1749, included in the Appendix. Frank Kermode provides an insightful Afterword, although one has to note his subliminal bias in his opening, where he calls "Tom Jones" "the second great novel", after Samuel Richardson's "Clarissa". Kermode obviously means "the second great English novel", brushing aside earlier non-English novels like "The Tale of Genji" and "Don Quixote". Kermode also notes the limitations of characterization and psychological depth inherent in "Tom Jones", but also puts that evaluation in the context of seeing "Tom Jones" now through the unintentional lens of all the literature that has appeared since then. Fielding helped to pave the way for such later novels, of course.

By the way, Coleridge's other two "most perfect plots" were "Oedipus Rex" and "The Alchemist". And if anyone sees a connection between Fielding's the Man of the Hill and the Beatles' Fool on the Hill, feel free to expostulate on it.

This classic novel needs no recommendation from me, if you're interested in diving into the extraordinarily complex plot and story of Henry Fielding's classic novel. This Signet Classic paperback edition of "Tom Jones" uses the 3rd edition, published in 1749, with a few passages from the 1st edition, also published in 1749, included in the Appendix. Frank Kermode provides an insightful Afterword, although one has to note his subliminal bias in his opening, where he calls "Tom Jones" "the second great novel", after Samuel Richardson's "Clarissa". Kermode obviously means "the second great English novel", brushing aside earlier non-English novels like "The Tale of Genji" and "Don Quixote". Kermode also notes the limitations of characterization and psychological depth inherent in "Tom Jones", but also puts that evaluation in the context of seeing "Tom Jones" now through the unintentional lens of all the literature that has appeared since then. Fielding helped to pave the way for such later novels, of course.

By the way, Coleridge's other two "most perfect plots" were "Oedipus Rex" and "The Alchemist". And if anyone sees a connection between Fielding's the Man of the Hill and the Beatles' Fool on the Hill, feel free to expostulate on it.

This classic novel needs no recommendation from me, if you're interested in diving into the extraordinarily complex plot and story of Henry Fielding's classic novel. This Signet Classic paperback edition of "Tom Jones" uses the 3rd edition, published in 1749, with a few passages from the 1st edition, also published in 1749, included in the Appendix. Frank Kermode provides an insightful Afterword, although one has to note his subliminal bias in his opening, where he calls "Tom Jones" "the second great novel", after Samuel Richardson's "Clarissa". Kermode obviously means "the second great English novel", brushing aside earlier non-English novels like "The Tale of Genji" and "Don Quixote". Kermode also notes the limitations of characterization and psychological depth inherent in "Tom Jones", but also puts that evaluation in the context of seeing "Tom Jones" now through the unintentional lens of all the literature that has appeared since then. Fielding helped to pave the way for such later novels, of course.

By the way, Coleridge's other two "most perfect plots" were "Oedipus Rex" and "The Alchemist". And if anyone sees a connection between Fielding's the Man of the Hill and the Beatles' Fool on the Hill, feel free to expostulate on it.

The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling (the full title) is Fielding's second novel, a masterpiece of eighteen separate books expounding upon the profligate, the chaste, the reverent, and the two-faced. The tome may be considered a "bildungsroman," as the novel follows the entire life of Tom Jones, from before he was born, to his ultimate reformation.

I was introduced to this book in a Georgian Literature class during my senior year in college. As this edition runs nearly 900 pages in length, I never did quite complete it. In fact, I managed to achieve 370 pages or so in the brief time we had, but the story has spun around in my head for the several years since. I finally managed to find the time to start from the beginning and dedicate myself to this thing.

Unfortunately, I don't have my notes with me, for they would have surely helped with the "inside" references that pervade this book. Henry Fielding's commentary juxtaposes ridiculous plights consisting of more than twenty-three fully-fledged characters (and dozens of side-characters) within a framework of politics and affairs (and in the distant background, the War of the Austrian Succession). Fortunately for us sagacious readers (with only so much patience), Fielding does not drown us in vapid details preferring, instead, to keep the story moving swiftly. Of course, "swift" in any 18th century novel, is fairly subjective, but Fielding does, at one point, suggest to the reader that he or she may skip the dull moments.

While I certainly would not give away the ending, Book XVIII is filled with some of the most quickly occurring twists, explosive revelations, and an impressive resolution. One may feel the preceding seventeen books were lethargic and blunt in retrospect; Fielding, however, manages to fill the tale with (mis)adventures, soldiers, thieves, sexual trysts that would shock even today's readers, an intricate interweaving of social and class issues, and, my favorite bits: ghost stories! One of the highlights of the entire novel, in fact, is Partridge's running commentary during the production of "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark."

I did not perceive that secure feeling of emotional pertinence with Tom Jones as I did with Alexander Dumas's adventure novels (which are obviously of a different caliber). Still, I felt it was necessary to read this romantic comedy and absorb the tale for what it is: a rich study of the immature and presumptuous acts of youth, the ignorance of adulthood (believe it!), the power of virtue and integrity, and the importance of familial significance.

It was about time I read "Tom Jones." Fielding's 1749 novel gives us a panoramic view of 18th century British life. Its titular hero journeys among the low- and high-born trying to find his way in a world in which he occupies a precarious position. Fielding uses the sprawl of 800 pages to explore a multitude of social, political, and literary issues, gluing them together with an exquisitely outlandish, fully embodied sense of humour.
The action of the novel begins with a view of the Allworthy family, a landed gentleman, Thomas Allworthy and his sister, Bridget. Into this family is dropped an orphan, a foundling - a child, if you will, of questionable parentage. This child, Tom Jones, is raised alongside Bridget's child, Blifil, as relative equals. Both are tutored by two ideologues, the philosopher Square and the theologian Thwackum. Jones is a precocious, free-spirited youngster, spoiled by Allworthy while Blifil, the heir apparent to the estate, becomes the favourite pupil and spoiled accordingly by his mother. As the two youths age, Tom develops a fondness for the neighbour's daughter, Sophia Western.
Tom's sexual development begins to get him in trouble, as it tends to throughout the novel, and as a result of one such incident, coupled with the goading jealousy of Blifil, Tom is driven out of the Allworthy home, left to seek his fortunes in the world. Meeting his supposed father, Partridge, on the road, the two begin a quixotic ramble across England. Sophia, meanwhile, pressured into marrying Blifil, runs away from home, beginning her own voyage of discovery.
"Tom Jones" begins with the narrator likening literature to a meal, in which the paying customer comes expecting to be entertained and satisfied. All 18 books of "Tom Jones" start out with such authorial intrusions, each cluing us into the writer's craft, his interactions with his public, and various other topics. This voice is actually sustained throughout the novel, providing a supposedly impartial centre of moral value judgments - each of which seems to tend toward enforce Fielding's project of a realistic, and yet, didactic portrayal of a world full of flawed characters.
Some of the issues the novel deals most extensively with are modes of exchange, anxieties over female agency, and the power of rumour and reputation. Exchange and the ways in which value is figured include a wide range of goods - money, bodies, food, and stories - and are integral to the story. The treatment of women is a great concern in "Tom Jones": from Partridge's perpetual fear of witchcraft to the raging arguments between Squire Western and his sister over how Sophia should be treated, to general concerns about sexuality and virtue. A novel that can be in turns hilarious, disturbing, and provoking, "Tom Jones" is never dull. Despite its size, the pace of the novel is extremely fast and lively. So, get thee to a superstore and obtain thyself a copy of this excellent and highly entertaining novel.

Heralded as a classic, this eighteenth-century British novel has a Dickensian feel to it in parts. I found it to be very entertaining and a thorough novel.

Tom Jones, our protagonist, was the son of common parents. He is adopted by Mr. Allworthy, a venerable gentleman, who raises him alongside Mr. Blifil, Allworthy's nephew. Blifil does not like Tom and constantly schemes to get him in trouble. Tom is a good boy, and eventually falls in love with Sophia Western, the daughter of Allworthy's neighbor, Squire Western.

What follows is a delightful tale with a host of characters. Though, as I said before, there are Dickensian elements in the novel (with character names such as Allworthy and Thwackum), Fielding's book has some notable differences. Dickens has a very descriptive narrative style, filled with images and references to the physical items within the story. Fielding, on the other hand, is more apt to discuss aspects which are only tangentially related to the story-sometimes he ignores the story altogether.

The novel also seems to sway in its genre--at times it is a romance, at times a novel about class (most English novels are about class), and occasionally it reads like an epic philosophical allegory. Though long, Tom Jones is filled with entertaining twists and turns.

Any fan of a Dickens book will enjoy Tom Jones--if you tire at long novels, however, this one may not be for you. I particularly enjoyed the varying chapter titles, which were often comic, self-deprecating, and overly descriptive.

I was first drawn towards "Tom Jones" when I heard about the controversy that surrounded its publication. "Proper" Englishmen were naturally ruffled by Fielding's dead on satirical depictions of the English upper class and by his disregard for their accepted code of ethics, and declared the book to be insulting and evil. Since all of my favorite movies and books had legions of people seething when they were first released, I figured "Tom Jones" belonged in my collection.

Apart from being amusingly raunchy for its time, it is also tremendously well-written and absorbing, drawing the reader into its richly detailed English countryside setting and its vibrant characters. The plot moves gradually, but never tediously, because to Fielding minor escapades and subplots are as important as the larger picture, and often factor unexpectantly in the central plot. Thus the book is very lively and animated despite its length, moving through a massive cast of characters, and a number of amusing charicatures and grotesques. Fielding is not above slapstick and lowbrow humor; he will follow up an eloquent exchange of witticisms with an absurd mudfight. If the reader can't learn to laugh with Fielding the book may become tiresome. The frequency of unlikely coincidences in particular seemed to be a test of the reader's patience, but I came to realize that Fielding intended it as a parody of his contemporaries. He is ruthlessly critical of his own literature and that of others.

The book is interesting historically, both as a detailed panorama of 18th century England and as a prototype of the great comic epics of Dickens and Thackeray. Its comic technique was revolutionary, and it is a classic belongs in every serious library.

I love Jane Austen, but like most English novelists she was only writing about a very small slice of English society. The same can be said for most other great English novelists. Fielding's acheivement stands in utter contrast- In Tom Jones we see full blooded characters from across the entire spectrum of English society- in all of their full blooded vanity, goodness, ugliness, courage, cowardice wisdom and foolishness mixed together. This is England before the Victorians spoiled it. And the wonderful story told with such humor, irony and wit. The observations range from dry wit to bawdy burlesque - the product of a man who had lived the fullest possible life and is now determined to share all of it with his reader. This is absolutely one of my favorite books. You will love it too.

Outstanding book. The wording is in the 18th century convoluted style, but interesting (and often amusing) after one gets used to it. One disappointment: At Book XV, Book viii, in a footnote, the writer of the Introduction and Notes, Martin C. Battestin, gives away the ending. I read novels, not wanting to know the ending until it comes. Particularly in a novel with so many twists and turns, it is distressing to learn the ending before it comes. I also never read Introductions until I have finished the novel.

When Henry Fielding published TOM JONES in 1749, just one year after Samuel Richardson did with CLARISSA, there was a literary and vituperative collision of the only two writers of English novels. Richardson's heroine lived in an uneasy stasis of romance and tragedy, one in which the attention of the reader was directed to specified personalities, clear if egregious motives, and numbed reactions that were none the less horrifying in their numbness. Richardson, then, placed Clarissa in an unjust world that allowed her to grow in a manner that transcended her endured injustices. The world of Henry Fielding, by contrast, was one of benevolence., one in which evil and foolish characters were allowed to thrive but at no point in TOM JONES was the reader in any doubt that by the end of the hero's epic journey that he would regain a sense of social equilibrium. Fielding, then, placed Tom Jones in a just world that allowed him to wallow in his own sexual excesses but would not permit him to stay there very long. The very qualities that annoyed Richardson so much about Fielding's basically optimistic view of society are the ones that have made certain that both Clarissa and Tom Jones are much read today, even if for quite different reasons.

As many readers have noted the action of TOM JONES is divided into three parts: the first tells of the major characters--the Allworthys, the Westerns, the birth of Tom, and the linked events that caused Sophia to flee from an unwelcome marriage to the scoundrel Blifil. The second tells of the interlocking flights and pursuits among Sophia, Tom, Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Waters, and Mrs. Honor. The third details the deux ex machina travails in London that clear up all difficulties in a manner that strains credibility. Each of these three encapsulates specific traits that permeate the book. In the first of the three, Fielding uses deliberate misunderstanding between Squire Allworthy and Tom, between Allworthy and Sophia, and between Allworthy and Blifil to create purposeful ignorance that heightens the satire between what one person knows and what the other does not. In the second, Fielding shows that Tom's numerous falls from grace show him to be not much worse than your typical young man who sees no big harm in engaging in illicit encounters with women who are only too glad to have them. Readers might shake their heads at these lapses, but their essential sympathies were not permitted to waver. Fielding further did not allow readers to forget that the focus of the book was not on Tom's dalliances but on his eventual uncovering of his rightful place in society. By the third section, Fielding uses an admittedly too pat a way of ensuring that Tom's noble birth be acknowledged, but despite that Fielding first hints in the first two sections and then finalizes in the third the underlying ideology that English class structure and unity are paramount. When Tom and Sophia are ultimately reunited in marriage, Fielding assures his readers that one need not upset the stratified social order of 18th century England to ensure a fairy tale ending. The fact that readers now respond as well as readers then suggests that Fielding's belief that society needs a stable and long standing cohesive order has not changed much in three hundred years. Samuel Richardson might object, but readers can find a place for their two widely divergent views and enjoy both.

What a wonderful, wonderful book! Brimming with life, wit and a great deal of genuine wisdom about human nature and its follies, I can clearly understand why Somerset Maugham called Tom Jones one of the world's ten greatest novels, right up there with War and Peace and Moby Dick. The characters practically jump off the page at you as Fielding brings 18th century England vividly to life in what has to be one of the most hilarious love stories ever committed to writing. This is a book that I know I will come back to many times, whenever I need a break from the realities of this hyped-up 21st century world we live in.

Fielding had the gift of being satirical, funny and thought-provoking all at the same time. He was not a big fan of the existing monarchy and polished his gift for wit to expose the folly of the many notables in his day by writing for a London Paper. Anyway the story is about a baby who is mysteriously left at the doorstep of a rich and socially favored bachelor named Squire Allworthy. He takes the child in and raises him as his own son, much to the chagrin of Allworthy's nephew who feels his inheritance is threatened by the child. The story is about the childs fall from the graces of Allworthy (with a lot of help from his nephew) and the childs' later redemption. Throughout though Fielding constantly keeps the tone perfectly balanced between sorrow and satire. We as the reader are always being rewarded by Fielding with a nugget of insight on human nature and its many flaws in the funniest ways. One of the best books I've ever read. Throughly modern as well.

I came across this book thanks to Milan Kundera (he speaks about it in 'the curtain' ); without doubts Fielding's art is a brother to Cervantes'. Monumental in its length, and in the profundity of the reflections made in the introductory chapters, the History of Tom Jones is a must to anybody interested in the art of the novel.

Fielding had the gift of being satirical, funny and thought-provoking all at the same time. He was not a big fan of the existing monarchy and polished his gift for wit to expose the folly of the many notables in his day by writing for a London Paper. Anyway the story is about a baby who is mysteriously left at the doorstep of a rich and socially favored bachelor named Squire Allworthy. He takes the child in and raises him as his own son, much to the chagrin of Allworthy's nephew who feels his inheritance is threatened by the child. The story is about the childs fall from the graces of Allworthy (with a lot of help from his nephew) and the childs' later redemption. Throughout though Fielding constantly keeps the tone perfectly balanced between sorrow and satire. We as the reader are always being rewarded by Fielding with a nugget of insight on human nature and its many flaws in the funniest ways. One of the best books I've ever read. Throughly modern as well.

I came across this book thanks to Milan Kundera (he speaks about it in 'the curtain' ); without doubts Fielding's art is a brother to Cervantes'. Monumental in its length, and in the profundity of the reflections made in the introductory chapters, the History of Tom Jones is a must to anybody interested in the art of the novel.

Oh, dear David, dear Czarina. The Patriarch was indulging in a rather jolly few lines of literary (if not Eighteenth Century) irony, with a witty dash of pop culture thrown in, and I'm afraid that you both sound rather pompous and, well, a bit snotty, in your responses. If Fielding suggests anything to the unhappy human race, it's the value of a sense of humor. And he certainly would enjoy a little joke at the expense of his novel. Laurence Sterne would have approved, too. It's a wonderful book. And it made a hugely entertaining film, although that has not quite stood the test of time as the novel, indeed, has. Here's a thing that occurs to me; we read this back in the late 1960s at my (public, State-funded) High School in England. Sad to say, I doubt young people enjoy such an introduction to the classic novels these days; back then it was expected that we would read, discuss and write essays on the likes of "Tom Jones" and "The Waste Land" and "Pride and Prejudice" and "Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man", just four of the titles that were required texts for our ordinary, small-town, not-particularly-remarkable High School English class. And amazingly, ENJOY reading them. Oh, bring back those days, somebody, please ... but minus the racism, homophobia and sexism. Oh wait ... we still have those, don't we? I wonder what Fielding has to say about that ... let's see ...

Readers will probably be amazed at how modern this book is in a variety of ways. Virtually every sentence is dripping with hilarious irony, and the hypocrisy of various ostensibly pious, upright citizens is pointed out everywhere possible. It's a remarkably kind-hearted book, though, for a work of satire. What makes the experience of reading this odd is the mix of this modernity with the denseness of the writing style. Sprawling sentences abound and there's far more (often hilarious) commentary on action than actual action, though there is definitely no dearth of plot. I found myself spending a lot of time figuring out what the heck a long, convoluted sentence was trying to say quite often. But that said, once I figured it out, I was usually laughing hysterically. All that adds up to a curious creature - a rollicking, yet somewhat slow read. Fascinating and tons of fun.

I'd purchased Tom Jones some 2 years before setting down to read it. The summer seemed an excellent opportunity to put my nose to the grindstone and read it. (I'm trying to bone up on 18th century literature for the AP lit exam.) A hugely underrated work! The reader will discover gems of great comedy, resembling the adventures of Don Quixote, passionate romance to rival Jane Austen and tragedy equal to Shakespeare. Of course, with all of these devices the author Henry Fielding seeks to jab at the hypocrisies and flaws of English society. Fielding was a justice of the peace, one very much involved in the politics of the day. He uses his knowledge to make jests of politics and political figures; comical, albeit obscure jests. Although these references to classical points and points material to the age may puzzle, they are informative. Tom Jones is very heavy on mythology, Virgil, Latin quotes and thick, flowery prose. Again, these serve to mock the literature of the time. Fielding's satire was scorned by critics, who called it "lewd". The novel was blamed for several earthquakes. However, Jones is the true virtuous man. He is virtuous in that he is human: Jones triumphs over his enemies and evil obstacles to become a man. His generosity and desire to right wrongs (including his own) are markings of the epitome of manly excellence. I can think of no greater virtues than these.
Although it can be a technical read (there is an entire section alone on Greek philosophy), it is worthwhile.

Gentle satire about human nature and morality in the form of the history of a foundling raised in the home of a country squire, who is exiled from the home through a misunderstanding, and eventually reunited through a series of comic coincidences.
Fielding provides a convincing argument as to the relative importance of chastity and piety as virtues by offering one character (Jones) who possesses every Christian virtue except chastity and piety, against another (Blifil) who has virtually no real virtue except chastity and piety.
The moral lesson alone would not make this the greatest novel of all time. Fielding's relaxed, dry, humorous, and affectionate style is the main attraction. Do not try to rush through this book. Be grateful for the time you spend reading it, and go slowly.

Henry Fielding is certainly one of my favorite novelists; he is also one of the first English novelists that really matter. Dickens admired him as much as Chesterton. His style and his wit are both remarkable: I need only pick up a chapter of this tale and I'm at once helplessly thrown to the world of Tommy Jones and the hilariously real characters that bounce all around him. This is a tale about good and wicked characters; but mostly wicked characters.

Read TOM JONES if you are interested in befriending the author. If, however, you have a critical agenda, I suggest you not bother Henry Fielding. For your sake, don't. He'll never let you hear the end of it.

It was so hard finally putting this book down.
The friends you make!
Tom, Sophia, Allworthy, even Western himself.
But most of all, Henry Fielding.
The humor, the humanity!
What an author and what a man. And to think he
penned his comic masterpiece in his darkest days.
With all that, Tom Jones can be tough going. The
language requires you read fairly slowly. And the
novel is huge. And the plot is intricate.
You may benefit from book notes; I did, especially
during the second half.
If you love Tom Jones, check out Thackeray's
Vanity Fair. And Guerney's translation of Gogol's
Dead Souls.
While you're at it, grab The Brothers Karamazov
and go crazy.

Someone said about Fielding - or maybe he said it himself - that one test of a great fictional character is that he/she is completely consistent and believable while still being able to surprise you. That happens time and again in this book. Some character you think you know knocks your socks off - without going out of character. It makes me laugh out loud. A word of advice for enjoying all English novels written before, say 1900. You can't be in a hurry. Just sit back, take your time, enjoy the sentences, and in this case relish the humor.

Henry Fielding's observations about humans and society hold true: This book is so funny it could have been written yesterday.

Thank goodness my 12th grade English teacher (the aforementioned Mr. Jay) had us read this marvelous book. After devouring Fielding's rambling and intricately plotted story as a teen, I was never again daunted by huge pre-20th Century novels with teeny print. This book opened the door for me to enjoy Austen, Dickens, Trollope, etc. I've reread it recently, cackling at every page, and it has remained my favorite novel.

The story is divided into three parts: the country, the road to London and the city itself. Along the way we meet so many memorable people, each with his/her own little set of intrigues--some of which overlap, of course. It is amazing to me how Fielding managed his characters' comings and goings so as to make it perfectly plausible that no one character has all the pieces of the puzzle of Tom's parentage or of Blifl's treachery.

Henry Fielding is a great `host' and companion. He has a truly hilarious writer's voice, alternating different literary tones to describe characters and events for maximum comic effect. He shamelessly digresses about whatever subject he feels like. (He is considerate enough to put these fabulous musings in well-marked chapters and gives the reader permission to just skip them. My very favorite: the one about extending the metaphor of the cliché `all the world's a stage'.)

Favorite Quote from Tom Jones: "It is as possible for a man to know something without having been at school, as it is to have been at school and to know nothing."

Can I give it SIX stars?

Journey with a guy with much testosterone, but a HUGE heart. I was not looking forward to reading this book for my 18th Century British novel class, but upon starting to read I found it to be a pleasurable story. This piqaresque novel has a humor that I have seldom encountered in other narratives. What is ironic is that Fielding wrote this piece during one of the most traumatic periods of his life. His wife just passed away, his daughter was dying, and he was inflicted with the gout. One would never think it from the clever way the book is written. The point of view gives us an in so that we feel as if we ourselves have roles in the storyline. Rooting all the way for Tom despite his flaws, we find out more about human nature along the way. A good read, light a candle and sit down with some wine like they would've and enjoy this classic comical delight.