Henry FieldingReviews

A domestic novel from the earliest days of the English novel written in 1749 and in two volumes. A series of difficulties besets the marriage of Amelia and Billy Booth, mostly as a result of the husband's impetuousness and difficulties in saying "No". Amelia, on the other hand, is irreproachable in her patience, love, faith in, and sense of right and wrong with her rather tiresomely gormless spouse.
This is a novel that doesn't flag because it is full of incident and crises. Fielding acknowledges female good sense and courage in the face of the trials the family is faced with, largely a result of Billy's gambling, borrowing and inability to face up to responsibilities.
One has to say "Thank goodness for a well regulated banking system". Billy's problems would have been much eased if it were not for unscrupulous borrowing from so-called friends.

"It is much easier to make good men wise, than to make bad men good."

The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, as the title suggest is about the life of Tom Jones, the main character, and in truth it is an early rom-com. As a baby, Tom Jones was left to the care of Squire Allworthy, a prominent and wealthy landowner in Somerset. Despite his inauspicious start in life Tom was raised by the Squire and his sister, Bridget, as though he was part of their family.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Blifil begins courting Bridget and eventually, they are married and have a son, William. The novel highlights the contrasting personas of Tom and William Blifil. On one hand, Tom is crude and unrefined but has a heart of gold, whereas Blifil is cultured but is greedy and calculating. Bilfil tries to discredit Tom's with the latter's love interest, Sophia Western and marry her himself but is only interested in the fortune that she would bring to any marriage.

The novel is also packed with minor characters who explore different human virtues: kindness and wickedness, greed and honesty, justice and injustice. There are the good Samaritans, bullies, shady characters, the greedy and the generous, loyal and disloyal, promiscuous women and gossip mongers. Throughout, there is Tom, who is both perfect and flawed at the same time. The novel also explores the position of women in 18th-century Britain and their general lack of power.

Despite its length it has a very straightforward plot. The novel is divided into 18 smaller books, with each book having an introductory chapter, as well as commentaries scattered throughout the book. Although the truth and mystery shrouding Tom's birth was promised early on in the novel it isn't revealed until its climax and it took me totally by surprise. The ending has the feel of fairy tale to it because “they all lived happily ever after.”

Overall, 'Tom Jones' is a lengthy but relatively light read. It is straightforward and easier to understand than some classics and made me smile at times. I particularly liked Squire Western's character whom I found rather comical however, I also found it a little repetitive at times, hence my rating, but I'm glad that I've finally read it.

Be tendious for me. I did like the style of writing, the story was boring.

Well-bred bastard Tom Jones travels across England, encounters a cross-section of humanity, and sleeps with half the women he meets.

Tom Jones is a great novel. Not for its characters (which are cardboard), not for its plot (which spins with great and soulless efficiency), and not for its themes (which are a grab-bag of universal homilies). Tom Jones is great because it has a great narrator: an omniscient, disembodied voice that boasts and preens, condescends and mocks. No high-falutin conceit can appear without the narrator troubling himself to explain things to his groundling readers in single-syllable words. No villain can appear on stage without the narrator taking the opportunity to undiegetically jab his personal enemies. The narrator elides the boring parts and cheerfully notes when he is doing so. The narrator advertises his favorites among the cast and compliments himself on his own cleverness at every plot twist. In short, Tom Jones has the finest narrator I've read since Middlemarch. (Although Middlemarch's narrator likely wins that particular steel-cage match, as Middlemarch used its omniscient narrator to a greater purpose, whereas Tom Jones' highest intention is untrammeled glee.)

Henry Fielding (who should not be confused with the narrating author, as the narrator is too much a self-conscious construction) clearly takes his inspiration from the stage, right down to the Shakespearean mix of aristocratic and groundling humor. In Tom Jones, the Latin epigrams are scattered among scenes of bawdy slapstick. Theatre and actors make repeated appearances in the text, from an evangelical Punch and Judy show to a performance of Hamlet attended by Tom Jones and his superstitious servant. The narrator uses the text as his podium to inveigh against dramatic critics and stupid narrative conventions. In many ways, Tom Jones would seem to be easily adapted to the stage -- all plot points are conveyed through dialogue; characters have no internal existence -- but for one thing: the narrator, who is so tightly (yet invisibly) entwined in everything that happens. Unless he played the Greek chorus?

This book is terribly long with so many digressions and drawn out descriptions, but it's an absolute treat. Full of humor, wit, and insight into human nature. Somewhat reminded me of Don Quixote, but while I considered giving up on that book many times, it never crossed my mind reading this one.

illustrated by Harry Diamond just beautiful!

Books as old as Tom Jones require the right frame of mind to both read and appreciate. You must remind yourself that 18th century authors shamelessly interrupted their story to sermonize, padded their novels with scenes of supposed comic hilarity and monotonous monologue which serve no purpose except to extend a novel's length, and over relied on coincidence to keep a plot together.

Having complained in this way, I confess that despite these drawbacks I enjoyed Fielding's ribald story of a bastard child in 18th century England in love with a beautiful girl above his station in life. When I remembered that authors of the times were free–perhaps even expected–to intrude upon the narrative, I found this book laugh out loud funny. Fielding repeatedly delivers a comic punch at end of an innocuous sentence: "Allworthy then departed, and left Blifil in a situation to be envied only by a man who is just going to be hanged."

Tom Jones might be pitched as Jane Austen meets Laurence Sterne. Over the course of eight hundred pages, Fielding turns an unbelievable series of coincidences (which he attributes to Fortune and which I will not spoil by divulging) into an entertaining commentary on the hypocrisy of English nobility and the enrichment which honesty and integrity bestow upon those who practice both. Tom's pursuit of love is repeatedly thwarted by self-inflicted wounds and the well-intentioned bumbling of his traveling companion, whose inability to keep matters private probably gave Murphy inspiration for his famous Law.

Fielding's humor is subtle; he begins each of the eighteen books which comprise Tom Jones with a direct address to the reader on topics seemingly unrelated to the plot and passes himself off as a historian rather than novelist. The ironic undercurrent of these intrusions builds slowly; at the end of the novel their cumulative effect satisfyingly mutes Fielding's 18th century moralizing.

Tom Jones demands patience and perseverance but is ultimately a highly rewarding read.½

It is nice to have all of the Henry Fielding novels together in one collection since it encourages the reader to read some of his less well-known novels. Unfortunately, none of his plays are included. I have read just three of the novels. Shamela, a parody of the Richardson novel Pamela, is not really worth reading. Josef Andrews is a fun read and Tom Jones is magnificent. This eBook edition is well done but could have been improved with some introductory material.

This version was nicely done.

I liked this book, but I thought it went on too long. Was mostly interested in the philosophy over the plot. I see a lot of people like the movie, and I did too, just keep in mind the book goes off on philosophical ideas unlike the film. I mostly read this because I did like his Tom Thumb play I had to read in collage a long time ago. He also reminds me of Swift. You will get a lot of witty satire in this book.

OK, Yikes! I am so tired of this story that I can hardly force myself to write the review. It just goes on forever. I kept thinking that Henry Fielding would have admired Henry James, because their two novels are the epitome of an inability to discipline your writing!

Sadly, I started this novel rather enjoying both Mr. Jones and the tale. I was even amused by Fielding’s essays on writing that began each book. The amusement had disappeared by Book Six, with Twelve more books ahead of me. As the story wore on, it deteriorated into a skirt-chase novel. Seems Mr. Jones was willing and able to service all comers, and the women of the period need only look at his handsome face and sculpted body to tumble into his bed. In fact, some of them forced his hand, instead of the other way around.

There is a scene in which a young lady (whose name I will omit for purposes of no spoilers) is setup by a relative to be raped by a Lord. I found this so repulsive I wanted to scream. Apparently, while Fielding and his audience would have thought this quite naughty, they would not have regarded it as quite the criminal imposition that we moderns would.

This novel was not exactly a slog for me. It has a readable style and some of the antics are interesting, and there is a plot twist/explanation of things at the end that was a total surprise for me and illustrated the skill with which Fielding wrote this tome. Still 1880 pages should yield more than a surprising mystery solution.

One of the reasons I wanted to read this was because of its influence on writers who came after Fielding, including Charles Dickens. References to this work are found repeatedly in books and movies, and all the references will be understood by me now in brilliant detail, although a vague idea already existed. I’m not sure how to rate this, since it is generally well-written and important for historical reasons. I’m not sorry to have read it, I’m just glad it is done!

this is a lavish presentation of a familiar staple of "The History of the Novel" Courses. It is a picaresque telling of a familiar plot. our hero, starting with some obvious handicap, suffers an initial act of treachery, but, by revealing in high level of competence and compassion rewins the heart of his own true love. If you do not mind a short sermon at the beging of each chapter, which telegraphs the bulk ofthe episode to follow, it reads quite well. The ISBN, is fom a more recent reprinting.

4/25/22

Here's what I wrote after reading in 1991: "Slow reading but insightful into the 'moral and social' problems of Fielding's England. Amelia and William Booth endure the trials of marriage but finally find security and happiness through pure, Christian living. They (he) overcome many trials and temptations along the way."

A bit long, but a worthwhile read if you enjoy the classics.

Here's what I wrote after reading in 1987: "A very difficult novel to finish. Narrative was wordy and filled with moralizing. At the end of the novel, I still didn't comprehend its point. Narrative describes through-the English-countryside-travels of two young lovers and their sponsor minister, over the span of three-to-seven days. There must have been a point to the book, but, I've missed it."

Here's what I wrote after reading in 1984: "It started slowly, but turned into a quite deserving novel. A daring, yet sometime foolish, hero. An angelic heroine. A most worthy Allworthy. A very humorous Partridge and Squire Western."

Honestly, I should have just read the first 200 pages and the last 200 pages....it would have been more enjoyable.

Got to book 5. I found the style surprisingly easy to follow and amusing, but the subject matter, the themes, did not interest me.

Picaresque novel of young man turned out of his home, later discovered to be of good birth

i'm sure there is more value to this than i am finding, but man this was a slog. certainly there were parts that were much more readable than the majority, and thematically i can't say i mind what he's doing (mostly around hypocrisy). probably i'd have appreciated it much more if i had read pamela, which apparently this is in response to.

but as it was, it was repetitive and over the top farcical, when it was actually understandable. mostly i couldn't care less what was happening or to whom. the troubles they all got into (especially parsons) was just too much. i know it wasn't supposed to be a believable story, but it went too far and i just found it annoying. i did more skimming than reading by the end.½

Decent book. Probably could have been improved by being shorter.

Wowzas! What a lot of waffle!

The history of the novel is perhaps one of a decline in the use of the Authorial Voice, which was still quite prevalent in the Victorian era.

THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN CURTAILED IN PROTEST AT GOODREADS' CENSORSHIP POLICY

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I enjoy Fielding's sense of humor & loved the author's introductory commentary in each 'book' as well as the satirical melodrama of the plot. The humor of this book is enhanced if the reader is familiar with Richardson's Pamela (Joseph is supposedly Pamela's brother).

In 2015 The Guardian published a list of the 100 best novels published in English, listed in chronological order of publication. Under Covid inspired lockdown, I have taken up the challenge. Tom Jones is book 5 in the list.

I started Tom Jones as respite from Clarissa (book 4 in the list). Clarissa is LONG, unbelievably LONG, and after investing something over three weeks, I was only half way through - about 1,100 of 2,250 pages. While I was engaged with the book, the plot was getting nowhere - the heroine kept facing similar trials.

I'm glad I paused. While Tom Jones is from the same era (published in 1749, one year after Clarissa), the style is much fresher, and more modern. Clarissa is like an extended sermon on good and bad, while Tom Jones paints realistic characters trying to live realistic lives.

Tom Jones is still LONG - 1,000 pages in the Penguin edition, 800 in my ebook from Project Gutenberg, but the plot seems to make progress. By the last 100 pages it was becoming a page-turner!

The combination of believable characters and lots of colour depicting life and society in England nearly 300 years ago makes this book stand out. While the language and idiom are clearly dated, I loved finding phrases and usages that are still in use ("short and sweet", for example). I enjoyed the book immensely, and don't begrudge the hours invested. A worthwhile classic and worthy of its place in the top 100 novels list.