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heyimaghost's review against another edition
5.0
I am done with The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Part of me never thought I’d say that, though I think it took me longer to read The Magic Mountain. I probably could’ve finished it in less time than I did had I not read along with it some nonfiction, some poetry, and some Shakespeare. It’s such an immersive novel though, that even while reading those others works, it felt like I was reading them from within the world Fielding had created.
I’m a little disappointed in myself for not reading it sooner. I wish I had read it before I got into Victorian literature. Then when I read Vanity Fair or The Pickwick Papers, I could say, “Yes, Fielding’s work is here.” Unfortunately, I read Fielding and am reminded of Thackeray and Dickens, as well as a large number of other novelists he’s influenced, which is nearly all of them in the last two hundred years.
I’d recommend anyone who is beginning to read Victorian literature to read Tom Jones beforehand (and it is not a Victorian novel, in case you don’t understand your literary periods), so you can understand everything from the literary style to the literary theory of the books you’re about to read. Fielding was writing at a time when the art form known as the novel was in its infancy. In fact, some people might say, though it’d be kind of weird, the parents of the English novel are Samuel Richardson and Henry Fielding. Fielding, in this metaphor, would be the mother of the English novel, since Richardson’s Pamela impregnated Fielding with his idea for the parody novel Shamela, but it’s a flawed metaphor, since what really brings Fielding into importance is the novel after that, Joseph Andrews—a novel Fielding modeled after Don Quixote and was called by its author a “comic epic-poem in prose.” The fruition of this new style was his masterpiece, The History of Tom Jones.
It is often called a “rollicking, fun romance” by online reviews I’ve read. (I feel like I almost never hear the word rollicking outside of online reviews for novels of this type, saving the occasional review of folk-pop album. It should be used in more common conversation.) It’s not an inaccurate description, and the same could be applied to Don Quixote or, so I’ve heard, Ulysses, but it does kind of leave a hollow sound when faced with the actual importance of what the work has done. If the reader doesn’t skip the introductory chapters of each book, which Fielding says he’s fine with you doing, then he’ll see a growing literary theory that one can trace from these early years of the art form all the way to present day. He deals with, mostly, what it means to be an author and what responsibility that title confers, but he also deals with issues of criticism, as well as moral topics; and all of these subjects are played out in both the style and content of the novel.
All of this deserves far more complex treatment than I’m willing to go into in a Goodreads review—in fact, I lament the idea of “reviewing” a novel like Tom Jones in the first place. What I really recommend to anyone who really wants to understand the English novel is to just read Tom Jones. (One should also be recommended to read Richardson’s Clarissa and Sterne’s Tristram Shandy, but since I’ve only read the latter, I’ll refrain from making that recommendation.) But first, if you haven’t already read them, read Don Quixote and Hamlet (and everything else by Shakespeare). Then, read The Pickwick Papers and Vanity Fair. Then, read every novel written after that.
Oh, and I didn’t even touch on Fielding’s influence on Jane Austen! Well, with a sigh of defeat, I’ll stop typing, since I’m afraid no one would’ve read this far anyway.
I’m a little disappointed in myself for not reading it sooner. I wish I had read it before I got into Victorian literature. Then when I read Vanity Fair or The Pickwick Papers, I could say, “Yes, Fielding’s work is here.” Unfortunately, I read Fielding and am reminded of Thackeray and Dickens, as well as a large number of other novelists he’s influenced, which is nearly all of them in the last two hundred years.
I’d recommend anyone who is beginning to read Victorian literature to read Tom Jones beforehand (and it is not a Victorian novel, in case you don’t understand your literary periods), so you can understand everything from the literary style to the literary theory of the books you’re about to read. Fielding was writing at a time when the art form known as the novel was in its infancy. In fact, some people might say, though it’d be kind of weird, the parents of the English novel are Samuel Richardson and Henry Fielding. Fielding, in this metaphor, would be the mother of the English novel, since Richardson’s Pamela impregnated Fielding with his idea for the parody novel Shamela, but it’s a flawed metaphor, since what really brings Fielding into importance is the novel after that, Joseph Andrews—a novel Fielding modeled after Don Quixote and was called by its author a “comic epic-poem in prose.” The fruition of this new style was his masterpiece, The History of Tom Jones.
It is often called a “rollicking, fun romance” by online reviews I’ve read. (I feel like I almost never hear the word rollicking outside of online reviews for novels of this type, saving the occasional review of folk-pop album. It should be used in more common conversation.) It’s not an inaccurate description, and the same could be applied to Don Quixote or, so I’ve heard, Ulysses, but it does kind of leave a hollow sound when faced with the actual importance of what the work has done. If the reader doesn’t skip the introductory chapters of each book, which Fielding says he’s fine with you doing, then he’ll see a growing literary theory that one can trace from these early years of the art form all the way to present day. He deals with, mostly, what it means to be an author and what responsibility that title confers, but he also deals with issues of criticism, as well as moral topics; and all of these subjects are played out in both the style and content of the novel.
All of this deserves far more complex treatment than I’m willing to go into in a Goodreads review—in fact, I lament the idea of “reviewing” a novel like Tom Jones in the first place. What I really recommend to anyone who really wants to understand the English novel is to just read Tom Jones. (One should also be recommended to read Richardson’s Clarissa and Sterne’s Tristram Shandy, but since I’ve only read the latter, I’ll refrain from making that recommendation.) But first, if you haven’t already read them, read Don Quixote and Hamlet (and everything else by Shakespeare). Then, read The Pickwick Papers and Vanity Fair. Then, read every novel written after that.
Oh, and I didn’t even touch on Fielding’s influence on Jane Austen! Well, with a sigh of defeat, I’ll stop typing, since I’m afraid no one would’ve read this far anyway.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
A rollicking Bildungsroman and road trip novel with a lot of digressions and asides. It takes 800 pages for everyone to show their true colors. The writing is a bit dense at times. Was really interested in the character of Aunt Western who, through a conversation with Sophia, reveals that she has remained single by choice (despite a number of proposals), and clearly enjoys herself unencumbered by a husband, which was a surprising two pages.
musicdeepdive's review against another edition
4.5
Really entertaining batch of characters with a really strong narrative voice - over-imposing, maybe, but self-aware also. Fans of Dickens' lighter works, take heed.
ozielbispo's review against another edition
4.0
Tom Jones foi abandonado pela mãe quando ainda bebê,e foi criado por um bondoso fidalgo, o senhor Allworthy. Quando jovem , Jones revelou ser um rapaz bondoso, belo e admirado pelas mulheres. Por isso foi muito invejado e foi vítima de várias tramas para o derrubar. Apesar de ser mulherengo e de ser cortejado por várias mulheres , tom Jones amou só uma : Sofia , a qual ele lutará com unhas e dentes para vencer a todos os empecilhos e então conseguir ficar com ela.
ameya's review
adventurous
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mattypallett's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I normally hate miscommunication as a plot point, but it’s used for comedy here and I found it surprisingly enjoyable.
I found myself rooting for these characters much more than I usually do in literary classics, however my patience was tested multiple times by the sheer length of the book and long passages with very little happening in them.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well most of the humour held up and how accurately some of these ridiculous rich folk were portrayed.
I found myself rooting for these characters much more than I usually do in literary classics, however my patience was tested multiple times by the sheer length of the book and long passages with very little happening in them.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well most of the humour held up and how accurately some of these ridiculous rich folk were portrayed.
firerosearien's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely wonderful - at times hilarious, at times moving, and way more bawdy than one might expect of literature from this time period. It's long, but it's well worth the read. Those unfamiliar with English/British history of the time period would probably benefit from an annotated edition.
elianageorgiana's review against another edition
4.0
I might just have stockholm syndrome, but I didn't expect to be anywhere near as attached to these characters as I am now. This was a delightful read, written in a way that's so clever and so playful. At first, I thought Sophia was crafted in the tired, idealised mold of the prototypical Georgian female—a tame and passive character archetype that typically bores me to death, but I quickly discovered that wasn’t the case. Her scintillating vivacity, impulse towards generosity and kindness, and fierce determination to marry for love captured my heart. The romance between her and Tom is quiet, tender and patient; it’s disorderly, yet still strong, and I fell absolutely in love with the both of them. There’s so much to add, but I will say that Tom Jones and Sophia Western might just be one of my favourite fictional couples ever.
It all becomes more impressive yet when you consider just how early on this was written. I mean, 1749, people. I love history, and this was like being a fly on the wall from centuries past—it's replete with historical detail of a depth and atmosphere too rarely found in fiction. Austen alludes to the debauched lives of Wickham and Willoughby, but Fielding dives right into this Georgian underworld; in which a slice of eighteenth-century England has been perfectly preserved, in all its chaotic splendour.
The story is superb, and I could never do it justice here. It’s full of endearing wit and quirky, memorable characters I just couldn't get enough of. Somebody get me a man written by Henry Fielding! However, this is a strong contender for the most difficult book I've ever read. The sheer page count is exhausting, and the prose, though well-crafted, can be very dense and inaccessible at times. The modern novel is just too early in its progression for this to flow nicely. Tom Jones clocks in at nearly 900 pages, but frankly, it would’ve worked so much better as a novel of five or six-hundred-pages. It's immersive, entertaining, and in many ways quite sly, but at the same time it can be rambly, overwritten, and terribly bloated. The historical context is fascinating, sure, but sometimes I just wanted Fielding to shut up and tell the story.
It all becomes more impressive yet when you consider just how early on this was written. I mean, 1749, people. I love history, and this was like being a fly on the wall from centuries past—it's replete with historical detail of a depth and atmosphere too rarely found in fiction. Austen alludes to the debauched lives of Wickham and Willoughby, but Fielding dives right into this Georgian underworld; in which a slice of eighteenth-century England has been perfectly preserved, in all its chaotic splendour.
The story is superb, and I could never do it justice here. It’s full of endearing wit and quirky, memorable characters I just couldn't get enough of. Somebody get me a man written by Henry Fielding! However, this is a strong contender for the most difficult book I've ever read. The sheer page count is exhausting, and the prose, though well-crafted, can be very dense and inaccessible at times. The modern novel is just too early in its progression for this to flow nicely. Tom Jones clocks in at nearly 900 pages, but frankly, it would’ve worked so much better as a novel of five or six-hundred-pages. It's immersive, entertaining, and in many ways quite sly, but at the same time it can be rambly, overwritten, and terribly bloated. The historical context is fascinating, sure, but sometimes I just wanted Fielding to shut up and tell the story.
jerefi's review against another edition
1.0
I am sorry. This book almost took my soul with it. I have been trying to get through this book for ages and it just did not get better. I had friends telling me to give up on this one ages ago, but I hate to fail. Finally, it is over.
ajkane's review against another edition
2.0
I DID IT! There were times when reading this that I didn't think I'd make it but I'm so glad I did. This book had some amazing parts. It had humour, adventure, mystery and romance yet it was painfully let down by all the rambling that the narrator did. I'd only recommend this to people who are particularly interested in the 18th century because other than that I don't think this has much going for it,