Henry Fielding: Tom Jones

• ISBN-13: 9781593080709
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Publication date: 5/1/2004
• Pages: 848

Reacting against the sentimentality and moralism of the earliest English novels, Henry Fielding chose to create a work whose main character contains all the complexities of a real human being: the foundling Tom Jones. Tom has been raised by the Squire Allworthy to love virtue, and he truly wants to do good. But Tom's inability to control his temper and his hearty appetite for food, drink, and the opposite sex get him kicked out of Allworthy's estate - and separated from his one real love, Sophia Western. So begins Tom's journey from the English countryside to the teeming city of London. Along the way he meets a parade of colorful characters, enjoys a series of bawdy , comic adventures, eventually discovers his true parentage, triumphs over the villainous Blifil, and rejoins the beautiful Sophia.
 Soon after its 1749 publication, Tom Jones was condemned for being "lewd," and even blamed for several earthquakes. But what really riled critics was its supremely funny satirical attack on eighteenth-century British society and its follies and hypocrisies - which, of course, are very much like our own. 

 Good lord, what a long novel. Split into eighteen books, each with numerous chapters, the first of which is a prologue to the chapter that frequently has nothing to do with the goings on of the novel itself. I don't know why, that was just kind of the style.
 Fielding was a master satirist, and took great pleasure in taking pot shots at his contemporaries. Luckily, the Barnes and Noble Classics edition is kind enough to provide footnotes explaining obscure references and personal grudges.
 Tom Jones is a foundling, i.e. a bastard child. In English society, this is not to be borne (hehe, get it?) If you're a bastard, even though that has nothing to do with your own personal character, polite society still attributes the same characteristics to you: profligacy and general vice. So, our dear Tom, despite being the most kind-hearted fellow, albeit with a naturally active sex-drive, is looked down upon and denigrated by pretty much everyone. Except for his neighbor's daughter, the angel-upon-earth, Sophia Western. She is above his station, however, and many misunderstandings and character libel ensue. Although Tom himself does nothing to purposely subvert himself, there are a slew of characters out to get him, for no other reason than that he is a bastard and is his own person, not subservient to their desires. Most of Jones' problems derive from the plots, or, in the case of some, looseness of tongue, of others.
 Unfortunately, it takes eighteen books for  everything to be set straight and for everyone to get their just desserts. Well, not everyone. Western never seems to learn his lesson and is much an ass as always by the end. For some reason, everyone forgives him, despite his frequent bi-polarity. Ridiculous. The weakness of human nature was often irritating as well. Not because Fielding was being unnecessarily dark or unrealistic, but because it was so true. People do base their views of others on appearance and hearsay, and people are easily changeable and self-serving. And while it's disgusting, you can't really complain. Because humanity sucks. And while it's annoying, it's also humorous at times, because Fielding does occasionally create completely over-blown characters for the sake of comedy.
 Overall: B+
 Fielding was frequently long-winded and pedantic, but he did it with such good humor, it didn't bother me as much as it normally would. And, aside from the frequent head-desking at the extremely circuitous route we used to arrive at our happy ending, and the repeated mistakes made by every character, the novel was quite entertaining and at least always had something going on. Except for the prologues.