History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. A Comic Picaresque of Foundling Fortune, Georgian Satire, Courtship, and Moral RecognitionBy Henry Fielding

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Length38h 43m

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Henry Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling is one of the defining comic novels of the eighteenth century, tracing the fortunes of the warm-hearted but impulsive Tom from mysterious birth to moral and social recognition. Its sprawling plot—crowded with squires, servants, hypocrites, lovers, and opportunists—combines picaresque adventure with an architecturally controlled narrative design. Fielding's urbane, intrusive narrator, classical allusions, and satiric wit place the novel at the center of early English realism while also engaging the epic and theatrical traditions he knew intimately. Fielding, a dramatist, journalist, lawyer, and magistrate, brought to fiction a sharp understanding of performance, law, and human frailty. His experience with the stage shaped the novel's comic timing and dialogue, while his legal career informed its concern with evidence, judgment, and justice. Writing after the Licensing Act curtailed his theatrical work, Fielding helped establish the novel as a form capable of moral inquiry and social critique. This book is highly recommended to readers interested in the origins of the English novel, comic narrative, and morally complex realism. It rewards patience with exuberant storytelling, humane intelligence, and enduring insight into desire, virtue, and society. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Satire Coming of Age Psychological Journey Identity Family Parody Memory Adventure Found Family Hidden Identity Small Town

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 3.9 (75.3K)

Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon, StoryGraph

GenreLiterary Classics, Humor

Length38 hrs 43 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateAug 7, 2018

LanguageEnglish

1History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Annotated)

2Introduction

3Synopsis

4Historical Context

5Author Biography

Show all chapters

6History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

7BOOK I

8Chapter I. The introduction to the work, or bill of fare to the feast.

9Chapter II. A short description of squire Allworthy, and a fuller account of Miss Bridget Allworthy, his sister.

10Chapter III. An odd accident which befel Mr Allworthy at his return home. The decent behaviour of Mrs Deborah Wilkins, with some proper animadversions on bastards.

11Chapter IV. The reader's neck brought into danger by a description; his escape; and the great condescension of Miss Bridget Allworthy.

12Chapter V. Containing a few common matters, with a very uncommon observation upon them.

13Chapter VI. Mrs Deborah is introduced into the parish with a simile. A short account of Jenny Jones, with the difficulties and discouragements which may attend young women in the pursuit of learning.

14Chapter VII. Containing such grave matter, that the reader cannot laugh once through the whole chapter, unless peradventure he should laugh at the author.

15Chapter VIII. A dialogue between Mesdames Bridget and Deborah; containing more amusement, but less instruction, than the former.

16Chapter IX. Containing matters which will surprize the reader.

17Chapter X. The hospitality of Allworthy; with a short sketch of the characters of two brothers, a doctor and a captain, who were entertained by that gentleman.

18Chapter XI. Containing many rules, and some examples, concerning falling in love: descriptions of beauty, and other more prudential inducements to matrimony.

19Chapter XII. Containing what the reader may, perhaps, expect to find in it.

20Chapter XIII. Which concludes the first book; with an instance of ingratitude, which, we hope, will appear unnatural.

21BOOK II

22Chapter I. Showing what kind of a history this is; what it is like, and what it is not like.

23Chapter II. Religious cautions against showing too much favour to bastards; and a great discovery made by Mrs Deborah Wilkins.

24Chapter III. The description of a domestic government founded upon rules directly contrary to those of Aristotle.

25Chapter IV. Containing one of the most bloody battles, or rather duels, that were ever recorded in domestic history.

26Chapter V. Containing much matter to exercise the judgment and reflection of the reader.

27Chapter VI. The trial of Partridge, the schoolmaster, for incontinency; the evidence of his wife; a short reflection on the wisdom of our law; with other grave matters, which those will like best who understand them most.

28Chapter VII. A short sketch of that felicity which prudent couples may extract from hatred: with a short apology for those people who overlook imperfections in their friends.

29Chapter VIII. A receipt to regain the lost affections of a wife, which hath never been known to fail in the most desperate cases.

30Chapter IX. A proof of the infallibility of the foregoing receipt, in the lamentations of the widow; with other suitable decorations of death, such as physicians, &c., and an epitaph in the true stile.

31BOOK III

32Chapter I. Containing little or nothing.

33Chapter II. The heroe of this great history appears with very bad omens. A little tale of so LOW a kind that some may think it not worth their notice. A word or two concerning a squire, and more relating to a gamekeeper and a schoolmaster.

34Chapter III. The character of Mr Square the philosopher, and of Mr Thwackum the divine; with a dispute concerning——

35Chapter IV. Containing a necessary apology for the author; and a childish incident, which perhaps requires an apology likewise.

36Chapter V. The opinions of the divine and the philosopher concerning the two boys; with some reasons for their opinions, and other matters.

37Chapter VI. Containing a better reason still for the before-mentioned opinions.

38Chapter VII. In which the author himself makes his appearance on the stage.

39Chapter VIII. A childish incident, in which, however, is seen a good-natured disposition in Tom Jones.

40Chapter IX. Containing an incident of a more heinous kind, with the comments of Thwackum and Square.

41Chapter X. In which Master Blifil and Jones appear in different lights.

42BOOK IV

43Chapter I. Containing five pages of paper.

44Chapter II. A short hint of what we can do in the sublime, and a description of Miss Sophia Western.

45Chapter III. Wherein the history goes back to commemorate a trifling incident that happened some years since; but which, trifling as it was, had some future consequences.

46Chapter IV. Containing such very deep and grave matters, that some readers, perhaps, may not relish it.

47Chapter V. Containing matter accommodated to every taste.

48Chapter VI. An apology for the insensibility of Mr Jones to all the charms of the lovely Sophia; in which possibly we may, in a considerable degree, lower his character in the estimation of those men of wit and gallantry who approve the heroes in most of our modern comedies.

49Chapter VII. Being the shortest chapter in this book.

50Chapter VIII. A battle sung by the muse in the Homerican style, and which none but the classical reader can taste.