Literary Classics

General Fiction

History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

By Henry Fielding

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Length36h 55m

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The sprawling and riotous adventures of an impulsive foundling serve as the backdrop for a panoramic view of English life. Tom Jones’s journey toward maturity is filled with mistaken identities, passionate affairs, and a constant battle between his good heart and his poor judgment. Fielding’s masterpiece is a celebration of the human spirit in all its messy, vibrant glory. It remains one of the most entertaining and influential novels in the history of the language.

Family Antihero Psychological Journey Coming of Age First Love Satire Forbidden Love Slow Burn Betrayal Arranged Marriage Hidden Identity Identity Love Triangle

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GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction

Length36 hrs 55 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateFeb 23, 2026

LanguageEnglish

1BOOK I. — CONTAINING AS MUCH OF THE BIRTH OF THE FOUNDLING AS IS NECESSARY OR PROPER TO ACQUAINT THE READER WITH IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS HISTORY.

2Chapter i. — The introduction to the work, or bill of fare to the feast.

3Chapter ii. — A short description of squire Allworthy, and a fuller account of Miss Bridget Allworthy, his sister.

4Chapter 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.

5Chapter iv. — The reader's neck brought into danger by a description; his escape; and the great condescension of Miss Bridget Allworthy.

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6Chapter v. — Containing a few common matters, with a very uncommon observation upon them.

7Chapter 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.

8Chapter vii. — Containing such grave matter, that the reader cannot laugh once through the whole chapter, unless peradventure he should laugh at the author.

9Chapter viii. — A dialogue between Mesdames Bridget and Deborah; containing more amusement, but less instruction, than the former.

10Chapter ix. — Containing matters which will surprize the reader.

11Chapter 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.

12Chapter xi. — Containing many rules, and some examples, concerning falling in love: descriptions of beauty, and other more prudential inducements to matrimony.

13Chapter xii. — Containing what the reader may, perhaps, expect to find in it.

14Chapter xiii. — Which concludes the first book; with an instance of ingratitude, which, we hope, will appear unnatural.

15BOOK II. — CONTAINING SCENES OF MATRIMONIAL FELICITY IN DIFFERENT DEGREES OF LIFE; AND VARIOUS OTHER TRANSACTIONS DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS AFTER THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN CAPTAIN BLIFIL AND MISS BRIDGET ALLWORTHY.

16Chapter i. — Showing what kind of a history this is; what it is like, and what it is not like.

17Chapter ii. — Religious cautions against showing too much favour to bastards; and a great discovery made by Mrs Deborah Wilkins.

18Chapter iii. — The description of a domestic government founded upon rules directly contrary to those of Aristotle.

19Chapter iv. — Containing one of the most bloody battles, or rather duels, that were ever recorded in domestic history.

20Chapter v. — Containing much matter to exercise the judgment and reflection of the reader.

21Chapter 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.

22Chapter 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.

23Chapter viii. — A receipt to regain the lost affections of a wife, which hath never been known to fail in the most desperate cases.

24Chapter 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.

25BOOK III. — CONTAINING THE MOST MEMORABLE TRANSACTIONS WHICH PASSED IN THE FAMILY OF MR ALLWORTHY, FROM THE TIME WHEN TOMMY JONES ARRIVED AT THE AGE OF FOURTEEN, TILL HE ATTAINED THE AGE OF NINETEEN. IN THIS BOOK: THE READER MAY PICK UP SOME HINTS CONCERNING THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

26Chapter i. — Containing little or nothing.

27Chapter 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.

28Chapter iii. — The character of Mr Square the philosopher, and of Mr Thwackum the divine; with a dispute concerning——

29Chapter iv. — Containing a necessary apology for the author; and a childish incident, which perhaps requires an apology likewise.

30Chapter v. — The opinions of the divine and the philosopher concerning the two boys; with some reasons for their opinions, and other matters.

31Chapter vi. — Containing a better reason still for the before-mentioned opinions.

32Chapter vii. — In which the author himself makes his appearance on the stage.

33Chapter viii. — A childish incident, in which, however, is seen a good-natured disposition in Tom Jones.

34Chapter ix. — Containing an incident of a more heinous kind, with the comments of Thwackum and Square.

35Chapter x. — In which Master Blifil and Jones appear in different lights.

36BOOK IV. — CONTAINING THE TIME OF A YEAR.

37Chapter i. — Containing five pages of paper.

38Chapter ii. — A short hint of what we can do in the sublime, and a description of Miss Sophia Western.

39Chapter 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.

40Chapter iv. — Containing such very deep and grave matters, that some readers, perhaps, may not relish it.

41Chapter v. — Containing matter accommodated to every taste.

42Chapter 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.

43Chapter vii. — Being the shortest chapter in this book.

44Chapter viii. — A battle sung by the muse in the Homerican style, and which none but the classical reader can taste.

45Chapter ix. — Containing matter of no very peaceable colour.

46Chapter x. — A story told by Mr Supple, the curate. The penetration of Squire Western. His great love for his daughter, and the return to it made by her.

47Chapter xi. — The narrow escape of Molly Seagrim, with some observations for which we have been forced to dive pretty deep into nature.

48Chapter xii. — Containing much clearer matters; but which flowed from the same fountain with those in the preceding chapter.

49Chapter xiii. — A dreadful accident which befel Sophia. The gallant behaviour of Jones, and the more dreadful consequence of that behaviour to the young lady; with a short digression in favour of the female sex. —

50Chapter xiv. — The arrival of a surgeon.—His operations, and a long dialogue between Sophia and her maid.