About this title: The classic story of a young man living by his wits and relying upon his fortunes in 18th-century England, by one of the greatest novelists in the language. Tom Jones, a foundling who is taken in and raised by the kindly Squire Allworthy, is a guileless boy whose inherent decency is sometimes obscured by his high-spirited bawdiness and candor. ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books, Hammondsworth, England
Date Published: 1966
ISBN-13:9780140430097ISBN:0140430091
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Highlighting/underlining. Signed by previous owner. G/NW Bookplate @philabooks: booksellers. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 857 p. Penguin Classics. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Classics, London
Date Published: 1987
ISBN-13:9780140430097ISBN:0140430091
Description: Good. Crease in front cover. Name of previous owner inside front cover. Notes on flyleaf page. 911 p. Includes biography of Henry Fielding, Introduction, Further Reading, Notes, Glossary. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Signet
Date Published: 1963
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Nice soft cover, read once, slight shelf wear to cover, light creases on spine, light aging. 864 p. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: New American Library
Date Published: 1964
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Signed by previous owner. Nice soft cover, lightly read, shelf wear to cover, light creases on spine, bend on corners of cover & first few pages, light aging, notations on front cover & inside cover, stk #2392L7. 864 p. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Dell
Date Published: 1964
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Nice soft cover, lightly read, light shelf wear to cover, bend on bottom corner of back cover, light aging, stk #2293t8. 349 p. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Washington Square Press, New York
Date Published: 1963
Description: Fair. No dust jacket as issued. Owner name in front, interior otherwise clean, pages tanned and tight. Nicks and creases to several pages, edges soiled. Cover has discoloration with scratches, creases, edge wear, small tears and light soiling. Spine is... 862 p. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 862 p. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Random House
Date Published: 1950
Description: Very Good. Modern Library, College Editions. Random House, 1950. Paperback. Cover has moderate shelfwear that has slight spine creasing and is slightly toned. Writing on front fly leaf, but pages are clean and unmarked. Very nice copy. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780460871686ISBN:0460871684
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. Audience: General/trade. Corners slightly curled, edges dingy, and cover a bit worn and creased. read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Random House
Date Published: 1950
Description: Fair. Trade papeback-1950-introduction by George Sherburn-modern library college editions-clean text, tight binding, no writing in text, number on front endpage, stamp on front endpage, edgewear and cornerwear, heavy rubbing on front and back covers, crease on front cover, loose front himge, pages extremely tanned. read more
Binding: Paper back
Publisher: Crest
Date Published: 1959
Description: Fair. A W. Somerset Maugham Presents, with Tom Jones said to be one of the ten best novels ever, illustrated by H. Diamond, 384 pages of an amorous, passionate rogue. read more
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Good condition with cover wear. Remainder mark. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 857 p. Penguin Classics. Audience: General/trade. read more
"Published in 1749, Tom Jones is among the earliest true English novels. It is also one of the best ever. It is fast paced, wry...no hilarious, and socially insightful. It is also a tense adventure and a wonderful romance. There you are! ALL the elements of a great story. It follows the fortunes of a foundling, named Tom Jones, who despite some weaknesses centering on gambling and women, is a good hearted lad. When he is forced to make his way in a cruel world we are very anxious for him, as his his beloved Sophie. THe book was made into a wonderful movie, four academy awards in 1963, starring Albert Finney and Susanna York. Great material."
"Fun, fun, fun! Wow, the 1700's got to have a lot more fun writing than the Victorian authors. All sorts of intrigue and swearing and A little mystery into the parentage of the main character. Henry Fielding is droll and witty. But I do admit that after reading about 1/2 the book, I stopped reading his introductory chapters and just continued with the plot instead. Still, he's got lots of funny comments to make about human nature. Definitely worth the time (esp. if you skip the Fielding monologues. Lit. majors, don't hold it against me! I was one too, you know)."
"Great romp, but it left me wanting moral resolution. Farce is fine, but I guess I'm just more partial to Dickens' method of weighing the scales of justice more carefully. I felt unsatisfied that 2 characters who colluded in planning a rape, walk off scot free. Indeed, the Lord actually takes a heroic turn in the end. Although he tried to rape Sophia, he helps free an imprisoned Tom at the end and it's as if he's paid his dues.
It's not as if I'd expect either the characters or plot to punish the would-be rapist. As in life, I know in fiction that the bad guys will not always hang, nor do I even expect them to be shunned by all the worthy ones. But I'm accustomed to the writer addressing their turpitude more firmly. Fielding spends chapters railing against forced marriages --which he realizes were legally sanctioned forms of rape -- while only giving glancing attention to a plotted, criminal rape. At least the planners should have been exposed and verbally assaulted, somehow made contrite (as Austen routinely disposes of her culprits).
In Fielding's case, only Blifil is branded a villain by all. While, the Lord and Lady who arranged the heroine's emotional ruin never face censure.
The only person to whom the aborted rape is exposed is Aunt Western who declares she would have stabbed the assailant if she'd been present and (as a spinster) could hardly bear the thought of having her own lips kissed, upon hearing that her niece's breast was brutalized. Yet, Miss Western still plans to marry the fiend off to his intended victim her (supposedly) beloved niece. Far from being scorned or treated to her comeuppance, in the "happy ever after" ending we learn that Aunt Western remains a cherished member of the family, spending 2 months at a time vacationing merrily with the niece she meant to doom.
Though a comedy, the narrator made enough piercing observations about the cruelty of human nature, as to provoke the reader's outrage and concern, along with his guffaws. I was left uneasy when the story ended with only some of my aroused passions assuaged.
Once they finally reconciled, Allworthy cautioned his charitable nephew that forgiveness was laudable, but one could also be too kind. Those who deserve sanction should receive it. When they don't, their malfeasance is promoted, ratified. You cannot remain honorable, while excusing dishonor. Allworthy understood this, but I'm not sure his creator did.
Plot red herrings: When Mrs. Miller said she had been married only 5 years before her husband died, I wondered how she came to have one daugher who was 17 and another who was 10. She wasn't with her husband long enough for him to father the youngest girl. Even though she admits that he was her lover before they married, she doesn't say she was pregnant when they wed. She not only would have had to be pregnant, but also to have given birth to a child that was nearly 2 at the time of the nuptials, for her to have a daughter 7 years younger, fathered by the same man.
I thought this discrepancy would lead us to find a secret in Mrs. Miller's past, but it didn't.
I was also confused about why Sophia colored upon hearing Arabella Hunt's name. I know that learning Tom rejected the rich Arabella's proprosal helped to convince Sophia that he wasn't a libertine, but when Mrs. Miller described Sophia's reaction to the news, it seems that Sophia had a specific reaction based on who Arabella was. I thought we would discover a link between Hunt and Western eventually, but we never did.
Culinary note: Didn't know they used to serve birds with eggs still inside of them. Black George brought some to Sophia, knowing that a fowl full of eggs was a favorite of hers. I wonder about the texture of the unhatched eggs. Nausea inducing thought, but they would find the idea of going to the grocer and buying a ready cut package of chicken wings gross too, I'm sure."
"This is a romantic story and there is a little bit mystery. Thomas Allworthy finds a baby boy in his bed and decides to raise him as his own son. He names him Tom Jones. Tom gets bigger and becomes an attractive man. He and the next-door neighbor's daughter, Sophia, fall in love. However, her father does not accept this love because Tom does not come from a noble family. Her family wants her to get married to Blifil who is the nephew of Altworthy. Blifil does not like Tom and makes plans to put him in trouble. One day he gives her uncle malicious reports about Tom. Then, his uncle puts Tom out of the home. Meanwhile, Sophia runs away because she does not want to married to Blifil. The story goes on telling Tom's adventure to find Sophia. The story is ended with a happy conclusion and a mystery is revealed at the end.
I do not like this story that much because it is not entertaining. The story is started exciting, but it becomes boring. Therefore, I hardly kept reading. I like the end because it is a happy ending. I am happy that Sophia and Tom come together. They deserve this ending. However, the ending is predictable. I guessed that Altworthy will punish Blifil and Sophia and Tom will get married at the end. For that reason, the story is not gripping. The mystery that Tom is the son of Alworthy's sister adds the story an excitement. In addition, one of the bad characters in the story is Blifil. He is jealous of Tom and he accepts to get married to Sophia even though he does not like her. I hate him because he ruins Tom and Sophia's life. I like Sophia. She is so lovely. I felt very sorry for being forced to marry Blifil. Overall, the story is okay, but lack of charming."
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