I liked this book, but i also found it to be very long-winded, and probably could have been considerably shortened to tighten up the story. Fielding regularly goes off on tangents and philosophical rambles, which might have added some depth to the novel, but left me detached and uninterested in what was being said at certain times.

17th Century Jerry Springer complete with "who's the daddy?" opening salvo and plenty of bed hopping throughout. While very lengthy, it was also light and breezy. I admit I skipped the first chapter of each of the books as they were not directly relevant to the plot which helped move things along.

My only criticism is that where the author took pains to enlighten the reader as to the thoughts and motivations of all characters, he left a certain crucial decision made by Sophia, at the end of the book, completely unexplained. It seemed odd and inconsistent. It is only a small problem, however, in an otherwise very entertaining and well-written book.

La narration de ce livre est vraiment très intéressante et on sent vraiment la personnalité de l'auteur. Les conseil et jugement moraux sont très présents, mais plutôt souple considérant que le livre à été écrit au 18 ième siècle. L'histoire progresse vite et il y a beaucoup de rebondissement ce qui rend les 1000 pages du livres un peu moins lourde. Une très bonne lecture au final!

I'm rating this the same as its (arguable) antithesis, Clarissa. I quite obviously enjoyed this for completely different reasons. While I maintain that all 18th century novels are too long, this was really entertaining and actually funny for almost the entire time!

SO. FREAKING. FUNNY.

A Quixote-esque journey of a Dickens-like hero, mixed in with a lot of Balzac-scandal and a little light Hugo-moralizing for fun.

Loved it.

I had to really examine my own prejudices. I felt like the author (a close personal friend after so many pages) was on a mission to prove that a very unchaste, extremely naive young man can actually be a really good guy. A whole lotta stupid decisions had me writhing and snorting out loud, but oh, how I loved this kid.

Some gems:

“True it is, that philosophy makes us wiser, but Christianity makes us better men. Philosophy elevates and steels the mind, Christianity softens and sweetens it. The former makes us the objects of human admiration, the latter of divine love. That ensures us a temporal, but this and eternal happiness.”

“Twelve times did the iron register of time beat on the sonorous bell metal, summoning the ghosts to rise and walk their nightly round. In plainer language, it was 12 o’clock.”

“When children are doing nothing they are doing mischief.”

“These authors ... elevate the mind, and steel and harden it against the capricious invasions of fortune. They not only instruct in the knowledge of Wisdom, but confirm men in her habits, and demonstrate plainly, that this must be our guide, if we propose ever to arrive at the greatest worldly happiness."

"Tom Jones" by Henry Fielding. I'll start by saying I would only recommend this novel to someone interested in the history of English literature. The language is a bit archaic (with a good bit of Latin) and the text assumes the reader has a solid knowledge of pop culture of the time. The author begins each book (sections divided into chapters) addressing the reader directly and typically explains his opinions on the proceeding book and how critics and readers alike will take it. In a way, it tells rather than shows. He does admit that at times his writing can be somnambulant, which is bold to say the least. Tom Jones is an interesting character, very likeable, but pretty much everyone else is one dimensional. The plot, 2 lovers trying to get married against their parents' wishes, is entertaining and well executed. There are also occasions which are laugh out loud funny, which I appreciate. #bookreview #simplebookreview