Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling often known simply as Tom Jones, is a comic novel by English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. It is a Bildungsroman and a picaresque novel. It was first published on 28 February 1749 in London and is among the earliest English works to be classified as a novel. It is the earliest novel mentioned by W. Somerset Maugham in his 1948 book Great Novelists and Their Novels among the ten best novels of the world.

The novel is highly organised despite its length. Samuel Taylor Coleridge argued that it has one of the "three most perfect plots ever planned." It became a best seller with four editions published in its first year alone. It is generally regarded as Fielding's greatest book and as an influential English novel.

Gutenburg
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6593

Movie
Tom Jones a 1963 British comedy film

A 5 part Mini-Series
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123351/

Well...I'm going to try this. I have an ebook which is 878 pages.

I'm in for this one.

I've read this great rollicking novel four times in my life and, with a little luck, there will be time to read it again in the future.
If you haven't read it, just be prepared for some genuine fun.
The 1963 movie version is wonderful.
The mini-series was also very well done.

I last read this in 1978 but have seen the film a number of times. Albert Finney is perfect as Tom.

I think Gilbert's description of this book as a rollicking novel is correct. Fielding is very humorous with his chapter titles, with telling what's coming and giving his opinions.

I am making my way through this one. Fielding's descriptions are fun, as are some of the names-like Mr. Thwackum and Mr. Square. And how can anyone named Blifil be anything but an annoying sneak?

I've finished! I ended up listening to the book, narrated by Bill Homewood, who did a fine job with all the voices.

Some thoughts:
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, published in 1749, is one of the first books referred to as a novel and I agree. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Especially as compared to Gulliver's Travels, which was published in 1826.

Fielding write with a humorous tone. I especially liked his preface in most the the "Books" and the commentary on his own writing and on the characters.

Squire Western was just awful most of the time, and very changeable. His saying that he'd do anything for his sweet child, Sophia, was ridiculous, since he locked her in her room and otherwise treated her badly. He bacame almost comic in my eyes.
And the only time Sophia followed her father's wishes was (view spoiler)[when she agreed to marry Jones at the end of the book rather than "test" Jones for a year about his fidelity to her! (hide spoiler)]

This was an entertaining read-a lot of fun. I liked the short chapters and the wide variety of characters-plus the number of coincidences. And it had a great ending!

This book is on the Serial Reader App too!

Yes, I haven't been around as I am in the throes of a 10 month reading challenge, but wanted to stop in and say that when I read this within the past few years, I wondered what had taken me so long! I rounded this up to 5 stars.

Good to hear from you, Karin. I really enjoyed Tom Jones as well.