In his third and greatest novel, which appeared almost exactly at mid-century (1749), Fielding made a crucial contribution to the development of the novel as a unified narrative structure held together by a coherent authorial vision, and ordered by a consistent and intelligible system of values to which the characters and actions could be referred. Although he otherwise has little in common with Jane Austen, he pioneered the kind of novel m which the author s understanding of his created world is as important a part of the reader's experience as the tale in itself.

Tom Jones is widely regarded as one of the first and most influential English novels. It is eertainly the funniest.

Tom Jones, the hero of the book, is introduced to the reader as the ward of a liberal Somerset squire. Tom is a generous but slightly wild and feckless country boy with a weakness for yonng, women. Misfortune, followed bv many spirited adventures as he travels to London to seek his fortune, teach him a sort of wisdom to go with his essential good-heartedness.

This 'comic, epic poem in prose' will make the modern reader laugh as much as it did his forbears. Its biting satire finds an echo in today's society, for as Doris Lessing reeently remarked 'This country becomes every day more like the eighteenth century, full of thieves and adventurers,rogues and a robust, unhypoeritical savagery side-by-side with people lecturin others on morality'.

BOOK 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

BOOK 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

BOOK 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

BOOK IV

Containing the time of year

BOOK V

Containing a portion of time somewhat longer than half a year

BOOK VI

Containing about three weeks

BOOK VII

Containing about three days

BOOK VIII

Containing about two days

BOOK IX

Containing twelve hours

BOOK X

In which the history goes forward about twelve hours

BOOK XI

Containing about three days

BOOK XII

Containing the same individual time with the former

BOOK XIII

Containing the space of twelve days

  BOOK XIV

Containing two days

BOOK XV

In which the history advances about two days

BOOK XVI

Containing the space of five days

BOOK XVII

Containing three days

BOOK XVIII

Containing about six days

GLOSSARY

NOTES TO THE TEXT