Rating: 
Summary: A comic and romantic epic, with "talking to the reader"
Review: "Tom Jones" is a comedy of errors as the hero and heroine journey through lusty and violent 18th-century England. Fielding's sharp wit and no-holds-barred views on human nature more than make up for the extragavant use of coincidences in the plot.In the novel, Fielding takes the convention of "talking to the reader" to absurd and hilarious heights. The novel defends itself against all sorts of charges from "critics," most memorably, that the work lacks symmetry (the chapters are of uneven length). P.S. Pay attention to the characters' names.
Rating: 
Summary: Synopsis
Review: "Tom Jones" is Fielding's daringly funny novel about the life of one Tom Jones. The book's ironic twists and whimsical hystarics make it an enjoyable piece of work. Despite its rather long plot, I recommend it to the reader because of its daring plot for that day.
Rating:
Summary: A book that gets to the heart of human nature.
Review: And it's funny too. This novel is as good a representation of human life as it actually was in England in the mid eighteenth century. The story is a long one, but it is a wonderfully crafted novel that reads fairly quickly. There is a lot of humour and warmth. It can be justly stated that Fielding seems to live through this novel of his, his greatest achievement! Fielding's characters are wonderfully written, and through them we see Fielding's own ambivalent feelings about human nature. He saw two kinds of people - good and bad. Good people are inherently good, but they can be unwise at times and make bad decisions as his hero Tom Jones does. Bad people are inherently bad, and he sees no good in them. That is why he has made his villain Bilfil so evil. Bilfil has no redeeming characteristics at all. The book covers Tom's life on a country estate, his trip to London, his time in London, and then his trip back to Somersetshire, and all the many adventures that he has along the way. This is a fun novel to read.
Rating:
Summary: Restoration Romp
Review: Best sellers today aint got a patch on this masterpiece. Rollicking sexy fun but you know what - Fielding had a sense of irony, and it is this which elevates the book from pap to perhaps one of the finest and more importantly most ENJOYABLE and indeed intelligent novels written this century. Long? Yes, but youre getting more pages for your pennies - thank you very much.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely funny and modern in its satire. Absolute classic
Review: Fielding had the gift of being satirical, funny and thought-provoking all at the same time. He was not a big fan of the existing monarchy and polished his gift for wit to expose the folly of the many notables in his day by writing for a London Paper. Anyway the story is about a baby who is mysteriously left at the doorstep of a rich and socially favored bachelor named Squire Allworthy. He takes the child in and raises him as his own son, much to the chagrin of Allworthy's nephew who feels his inheritance is threatened by the child. The story is about the childs fall from the graces of Allworthy (with a lot of help from his nephew) and the childs' later redemption. Throughout though Fielding constantly keeps the tone perfectly balanced between sorrow and satire. We as the reader are always being rewarded by Fielding with a nugget of insight on human nature and its many flaws in the funniest ways. One of the best books I've ever read. Throughly modern as well.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best, ever
Review: Gentle satire about human nature and morality in the form of the history of a foundling raised in the home of a country squire, who is exiled from the home through a misunderstanding, and eventually reunited through a series of comic coincidences. Fielding provides a convincing argument as to the relative importance of chastity and piety as virtues by offering one character (Jones) who possesses every Christian virtue except chastity and piety, against another (Blifil) who has virtually no real virtue except chastity and piety. The moral lesson alone would not make this the greatest novel of all time. Fielding's relaxed, dry, humorous, and affectionate style is the main attraction. Do not try to rush through this book. Be grateful for the time you spend reading it, and go slowly.
Rating:
Summary: Dickens' Predecessor
Review: I am tempted to say that just as Marlowe paved the way for Shakespeare, Fielding paved the way for Dickens. I do not have one single complaint about this book. The images are wonderfully portrayed. The main character Tom has many dimensions. He is a rogue, a bumbler, and a womanizer. But at the same time he is heroic, brave, and honorable. Mr. Allworthy is memorable as the virtuous guardian of Tom. Sophia is memorable as a woman with a mind of her own. One of the greatest things about this book is that even though it is over 800 pages long, it is NEVER boring. We are either in suspense, feeling pity, feeling sorrow, or trying to control our laughter. This was the 3rd book I read in History of the Novel. While I did not like the first 2 at all, I REALLY liked this one. It is interesting that Charles Dickens mentions this book in his "David Copperfield" (1850). If you like this book, you MUST see the movie where Albert Finney plays Tom.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: I first picked up Tom Jones because to put it bluntly I am a bibliophile and it was a cheap book. However, I was suprised at how engaging and hilarious the story was despite the claims on the back cover, which are often far off. To tell the truth I did not expect to make it through this extremely lengthy tome, I only wanted to satisfy my curiousity. Although I am a fan of Jane Austen I was shocked by the freshness and wit that Fielding's writing still retains. Every book in the novel begins with an essay by the author. Do not skip these, they are one of the best features of the book. My favorite is the essay before the ninth book which explains the purpose of these introductory chapters. What a riot! The story of big hearted and big appetited Tom Jones and his adventures and misadventures is one long satirical gem. Fielding's interpretation of morals, piousness, love, and high society is still as hilarious and relevant as it was in the 18th century. For anyone who appreciates wit and history, this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: I first picked up Tom Jones because to put it bluntly I am a bibliophile and it was a cheap book. However, I was suprised at how engaging and hilarious the story was despite the claims on the back cover, which are often far off. To tell the truth I did not expect to make it through this extremely lengthy tome, I only wanted to satisfy my curiousity. Although I am a fan of Jane Austen I was shocked by the freshness and wit that Fielding's writing still retains. Every book in the novel begins with an essay by the author. Do not skip these, they are one of the best features of the book. My favorite is the essay before the ninth book which explains the purpose of these introductory chapters. What a riot! The story of big hearted and big appetited Tom Jones and his adventures and misadventures is one long satirical gem. Fielding's interpretation of morals, piousness, love, and high society is still as hilarious and relevant as it was in the 18th century. For anyone who appreciates wit and history, this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: good stuff
Review: I loved the movie on A&E, and I can't wait to read the book!
| 
