I can't say I have ever been made read a piece of 'literature' that I found more stupid or unnecessary. While this might sound like coming from someone who doesn't like literature as such, let me assure you I do, and that I read a lot, but this one just is particularly detestable for me, full of the voice of an annoying, self-absorbed author, characters that are too dumb even to laugh about them, a protagonist that is constantly presented as the 'good guy' no matter what he does while any woman doing anything else but staying virtuous is condemned to be a whore, and lots and lots of tedious plot.
The question over "what is literature" is typically one with as many opinions as people thinking about it. In my opinions, Tom Jones is trash, and I'm rather convinced it only managed to keep it's tag thanks to the fact it's said to be the first British fictional novel.