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The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
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The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding - Group Read (hosted by Debra and Angela)
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Daniela
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rated it 4 stars
Oct 25, 2021 11:12AM
Finished book 8, I did not care for the Man of the Hill. In a Dickens's book I would have thought him to be an important character, to be found later with some connection with the rest of the plot... but here, I am afraid he is only someone we meet, the excuse to tell another story.
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BOOK XII. — CONTAINING THE SAME INDIVIDUAL TIME WITH THE FORMER.
Chapter i. — Showing what is to be deemed plagiarism in a modern author, and what is to be considered as lawful prize.
Chapter ii. — In which, though the squire doth not find his daughter, something is found which puts an end to his pursuit.
Chapter iii. — The departure of Jones from Upton, with what passed between him and Partridge on the road.
Chapter iv. — The adventure of a beggar-man.
Chapter v. — Containing more adventures which Mr Jones and his companion met on the road.
Chapter vi. — From which it may be inferred that the best things are liable to be misunderstood and misinterpreted.
Chapter vii. — Containing a remark or two of our own and many more of the good company assembled in the kitchen.
Chapter viii. — In which fortune seems to have been in a better humour with Jones than we have hitherto seen her.
Chapter ix. — Containing little more than a few odd observations.
Chapter x. — In which Mr Jones and Mr Dowling drink a bottle together.
Chapter xi. — The disasters which befel Jones on his departure for Coventry; with the sage remarks of Partridge.
Chapter xii. — Relates that Mr Jones continued his journey, contrary to the advice of Partridge, with what happened on that occasion.
Chapter xiii. — A dialogue between Jones and Partridge.
Chapter xiv. — What happened to Mr Jones in his journey from St Albans.
(I've just posted this as it's mid-evening here - though probably earlier for many - and I didn't want it to be missed if anyone is waiting for it. But Angela may come on and post about Book 12. I'm happy to remove this if so.)
Jean! I was just preparing to post, but realizing I am probably the latest time zone in our group unless there is someone from Hawaii. Maybe I should do the evening before instead? This is great, thanks.
Angela wrote: "Jean! I was just preparing to post, but realizing I am probably the latest time zone in our group unless there is someone from Hawaii. Maybe I should do the evening before instead? This is great, t..."The evening before here is already morning in Europe, midnight - 3 a.m. for the U.S. east coast.
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I just wanted to make sure it was done, as I'm ready to drop after the day I've had (but don't want to divert the thread!)
Please post anything else you like Angela, and in the meantime I'll link the list to the first comment.
I just finished Book Eleven. I enjoyed Sophia being mistaken for Jenny Cameron. That was funny. I am surprised that Fielding has such a forward thinking view of marriage. With Mrs. Fitzpatrick's story he seems to be saying marriage as an institution is really bad for women. Did I get that right? Also, this Irish Peer, who shows up as a Knight in Shining Armor to help the women, are we supposed to think he is the lover of Mrs. Fitzpatrick? Or is he just helping out of kindness? At the end it seemed like Sophia was wondering that.
Daniela wrote: "Finished book 8, I did not care for the Man of the Hill. In a Dickens's book I would have thought him to be an important character, to be found later with some connection with the rest of the plot...."I assumed we would meet Man of the Hill again. But, if not, maybe the story was just to teach Tom about life and encourage him to enjoy the scenery.
Bridget wrote: "I just finished Book Eleven. I enjoyed Sophia being mistaken for Jenny Cameron. That was funny. I am surprised that Fielding has such a forward thinking view of marriage. With Mrs. Fitzpatrick's ..."
I am not sure the author is saying marriages are bad. But certainly Mrs. Fitzpatricks was bad, with her gold digging husband that locked her up in a room.
I definitely think the Irish Peer is Mrs. Fitzpatrick's lover.
Book 12Good gosh. Squire Western gives up chasing his daughter to go hunting! At least Sophia doesn't have to worry about him for a while.
I am beginning to like Partridge less and less. He is such a gossip. You would think after he lost his job over accusations that he was Tom's father, that he would not gossip. But he just keeps causing trouble.
Debra Digs wrote: "Bridget wrote: "I just finished Book Eleven. I enjoyed Sophia being mistaken for Jenny Cameron. That was funny. I am surprised that Fielding has such a forward thinking view of marriage. With Mrs..."
Thanks Debra! Its good to know I'm thinking on the right track with Mrs. Fitzpatrick. She's quite the interesting character!
BOOK XIII. — CONTAINING THE SPACE OF TWELVE DAYS.Chapter i. — An Invocation.
Chapter ii. — What befel Mr Jones on his arrival in London.
Chapter iii. — A project of Mrs Fitzpatrick, and her visit to Lady Bellaston.
Chapter iv. — Which consists of visiting.
Chapter v. — An adventure which happened to Mr Jones at his lodgings, with some account of a young gentleman who lodged there, and of the mistress of the house, and her two daughters.
Chapter vi. — What arrived while the company were at breakfast, with some hints concerning the government of daughters.
Chapter vii. — Containing the whole humours of a masquerade.
Chapter viii. — Containing a scene of distress, which will appear very extraordinary to most of our readers.
Chapter ix. — Which treats of matters of a very different kind from those in the preceding chapter.
Chapter x. — A chapter which, though short, may draw tears from some eyes.
Chapter xi. — In which the reader will be surprized.
Chapter xii. — In which the thirteenth book is concluded.
Happy Friday, all! Time for Book 13. Did anything in book 12 surprise you? What was your favorite part?
My thoughts on Book 13.Tom is in bed with yet another woman (Lady Bellaston) who is paying him for sex! And since Tom has accepted the money, he feels obligated to continue having sex with Bellaston.....Oh, please!!
Tom and Sophia finally find each other. Tom lies to her about Bellaston. Right now, I really don't like Tom much.
Books ten and eleven. I am surprised by the travelling by night, there could not always be the light of the moon... And I wonder how Sophia can have the money to travel.
Daniela wrote: "Books ten and eleven. I am surprised by the travelling by night, there could not always be the light of the moon... And I wonder how can Sophia have the money to travel."I pictured the travelling by night to be be very dark and dangerous. If I remember correctly, Tom was determined to travel at night anyway.
As for Sophia and money, I just assumed she had things she could give instead of money, jewelry, silver, etc. I not sure the story says specifically how she paid for things.
Mod
I was ahead of the pack at the outset, then I gave Tom a bit of a rest, and now I am catching up. Sophia is just escaping from her impending wedding to Blifil, and that whole scene had me comparing Tom Jones to Romeo and Juliet.Seems I cannot read anything these days without comparing it to something else, but the whole "you must marry who I pick" bit on the part of Squire Western reeked of the Capulets forcing Juliet to marry Paris. I think there's also a bit the Nurse in Mrs. Honour, Sophia's maid. And Partridge's bumbling about is reminiscent of the collosal mistakes that the Friar makes in R&J.
Hoping to catch up to the pack this weekend.
I am really enjoying this book. I honestly think listening to it accentuates the humor.
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Bionic Jean wrote: "Didn't her father give Sophia everything she wanted? Her aunt seemed quite well-off too ... or am I wide of the mark here?"You are right on the mark, Jean. But since Sophia was escaping, I am not sure how much ready cash she had of her own. She did have a 100 pound banknote from her father. However, so far, she has not spent any of this.
Jane wrote: "I was ahead of the pack at the outset, then I gave Tom a bit of a rest, and now I am catching up. Sophia is just escaping from her impending wedding to Blifil, and that whole scene had me comparing..."Glad you are enjoying it, Jane. I have not read Romeo and Juliet since high school. I don't remember enough to compare.
The version I am listening to, unabridged, is read by Kenneth Scott, Ana is available on Audible. And he is marvelous.
I also felt the Romeo and Juliet influence, particularly in the nurse/Mrs. Honour characters. The conversations between Sophia and Mrs. Honour had exactly the same temper and rhythm. The storyline is almost identical. And, Fielding quotes Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage" in his chapter on how like theater he feels these characters behave. He knew exactly what he was doing, and his audience of the time would have as well.
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I am so far behind it is like reading alone, but I just had the most rollicking good time with the satirical treatment of the Quaker Tom encounters as he tries to find Bristol. I can see why Fielding was so popular with his contemporaries and has endured 'til today, because I found this section hilarious and I can imagine everyone of his time knew someone just like the Quaker and the Innkeeper.
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I have finished books 14 and 15. I made a few notes, and am waiting to post them. I plan to finish the novel today.
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BOOK XIV. — CONTAINING TWO DAYS.
Chapter i. — An essay to prove that an author will write the better for having some knowledge of the subject on which he writes.
Chapter ii. — Containing letters and other matters which attend amours.
Chapter iii. — Containing various matters.
Chapter iv. — Which we hope will be very attentively perused by young people of both sexes.
Chapter v. — A short account of the history of Mrs Miller.
Chapter vi. — Containing a scene which we doubt not will affect all our readers.
Chapter vii. — The interview between Mr Jones and Mr Nightingale.
Chapter viii. — What passed between Jones and old Mr Nightingale; with the arrival of a person not yet mentioned in this history.
Chapter ix. — Containing strange matters.
Chapter x. — A short chapter, which concludes the book.
Jean, you beat me by 11 minutes!! :) :)
Good morning everyone, here's some analysis to complement Jean's post: Analysis
From Book XIV onwards, the novel gives way to a new writing mode: it becomes in part epistolary, filled with the letters of Lady Bellaston, Sophia, and Tom Jones. This serves to embellish Fielding's eclectic style, which is composed of a pastiche of genres and modes of narration. The narrator flits between essays, dramatic dialogues, and letters. The epistolary mode perhaps heightens the sense of separation that the city introduces into the characters' lives—letters now substitute for people. The irony of Lady Bellaston's letters is that, instead of following the rules of polite conduct, they are often explicitly emotional and lascivious.
Although Lady Bellaston remains a presence in Book XIV, the narrator takes a detour to follow the story of Nancy and Nightingale. Nightingale must learn and adopt Tom's code of honor before he can achieve marital bliss. Nightingale, born and bred in the city, can only think of his external reputation. Tom's insistence on the beauty of a clean conscience provides an alternative model to the false image-based status most of the city characters seek. Nevertheless, Fielding does not seem to condemn city-dwellers; rather, his attitude in Chapter I seems merely dismissive. A comedic writer does not need to possess a good knowledge of the upper classes, he states, since the upper classes induce boredom.
So what do we think of the 'false image-based status' of the city characters? Is it accurate? Does it apply today? What else did we find notable about book 14?
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My thoughts on Book 14Once again, a marriage for money. Heavy sigh, I am tired of seeing this.
Lady Bellaston is still manipulating Tom. She is really hanging on. I wonder if she will continue to be in the story. Tom's other lovers left rather quickly and easily.
Mrs. Miller learns of Tom's relationship to Allsworthy. She seems like a very nice lady.
What is happening with Sophia? I think I will read ahead.
Note: I have finished the book. But have a few notes to post for individual chapters. When this group read comes to an end, I will post my final thoughts.
Mod
Debra, wasn't marrying for money common at the time?
Angela wrote: "Debra, wasn't marrying for money common at the time?"I don't know. If it was common back then, I can (now) see why it appeared so many times in the story. But, I am still tired of reading about it.
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Bionic Jean wrote: "Do you think this novel goes on too long Debra? I'm getting the impression you think Henry Fielding is covering some of the same ground - or perhaps spinning it out and doing a bit o..."The novel, most definitely, goes on too long. And goes off track too much. And the author keeps emphasizing how good Tom is. Come on! Stop giving examples of how good Tom is.
Mod
A balancing act. The bad Tom and the good Tom. Try and make the readers like Tom in the end.
Happy Friday, Dickensians and Jonesians! Time for Book 15.
BOOK XV. — IN WHICH THE HISTORY ADVANCES ABOUT TWO DAYS.
Chapter i. — Too short to need a preface.
Chapter ii. — In which is opened a very black design against Sophia.
Chapter iii. — A further explanation of the foregoing design.
Chapter iv. — By which it will appear how dangerous an advocate a lady is when she applies her eloquence to an ill purpose.
Chapter v. — Containing some matters which may affect, and others which may surprize, the reader.
Chapter vi. — By what means the squire came to discover his daughter.
Chapter vii. — In which various misfortunes befel poor Jones.
Chapter viii. — Short and sweet.
Chapter ix. — Containing love-letters of several sorts.
Chapter x. — Consisting partly of facts, and partly of observations upon them.
Chapter xi. — Containing curious, but not unprecedented matter.
Chapter xii. — A discovery made by Partridge.
Analysis: Though the narrator would probably want virtue to be “the certain road to happiness,” his portrayal is more realistic in that bad things can still happen to those who do good (695). In trying to portray human nature, he must acknowledge that our characters do not always correspond to our luck. For instance, even as Tom works virtuously to rectify Nancy's and Nightingale's situation, forces are at work making his chances of winning Sophia ever slimmer.
Of course, Fielding does not ignore that we often facilitate our own situations through our conflicted choices. Those forces that work against Tom are enabled by his willingness to entertain Lady Bellaston for money. Our virtue is not the only key to our happiness, partially because we are forever conflicted between our virtuous and base qualities. On the other hand, the return of Black George into to the story, and his ability to facilitate communication between Sophia and Tom, shows that Tom’s earlier selfless deeds have returned to bless him. His polite rejection of Arabella Hunt will also work in his favor with Sophia later. So we are often blessed by our choices.
Lady Bellaston’s character is further developed as she is revealed to be a demirep. Her decline of Tom’s proposal indicates what has been hinted at before: she is not looking for a husband, just entertainment. Part of her reticence to marry again would be based in the fact that any husband would then have claim to her fortune. She deliberately prompts Lord Fellamar in Sophia’s direction to win Tom for herself, and yet she has few serious intentions. The cruelty she shows in recommending he employ rape to his advantage - “nothing but violent methods will do” - serves as a vicious attack on the hypocrisy and dehumanization that high society and disaffected wealth can bring to a person (699).
Sophia shows her understanding of the situation's complexity when she weeps while reading Thomas Southerne’s 1694 play, The Fatal Marriage, also known as The Innocent Adultery. Fielding’s ability to identify skilful contemporary drama (and not just classic examples) is displayed here. It was a popular text at the time, and its title makes its relevance clear. The play was later adapted by Garrick. Its 1782 performances, with Sarah Siddons as Isabella, were heralded as some of the greatest tragedy performances of the age.
The situation with Nightingale's uncle parodies a comedy of manners. The two elder brothers argue the loyalty and honor of their children, but are both hypocrites. The uncle is quick to change his tune when he realizes his nephew is not actually married, but then he changes it again when he realizes his own daughter is guilty of the transgression he accuses his nephew of. The idea seems to be that each should mind his own business, and allow others to find their own happiness. Because they do not, these brothers have to constantly misrepresent their situations in order to save face in front of the other.
The part that really stood out for me was Lady Bellaston convincing Lord Fellamar to rape Sophia. Thus forcing her into marriage. Good gosh! For the first time, I was truly happy to see Mr. Western appear. Even though he did not seem to get what was going on. At least his appearance put a stop to it.
Mod
John Sessions as Henry Fielding - narrating, and in character too - but invisible to the others eg. sometimes he is nearly run over by a stage-coach
Benjamin Whitrow as Squire Allworthy
Brian Blessed as Squire Western (wonderfully loud and over the top)
Max Beesley as Tom Jones
Samantha Morton as Sophia Western (these two pictured)
Frances de la Tour as Aunt Western
Ron Cook as Mr Partridge
Richard Ridings as Reverend Thwackum
Christopher Fulford as Mr. Square
Michael Cronin as Dr. Blifil
Sylvester McCoy as Mr Dowling
James D'Arcy as Blifil
Michelle Fairley as Mrs Fitzpatrick
Kathy Burke as Honour
Brian Pettifer as Parson Supple
Camille Coduri as Jenny Jones
Celia Imrie as Mrs. Miller
Kelly Reilly as Nancy Miller
Sara Kestelman as Mrs. Wilkins
Tessa Peake-Jones as Bridget Allworthy
Doreene Blackstock as Abigail
Richard O'Callaghan as Mr. Fitzpatrick
Roger Lloyd Pack as Anderson
Brian Hibbard as George Seagrim
Con O'Neill as Captain Blifil
Rachel Scorgie as Molly Seagrim
Jane Danson as Betty Seagrim
Alexei Sayle as Puppeteer
Neil Dudgeon as Puppeteer's Assistant
Paul Barber as Adderley
Julian Firth as Northerton
Rupert Holliday-Evans as Lord Connaught
Amy Marston as Susan
Norman Lovett as Mr. Follett
June Whitfield as Mrs. Whitfield
Tim Healy as Mr. Nightingale Sr.
I am reading book XV, I was finally able to catch up!So Lady Bellaston thinks that, with Sophia married to another man, she could have Tom! This is not the first time that we find, in books and I am afraid in real life too, that the removal of a rival is seen as a way to have a man. What do you think about it? In this case I think it would not work.
If Sophia married another man, I could see Tom marrying Arabella Hunt or joining up with the military.
Bionic Jean wrote: "Links in place. Well done all if you're zooming through this rollicking read. This novel is really racing along now :)"Oh boy, I just finished Book 8, and I have decided our ideas of a rollicking read and pacing are very different. A slow plod for me with a few highlights.
Bionic Jean wrote: "I mentioned before that Thomas Rowlandson did a series of etchings for The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. He was a famous contemporary satirist and caricaturist, wh..."I have read the first 4 chapters of Book IX and did find this fight a highlight and humorous!
Mod
But I'm sure you're right, and that some parts now seem overindulgent and turgid. Just whizz through if you can, and enjoy the parts you can :)
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