The Labyrinth of the Comic is a finely written academic study of the meanings of comedy and the comic in literature, philosophy, psychology, and psychoanalysis, from the middle eighteenth century to the early twentieth. It is published by a university press and aimed primarily at academic audiences: for students and teachers at the college level. If you are interested in how comedy has been understood and interpreted between Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews and Tom Jones in the mid eighteenth century, and Sigmund Freud's Jokes and their Relation to the Unconscious in the early 20th century, you should find the book interesting and helpful. The book also considers William Makepeace Thackeray, Soren Kierkegaard, the rise of experimental psychology, and George Meredith.

How do you write a review on what may be the best novel ever written. Charming and wonderfuly written and still hold up almost 300 years later. Funny, thought provoking as Fielding shines light on morale hypocrisy. I did not want this book to end, can there be a better commentary on a book then that?

Journey with a guy with much testosterone, but a HUGE heart. I was not looking forward to reading this book for my 18th Century British novel class, but upon starting to read I found it to be a pleasurable story. This piqaresque novel has a humor that I have seldom encountered in other narratives. What is ironic is that Fielding wrote this piece during one of the most traumatic periods of his life. His wife just passed away, his daughter was dying, and he was inflicted with the gout. One would never think it from the clever way the book is written. The point of view gives us an in so that we feel as if we ourselves have roles in the storyline. Rooting all the way for Tom despite his flaws, we find out more about human nature along the way. A good read, light a candle and sit down with some wine like they would've and enjoy this classic comical delight.

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.

It was so hard finally putting this book down.

The friends you make!

Tom, Sophia, Allworthy, even Western himself.

But most of all, Henry Fielding.

The humor, the humanity!

What an author and what a man. And to think he
penned his comic masterpiece in his darkest days.

With all that, Tom Jones can be tough going. The
language requires you read fairly slowly. And the
novel is huge. And the plot is intricate.

You may benefit from book notes; I did, especially
during the second half.

If you love Tom Jones, check out Thackeray's
Vanity Fair. And Guerney's translation of Gogol's
Dead Souls.

While you're at it, grab The Brothers Karamazov
and go crazy.

As I first time reader of Fielding I found this book unexpectedly comical. In the same line as going to church to hear a boring old pastor and finding your self humoured throughout the sermon. The charactors keep their distance through the third person narrative which allows the reader to judge, pity and find in the case of Fanny and Joseph perfection which is annoyingly unreal.

As for Parson Adams he well may be a saintly man but surely someone other than myself finds his lack of tact, condenscending tone and total innocence extremely irritating.

This is an incredible book about real friendship,chastity and honesty written in the most humorous fashion.Fielding brings out the true values of friendship beteween Parson Adams and Joseph and true love between the latter and Funny.He points out the sad but true "false" nature of the upper class and brings out questions about real life.I like this book because it encourages chastity and esteems honesty.

Romping good fun and sharply satirical. Fielding has none of the puritanical prejudices of his contemporary and rival Samuel Richardson.Rather he gives a graphic, humourous and insightful glimpse of eighteenth century rural shannanigans. Both stories are to some extent a response to Richardson's goodie goodie novel Pamela or Virtue Rewarded, Shamela in fact so much so- mimicking then epistulatory narrative and burlesquing the characters and style of the original novel- that you'll miss most of the jokes unless you've read Richardson first. Jospeh Andrews is far more substantial and rewarding containing the full range both of Fielding's humour and social concerns. Vividly presenting the self-serving cynicism of English society his particular speciality lies in puncturing pomposity by comically abrupt opposistions between what his characters preach and practise. Detached, sarcastic and well-read Fielding somehow manages to mix slapstick with Homer, blend eupheimism with innuendo and mangle anyone that he has a grudge against. A novel of the road- if you liked this, you'll love Tom Jones.

I loved this book. The adventures of Joseph Andrews are colourful and riotous. Highly recommended! Shamela, however, is a lesser work. It is a bawdy caricature of Samuel Richardson's "Pamela". Amusing, but slight.

Tom Jones is a wonderful story. I first heard about it by watching the BBC series, the cover of this edition has a picture from the series on it in fact. I really enjoyed it because of its subtle humour, no doubt considered most unpleasant in the aristocratic circles of the time. There is no doubt Tom jones is a comedy even if it was not seen as such by the public or critics of the time. Nowadays it is simply very enjoyable, full of the jests and witticisms of a very talented author.
The story concerns Tom jones supposedly a foundling brought up almost as a son by the kind and generous Mr Allworthy a country gentleman. Tom's name was taken from his supposed mother although this remains in doubt. The story unfolds and gets really interesting as Tom grows up and earns a rather rascally reputation although his heart is good. The trials and tribulations continue due to his eventually falling in love with the beautiful Sophia, daughter of Squire Western, another country gentleman somewhat rough around the edges.
This is the beginning and Fielding investigates and sometimes undermines the mores of the day. A simply delightful story told with mirth and tongue-in-cheek honesty. Although the story is long and at times Fielding writes too long a commentary in the whole it is very good indeed.

So I was getting ready to reread Don Quijote (1605)(Miguel de Cervantes 1547-1616) in the excellent Burton Raffel translation and as I was looking for information about the book and author, saw repeated references to Fielding's Joseph Andrews. I'd read his Tom Jones a couple of years ago and found it kind of tough sledding, but when I stumbled upon this one at a library book sale for a quarter, it seemed a stroke of destiny.

The parallels with Don Quijote are readily apparent. First of all, the book consists of a series of humorous travel adventures; second, the travellers involved seem too innocent to survive in the harsh world that confronts them. When Joseph Andrews, the naive footman of Lady Booby, deflects the amorous advances of both her Ladyship and Slipslop, the Lady's servant, he is sent packing. Upon his dismissal, Joseph, along with his friend and mentor Parson Adams, an idealistic and good-hearted rural clergyman, who essentially takes the physical role of Sancho Panza but the moral role of Quijote, sets out to find his beloved but chaste enamorata, Fanny Goodwill, who had earlier been dismissed from Lady Booby's service as a result of Slipslop's jealousy. In their travels they are set upon repeatedly by robbers, continually run out of funds and Adams gets in numerous arguments, theological and otherwise. Meanwhile, Fanny, whom they meet up with along the way, is nearly raped any number of times and is eventually discovered to be Joseph's sister, or maybe not.. The whole thing concludes with a farcical night of musical beds, mistaken identities and astonishing revelations.

I've seen this referred to as the first modern novel; I'm not sure why, in light of it's obvious debt to Cervantes. But it does combine those quixotic elements with a seemingly accurate portrayal of 18th Century English manners and the central concern with identity and status do place it squarely in the modern tradition.

At any rate, it is very funny and, for whatever reason, seemed a much easier read than Tom Jones. I recommend it unreservedly.

GRADE: B+

I thought this book was very good and very interesting.

Henry Fielding's novel Jonathan Wild - out of print since 1982? Bummer. Jonathan Wild was a real organizer of a group of thieves (i.e., prigs), but Fielding invented considerable portions of this novel. Enraged by the acclaim given to dishones but "great" men (that is, men who had achieved success for their benefit, while often doing harm to others), Fielding set out to chronicle, in the most flowery and euphemistic terms possible, the life and times of Jonathan Wild, Esq. As a foil, Thomas Heartfree, who is nearly ruined by Wild, is introduced. As characters, they are stick figures, but that is intentional. Fielding sets to battle ridiculous extremes of good and evil, with good emerging triumphant in the end.

It might emerge as a tedious harangue on the virtues of a good life, but Fielding's skill as a writer makes this impossible. His elaborate sentences demand close attention, and their rewards are great. Intricate and well thought-out, they are fascinating in and of themselves. The story is witty, well-balanced, and constantly amusing. The morality and writing of the story have aged well, the former largely because of the latter, and Jonathan Wild is a quite good, though most likely minor, narrative of infamy and saintliness.