Volume 2: Books 7-12
One of the marvelous aspects of Tom Jones is the mock-heroic language Fielding employs in his funniest scenes. Assuming the hauteur of an ancient Greek or Roman epic poet, Fielding unleashes some of the most hilarious and satirical prose imaginable, skewering in the process the pretensions of lesser rivals while shredding the moral ambiguities of the mid-18th century. Never before was an author so well equipped to puncture the fashions and foibles of his day as was Fielding.
Volume 2 continues our story by picking up with the flight of Sophia from her father, Squire Western, and continues the journey of Tom as he ponders his future on the road to London. In a series of tightly constructed plot twists and turns, Tom and Sophia end up at the same inn, unbeknownst to one another. Meanwhile, a plethora of new characters are introduced, some of whom will remain till the end of the story, with others dropping away as Tom and Sophia continue on their way to London. They are among the most memorable in the book. In this part of the novel, the setting remains either on the road or at a number of inns as our hero continues on his way.
In his matchless style, Fielding describes some of the most outrageously funny episodes in English literature.
Tom Jones concludes with Volume 3.
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"This book is full of interesting insights into the social scene of the mid 1700's. At first all the social commentary gets in the way of really getting into the story, but as the book progresses, the commentary subsides and the story gets pretty silly. The hero(Tom)is a very likable orphan at first, and shines in comparison to his adopted brother. All around him are people who want to keep him in his place and who will kiss up to the Squire Allworthy, Tom's adopted father and his nephew Master Blifil, who will eventually inherit his Uncle's estate. Tom's courageous and generous nature seem obvious to the reader, but because of the connivings of various other characters, Allworthy is always made to see the worst in Tom, because anything he does is always reported to the master in its worst possible light. As usual in the literature of this period, the story progresses with agonizing slowness, and the plot is extremely convoluted, so it takes some serious stamina to make it to the ending. At times you may be a little offended at the attitudes towards women, but remember this is 1749 we are talking about, and in reality, Fielding is pretty open-minded for a man of his century. There is a little violence, and a scene of attempted rape, and Tom is not entirely faithful to his beloved Sophia, but it is mostly accomplished with taste, and if you can stick it out it is an excellent read."
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John (4 out of 5 stars)