Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Signet Classics (1961), Edition: later printing, Paperback, 320 pages
Description
Fiction. Humor (Fiction.) HTML: Originally published in 1742, Henry Fielding's comic romp Joseph Andrews was one of the first novels written in English. It follows the adventures of a domestic servant, Joseph Andrews, and his friend and advisor, Abraham Adams, as the duo makes a long, ill-fated journey to visit Joseph's beloved, a sweet girl named Fanny..
User reviews
LibraryThing member dougwood57
Second only to Voltaire's Candide: Or Optimism (Penguin Classics), Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews is the funniest, most intelligent, satirical commentary I've ever read. Actually, let's get rid of the qualifiers, Joseph Andrews is one of the two funniest books I've ever read. (I first read it in
The book was first published in 1742 under the title "The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams" to some controversy. Fielding did not hesitate to poke merciless fun at just about everything 'respectable': religion, the law, lords and ladies, and sexual mores. Fielding attacked the moral hypocrisy of Joseph Richardson's popular Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded (Oxford World's Classics). (Fielding also wrote a short work, Shamela, that was a direct response to Pamela. Shamela is often sold together with Joseph Andrews See e.g., Joseph Andrews and Shamela (Penguin Classics).) Pamela created a huge literary controversy; Shamela and Joseph Andrews were just two of many mocking responses, although few others survive (see, e.g. Anti-Pamela and Shamela).
Joseph (who is Pamela's brother!) is a genial but naïve rustic and a footman in the service of Lady Booby (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). When Joseph rejects her very direct and bawdy advances, Lady Booby sends him packing. Joseph then begins walking home from London to the country to seek out (and marry) Fanny Goodwill, his lifelong sweetheart. Along the way he meets his hometown friend the amiable and forgetful Parson Abraham Adams. Parson Adams is on his way to London to sell his sermons for publication. When Adams discovers he has forgotten to pack said sermons, he and Joseph decide to travel home together. The trip is the departure point for many adventures and mishaps that expose the society's hypocrisy and inequities. Along the way, the reader meets many colorful characters whose pretensions often land them in dire circumstances - furnishing much hilarity to us.
Fielding purported to aim at nothing less the invention of a new literary form, the "comic epic-poem in prose". He says in his Preface, "it may not be improper to premise a few words concerning this kind of writing, which I do not remember to have seen hitherto attempted in our language." Fielding, however, was also known to write 'serio-comic', ironic introductions to his works, so some caution is in order. Nonetheless, the Preface accurately describes his "comic epic-poem in prose" as "differing from comedy, as the serious epic from tragedy: its action being more extended and comprehensive; containing a much larger circle of incidents, and introducing a greater variety of characters. It differs from the serious romance in its fable and action, in this: that as in the one these are grave and solemn, so in the other they are light and ridiculous; it differs in its characters, by introducing persons of inferiour rank, and consequently of inferiour manners, whereas the grave romance sets the highest before us; lastly in its sentiments and diction; by preserving the ludicrous instead of the sublime."
Absolutely the highest possible recommendation.
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college and it introduced me to the idea that important old books could also be highly entertaining, interesting, and illuminating.)The book was first published in 1742 under the title "The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams" to some controversy. Fielding did not hesitate to poke merciless fun at just about everything 'respectable': religion, the law, lords and ladies, and sexual mores. Fielding attacked the moral hypocrisy of Joseph Richardson's popular Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded (Oxford World's Classics). (Fielding also wrote a short work, Shamela, that was a direct response to Pamela. Shamela is often sold together with Joseph Andrews See e.g., Joseph Andrews and Shamela (Penguin Classics).) Pamela created a huge literary controversy; Shamela and Joseph Andrews were just two of many mocking responses, although few others survive (see, e.g. Anti-Pamela and Shamela).
Joseph (who is Pamela's brother!) is a genial but naïve rustic and a footman in the service of Lady Booby (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). When Joseph rejects her very direct and bawdy advances, Lady Booby sends him packing. Joseph then begins walking home from London to the country to seek out (and marry) Fanny Goodwill, his lifelong sweetheart. Along the way he meets his hometown friend the amiable and forgetful Parson Abraham Adams. Parson Adams is on his way to London to sell his sermons for publication. When Adams discovers he has forgotten to pack said sermons, he and Joseph decide to travel home together. The trip is the departure point for many adventures and mishaps that expose the society's hypocrisy and inequities. Along the way, the reader meets many colorful characters whose pretensions often land them in dire circumstances - furnishing much hilarity to us.
Fielding purported to aim at nothing less the invention of a new literary form, the "comic epic-poem in prose". He says in his Preface, "it may not be improper to premise a few words concerning this kind of writing, which I do not remember to have seen hitherto attempted in our language." Fielding, however, was also known to write 'serio-comic', ironic introductions to his works, so some caution is in order. Nonetheless, the Preface accurately describes his "comic epic-poem in prose" as "differing from comedy, as the serious epic from tragedy: its action being more extended and comprehensive; containing a much larger circle of incidents, and introducing a greater variety of characters. It differs from the serious romance in its fable and action, in this: that as in the one these are grave and solemn, so in the other they are light and ridiculous; it differs in its characters, by introducing persons of inferiour rank, and consequently of inferiour manners, whereas the grave romance sets the highest before us; lastly in its sentiments and diction; by preserving the ludicrous instead of the sublime."
Absolutely the highest possible recommendation.
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LibraryThing member readingrat
A classic comedy of errors.
LibraryThing member Osbaldistone
This is a fine work both to allow the reader insight into England in the 18th century away from court and cathedral, and to provide a peek into the early invention of the English novel.
Fielding's characters paint a vivid picture of how well, or how poorly, people reside within their assigned class
As a story of life among the lower and middle classes, this is a fine read. But I found the brilliant excellent construction of this novel to be a real eye-opener as far as the development of the early novel is concerned.
Fielding's characters paint a vivid picture of how well, or how poorly, people reside within their assigned class
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levels. Parson Adams, though often playing the naive fool, establishes an expectation of noble Christian behaviour against which Fielding's 'Canterbury Tale'-like characters can be measured. At the same time, Fielding uses Adams to allow the title character to evolve from the pure innocent, who falls into difficulty, to become resurrected as the fully realized, real-life hero.As a story of life among the lower and middle classes, this is a fine read. But I found the brilliant excellent construction of this novel to be a real eye-opener as far as the development of the early novel is concerned.
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LibraryThing member mbmackay
Written in 1742, this book is remarkably modern. Beautifully exaggerated caricatures of key players and Mrs Slipsop as a later Mrs Malaprop. Written as a send-up of Pamela, it still works long after the target has been forgotten. Read April 2009.
LibraryThing member antiquary
I recall it as being amusing but I read it 40 years ago so details are vague.
LibraryThing member stillatim
Richardson seems to me to be a prig; Defoe completely insufferable; Swift and Pope perhaps too smarmy even for me. And I like smarm. According to the introduction Fielding's meant to be more conservative than Richardson (these novels both take their main characters from Richardson's 'Pamela'), but
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as far as I can tell, this is an almost meaningless statement. Unlike Richardson and his characters, Fielding and his are warm and kind; Fielding attacks the stupidities of human kind that need attacking, and he's smarter than everyone. As for the story, it must be better if you've read 'Pamela,' but since that's almost impossible to do, I recommend just skipping to 'Joseph Andrews' and getting to know a couple of wonderful people. Show Less
LibraryThing member robfucious
In all honestly, I'm getting rid of this tome.
I would like to chuck this book at my college professor who assigned it to us for Short Stories and Literature. He praised the book six ways to Sunday, claiming nothing short of this book being written by Divine sources.
I believe he meant Infernal.
There
He must've been Fielding in a former life.
I would like to chuck this book at my college professor who assigned it to us for Short Stories and Literature. He praised the book six ways to Sunday, claiming nothing short of this book being written by Divine sources.
I believe he meant Infernal.
There
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was nothing remotely funny (as he said) or interesting about the story, the characters...not to mention that I went from a high B to a low D because he based the final on nothing but Joseph Andrews.He must've been Fielding in a former life.
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LibraryThing member MartinBodek
I've read Cervantes. I've reviewed Lyly. I've perused Nashe. Defoe was an admiree of mine. Andrews, you're no Cervantes, Lyly, Nashe, Defoe - or Swift.
LibraryThing member MartinBodek
I've read Cervantes. I've reviewed Lyly. I've perused Nashe. Defoe was an admiree of mine. Andrews, you're no Cervantes, Lyly, Nashe, Defoe - or Swift.
LibraryThing member mbmackay
Henry Fielding's second attempt at a parody/satire of Richardson's "Pamela" - with greater success than "Shamela". This is a full length book, with Pamela's brother as the hero, being chased by women of higher status, when all he wants is the girl from his village.
Many plot twists, much meandering
Read Dec 2017.
Many plot twists, much meandering
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(the forward tells that the book is written in the style of Cervantes' "Don Quixote") and many humorous digressions later, and the whole is a pleasing read.Read Dec 2017.
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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
Joseph Andrews starts off as a parable of the Good Samaritan with chastity and charity the central themes. Main character Joseph Andrews is a footman for Lady Booby. When her husband dies suddenly, Joseph is forced to ward off her amorous advances. In an effort to get away from Mrs. Booby Joseph
Along Joseph's journey is accompanied by tutor and pastor Mr. Adams. A large chunk of History of the Adventures is Parson Adams's adventures.
As an aside, what is up with all the goofy names? Mrs. Slipslop, Mrs. Booby, Tow-Wouse, Peter Pounce, Gaffar and Gammar Andrews, to name a few.
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travels to see his true love, Fanny. Along the way he is robbed and beaten but no one wants to help him. Sound familiar? It seems as if Fielding is fixated on responding to Samuel Richardson's Pamela. There are other ties to Pamela. Fielding makes Pamela the brother of Joseph.Along Joseph's journey is accompanied by tutor and pastor Mr. Adams. A large chunk of History of the Adventures is Parson Adams's adventures.
As an aside, what is up with all the goofy names? Mrs. Slipslop, Mrs. Booby, Tow-Wouse, Peter Pounce, Gaffar and Gammar Andrews, to name a few.
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LibraryThing member Roarer
Pleasing yarn, and much easier to read than I had expected.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1742
Physical description
320 p.; 7 inches
ISBN
0451520300 / 9780451520302