who wrote tom jones

Henry Fielding wrote Tom Jones. This iconic 1749 novel, fully titled The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling , marks one of the earliest English novels, blending comedy, satire, and a coming-of-age tale.

Novel Background

Published on February 28, 1749, in London, Tom Jones follows the adventures of its charming foundling protagonist from rural innocence to urban trials and eventual redemption. Henry Fielding, an English playwright turned novelist (1707–1754), crafted it as a Bildungsroman and picaresque story, drawing from real 18th-century English life while poking fun at society. Fielding's wit shines through an intrusive narrator who chats with readers, breaking the fourth wall to comment on morals, hypocrisy, and human folly—techniques that helped define the novel form alongside rival Samuel Richardson's works.

The story unfolds over 18 books, spanning just 42 days in 1745, weaving Tom's romance with Sophia Western amid mistaken identities, highway robberies, and class clashes. Critics like W. Somerset Maugham later hailed it among the world's top ten novels for its lively realism.

Why It Matters

Fielding didn't just entertain; he innovated. Chapter titles like "Containing five pages of paper" or "A short chapter" mock epic conventions, keeping readers hooked with irony and humor. His background as a magistrate (founder of London's Bow Street Runners) infused authentic legal and social critique, making Tom Jones a mirror to 1740s England—from squires to scoundrels.

Aspect| Details
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Genre| Comic novel, picaresque, Bildungsroman 1
Length| 18 books, ~900 pages in modern editions 5
Key Themes| Love, virtue vs. hypocrisy, social mobility 9
Legacy| Seminal English novel; inspired films (e.g., 1963 Oscar-winner) 69

Common Confusions

"Who wrote Tom Jones" sometimes trips people up, as it could nod to the Welsh singer Tom Jones (born 1940, famous for "It's Not Unusual"). But context points to the book— no singer credits here. No recent news or forum buzz shifts this; it's settled literary fact. Fielding's tale endures in adaptations, like the 2023 PBS miniseries, proving its timeless pull.

Fun Fact

Fielding based parts on Homer's epics but flipped them comic—Tom's "odyssey" is raucous road trips, not heroic quests. Imagine a lusty rogue outwitting prudes; that's the vibe.

TL;DR: Henry Fielding authored the classic 1749 novel Tom Jones.

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