Joseph Andrews
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1742
- Form
- Novel
- Language
- English
- Length
- Medium · 300 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendJoseph Andrews and ShamelaOxford World's Classics, 2008Pairs the novel with the parody of Richardson that provoked it, with notes on the topical jokes.
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Fielding's first novel began as a parody of Richardson's Pamela. Joseph Andrews, Pamela's brother and a footman, is dismissed by Lady Booby for refusing her advances and sets out for the country to find his beloved Fanny. He is robbed, beaten and rescued, and travels with the parson Abraham Adams, a learned, poor, absent-minded and brave clergyman who is the book's real hero. The road produces innkeepers, squires, hypocritical clergy and a series of comic misadventures, and the plot resolves with disclosures of birth in the manner of a comedy. Fielding's preface defines the comic epic poem in prose.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Joseph Andrews are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
