THE

HISTORY OF

TOM JONES

A FOUNDLING

IN FOUR VOLUMES

BY HENRY FIELDING, Esq.

LONDON

Printed for A. Millar, over-against Catherine-Street in the Strand

DESCRIPTION:

An early, four volume edition of Henry Fielding’s famous comic novel. 

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, often known simply as Tom Jones, is a comic novel by the English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. The novel is both a Bildungsroman and a picaresque novel. First published on 28 February 1749 in London, Tom Jones is among the earliest English prose works describable as a novel,and is the earliest novel mentioned by W. Somerset Maugham in his 1948 book Great Novelists and Their Novels among the ten best novels of the world.Totaling 346,747 words, it is divided into 18 smaller books, each preceded by a discursive chapter, often on topics unrelated to the book itself. It is dedicated to George Lyttleton.

Though lengthy, the novel is highly organised; S. T. Coleridge argued that it has one of the "three most perfect plots ever planned". Although critic Samuel Johnson took exception to Fielding's "robust distinctions between right and wrong", it became a best seller, with four editions being published in its first year alone. Tom Jones is generally regarded as Fielding's greatest book, and as a very influential English novel. (Wiki)

Bound in full calf leather with five raised bands and gilt titles to spine. 

Dimensions: approx. 17.5cm x 10.5cm x 2.5cm

Weight of all four volumes: 1.2kg

Condition:

The binding is rubbed and worn with small loss to leather at corners and top and bottom of spines. The gilt has rubbed off the titles of vols 1,2 and 4 but remains on vol. 3. The front board is detached but present on vols 1 and 4. The rear board is detached but present on vol. 3. Both boards are hanging on by threads on vol. 2. The text blocks of vols 2 and 3 are splitting but holding together. The text blocks of vols 1 and 4 remain firm. Endpapers missing from vol. 1. Ink inscription of Sarah House to front endpaper of other 3 vols. Some toning to edges of first few pages on each volume. Otherwise pages remain remarkably clean and bright considering the age of these books.

An eminently readable copy of this fascinating, classic work, well preserved internally and perhaps a good candidate for rebinding.

Please inspect photos carefully.

Thank you for your interest.

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lot 153 note 11