Review, 'The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding', part I
I watched Becoming Jane with Rodger and Amy on Saturday night. I was a bit tired, so I found myself unable to keep from muttering throughout about the many, many things that just seemed completely out of character for Jane Austen (who, from her juvenilia, never had a phase in her life where she took herself that seriously or thought such overtly bluestocking behaviour was a good thing) or that didn't fit the period.
The movie builds on the bit in one of Austen's letters to her sister about Tom Lefroy's love of Tom Jones, suggesting that Austen was introduced to the book by Lefroy (which seems to contradict the letter's assumption that Cassandra will be familiar with details like Jones's sartorial choices at important moments in the book).
I realised I'd never read one of the 'great classics of English literature' and determined to remedy this.
It's really good, so far.
I can see why Becoming Jane suggests Tom Jones might have influenced Austen: the social satire often has a very similar tone, as do the authorial comments on events, although the language is rather less easy to read and the episodic nature of Fielding's work seems to make it move a lot more slowly.
Also, Jane Austen really didn't do fight scenes, and Tom Jones has a lot of fight scenes, very minutely described. They're fun; they remind me of the fight scenes in Beowulf, actually. They have a lot of the same wrestling-commentator feel. The narration seems slightly breathless somehow.
I'm surprised by the degree to which the characters feel possible. I'd always vaguely gathered that the characters in this book were a bit on the exaggerated side. They're definitely drawn large, but I'm thinking I may have to group Fielding with George Macdonald and Elizabeth Goudge as an author who can draw a convincing good character who is neither the hero nor unrealistic.
At the moment, I think Tom's fortunes may be about to change, but as I am only half-way through, I assume the good fortune he encounters will be temporary only, as I can't see how the rest of the novel can run on if our heroe (sic) starts encountering success.
(I've managed to write all this without recourse to the term 'rollicking' once! It wasn't easy.)
The movie builds on the bit in one of Austen's letters to her sister about Tom Lefroy's love of Tom Jones, suggesting that Austen was introduced to the book by Lefroy (which seems to contradict the letter's assumption that Cassandra will be familiar with details like Jones's sartorial choices at important moments in the book).
I realised I'd never read one of the 'great classics of English literature' and determined to remedy this.
It's really good, so far.
I can see why Becoming Jane suggests Tom Jones might have influenced Austen: the social satire often has a very similar tone, as do the authorial comments on events, although the language is rather less easy to read and the episodic nature of Fielding's work seems to make it move a lot more slowly.
Also, Jane Austen really didn't do fight scenes, and Tom Jones has a lot of fight scenes, very minutely described. They're fun; they remind me of the fight scenes in Beowulf, actually. They have a lot of the same wrestling-commentator feel. The narration seems slightly breathless somehow.
I'm surprised by the degree to which the characters feel possible. I'd always vaguely gathered that the characters in this book were a bit on the exaggerated side. They're definitely drawn large, but I'm thinking I may have to group Fielding with George Macdonald and Elizabeth Goudge as an author who can draw a convincing good character who is neither the hero nor unrealistic.
At the moment, I think Tom's fortunes may be about to change, but as I am only half-way through, I assume the good fortune he encounters will be temporary only, as I can't see how the rest of the novel can run on if our heroe (sic) starts encountering success.
(I've managed to write all this without recourse to the term 'rollicking' once! It wasn't easy.)