'Joseph Andrews' and 'Shamela'.

New York, NY Thomas Y. Crowell Company: Crowell Critical Editions, 1972. Paperback First Ed thus, later printing. Very Good in Wraps: shows indications of careful use: slight spine lean; light wear to extremities; mild rubbing and faint soiling to wrapper covers, which show a crease at the lower front corner; binding secure; text clean. No longer 'As New', but remains clean, sturdy, presentable. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 504pp. Edited by Sheridan Baker. The First Edition, Annotated. Critical Essays. Chronological Outline and Bibliography. First Ed thus, later printing. Academic Press Paperback. Romping good fun and sharply satirical. Fielding has none of the puritanical prejudices of his contemporary and rival Samuel Richardson. Rather he gives a graphic, humourous and insightful glimpse of eighteenth century rural shenanigans. Both stories are to some extent a response to Richardson's goodie goodie novel Pamela or Virtue Rewarded, Shamela in fact so much so- mimicking then epistulatory narrative and burlesquing the characters and style of the original novel- that you'll miss most of the jokes unless you've read Richardson first. Joseph Andrews is to some extent also a response to Richardson's all-too-wholesome novel Pamela or Virtue Rewarded. Jospeh Andrews is substantial and rewarding, containing the full range both of Fielding's humour and social concerns. Vividly presenting the self-serving cynicism of English society his particular speciality lies in puncturing pomposity by comically abrupt oppositions between what his characters preach and what they practice. Detached, sarcastic and wickedly literate, Fielding somehow manages to mix slapstick with humor, blend eupheimism with innuendo, and mangle anyone - or any type - that he has a grudge against. A novel of the road - if you liked this, you'll want to press on to read Tom Jones.