The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

By: Henry Fielding

Narrated by: Kenneth Danzinger

Length: 35 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

A foundling of mysterious parentage, Tom Jones is brought up by the benevolent and wealthy Squire Allworthy as his own son. Tom falls in love with the beautiful and unattainable Sophia Western, a neighbor’s daughter, whose marriage has already been arranged. When Tom’s sexual misadventures around the countryside get him banished, he sets out to make his fortune and find his true identity.

Against the vivid background of 18th-century London, Tom encounters passion, corruption, danger, and intrigue before finally claiming his fortune, legitimacy, and true love. Fielding’s bawdy, colorful, high-spirited novel paints human vices and virtues with unprecedented honesty and good humor, making Tom Jones as fresh and entertaining today as it was 200 years ago.

Public Domain (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Tom Jones…has been admired by many readers as the most meticulously crafted book of its type. With neoclassic objectivity, humor, and fine psychological delicacy, Fielding dissects the motives of his characters to reveal universal truths about human nature.” ( Masterpieces of World Literature)

“Two hundred years have not dimmed Fielding’s realism. His humor is closer to our own than that of any writer before the present century." (Kingsley Amis)

Long Tom Jones

Longer than Moby Dick but it's worth having for the superlative narration. If there was an Academy Award for best Audible Actor, this should win hands down.

An AMAZING narration

This classic book perceives a worthy homage from Mr Danzinger. What a glorious and hilarious ride. Please, more audiobooks from this narrator!

Delightful performance of the great classic

If you could sum up The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling in three words, what would they be?

Ageless, hilarious adventure

What did you like best about this story?

Fielding is both wise and witty. The story is meticulously plotted, and the observations on humanity are both wise and generous. And funny! Parts of it had me laughing out loud so hard I had to find my husband so he could hear them too, and he almost fell off his chair! The book is full of sly satire, which somehow manages not to lose the reader's interest even when it pauses the plot. The humor is earthy and irreverent, and the book is still exuberant after 250 years. In fact, it seems more contemporary than most Victorian literature.

What does Kenneth Danzinger bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Danzinger is a treat! He enhances the book immeasurably. He expertly characterizes all the voices of the many characters, with regional accents and levels of diction. The listener can instantly tell the social class of the characters, and personalities are brilliantly indicated as well. He perfectly acts out the pretentious and hypocritical characters, adding his own comic fillip to Fielding's words.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Does being moved to laughter count? Too many places to name.

Wonderful!

It's a wonderful tromp across the English countryside with delightful characters. Tom will steal your heart!

Silly and uninteresting but calming

Would you try another book from Henry Fielding and/or Kenneth Danzinger?

No way. I have better things to do.

Would you ever listen to anything by Henry Fielding again?

No.

Have you listened to any of Kenneth Danzinger’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

It successfully put me to sleep countless times.

Any additional comments?

It's such a long book with characters running around the countryside and missing each other. The reader knocked himself out to portray all the different characters - he succeeded.

What a Waste

Awful. Simply awful.
To be exact, if you need to fall asleep soundly every night then this is the book for you.