“HIGH SPIRITS, ROUGH HORSE-PLAY AND A HEALTHY SENSE OF THE COMEDY OF LIFE”: FIELDING’S JOSEPH ANDREWS

FIELDING, Henry. The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. London: B. Long and T. Pridden, 1773. Two volumes. 12mo, contemporary full brown calf, raised bands, green morocco spine labels. $600.

Later 18th-century edition of Fielding’s bawdy and brilliant novel—“full of high spirits, rough horse-play and a healthy sense of the comedy of life” (Literary History of England, 956).

“Beyond question the real founder of the English novel” (DNB), Fielding began Joseph Andrews (first published 1742) “as a parody on Richardson’s Pamela… But the author’s genius ran away with him, and soon the remarkable clergyman, Parson Adams, one of the great characters of fiction, stole the show… It is a brilliant tour de force” (Kunitz & Haycraft, 189). See Cross III, 305-06.

A near-fine copy, with front free endpapers excised (half titles present), some expert restoration to contemporary calf bindings.