This revised Norton Critical Edition is based upon the fourth edition of “Tom Jones”, the last to be published during Fielding's lifetime. Contemporary reactions to the novel's publication and 12 critical essays are included.

The novel is fully annotated for undergraduate readers and is accompanied by a Textual Appendix and a map depicting Tom s route to London. As in the previous edition, “Contemporary Reactions” by such noteworthy commentators as Samuel Richardson, Samuel Johnson, and the Hill sisters provide rich historical context. “Criticism” is a collection of fourteen interpretations of the novel spanning the years 1826 1990 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Forsyth, Kenneth Rexroth, R. S. Crane, John Preston, William Empson, Wayne C. Booth, Martin Battestin, Maaja A. Stewart, Eleanor N. Hutchens, Sean Shesgreen, Frederick W. Hilles, and Sheridan Baker. A new Chronology and an updated Selected Bibliography are also included.

Henry Fielding (1707-1754) was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess. His writings reflect his ongoing preoccupation with fraud, sham, and masks. Tom Jones is considered to be his greatest work.