Historedia
EuropeEvent

Publication of Tom Jones and Fielding's Magistrate Role

When
1749
Where
London
Episodes
1

Henry Fielding's comic novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling was first published in London on 28 February 1749. The work is classified as a Bildungsroman and picaresque novel, marking a significant entry in early English fiction.

Episodes

  1. 28 February 1749 · LondonPublication of Tom Jones

    Fielding's comic novel was first published in London on 28 February 1749.

Background and detail

Publication Details. The novel was released in London on 28 February 1749. It is described as a comic novel by English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding, representing one of the earliest English works classified as a novel.

Literary Classification. The work is identified as both a Bildungsroman and a picaresque novel. Its narrative focuses on the contrast between Tom Jones's good nature and his half-brother Blifil's hypocrisy, driven by Tom's love for Sophia Western.

People involved

Sources

  1. The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-18

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.