In one of the first novels in the English language, we follow the picaresque adventures of Joseph Andrews, a virtuous young man who is keen to maintain his innocence despite being coerced by nearly every woman he encounters.
The episodic journey sees him travel home to London with his tutor, Parson Adams, as he heads to find his sweetheart, Fanny. Much mayhem ensues along the way as they become embroiled in a series of escapades and slapstick brawls.
Fielding is an expert satirist, and through the many twists and turns of narration he combines high and low literature and high and low humor to create a wittily funny novel that he aptly named a "comic epic poem in prose".
