Joseph Andrews (Unabridged)

Written by Henry Fielding

Narrated by Terence Wilton

This riotous tale of innocents in a corrupt world was one of the earliest English novels. Published in 1742, it tells the story of a chaste servant. After being sacked for spurning the advances of the lascivious Lady Booby, Joseph Andrews takes to the road, accompanied by his beloved Fanny Goodwill and the absent-minded, much put-upon Parson Adams. There they encounter robbers, tricksters, seducers, mishaps, and strange twists of fortune.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RNIB
• Release date: Jan 1, 2000

Henry Fielding

Henry Fielding (1707-1754) was an English novelist, dramatist, and prominent magistrate. He was born into noble lineage, yet was cut off from his allowance as a young man and subsequently began a career writing plays. He wrote over 25 dramatic works, primarily satires addressing political injustice. When Fielding's career as a playwright ended with new censorship laws, he turned to writing fiction. His work as a novelist is considered to have ushered in a new genre of literature. Among his best known masterpieces are The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild (1743) and The History of Tom Jones (1749).