Thought by Coleridge to have one of the greatest plots of all literature, TOM JONES (1749) is funny, scandalous and picaresque. It follows the adventures of Tom, from his childhood as a foundling reared by magnanimous Mr Allworthy to hisexploits as a lusty young man temporarily ensnared by the rich and amorous Lady Bellaston. For all his faults, of which a weakness for women is the most evident, and in spite of the machinations of his devious half-brother, Tom is loved by and loves the spirited Sophia. However, a series of comic misunderstandings and misadventures threatens to destroy any chance of happinessthese two might have together. TOM JONES is one of the first and most influential novels in the English language.