First published 1742
Joseph Andrews works as a servant until Lady Booby fires him for refusing her sexual advances. The young man maintains his virtue despite her persistent attempts at seduction. Cast out from his position, Joseph sets off on foot to reunite with Fanny Goodwill, the foundling he loves. Along the road he encounters Parson Adams, a well-meaning clergyman who repeatedly falls victim to tricks and schemes yet never loses his charitable nature. The three companions face a series of misadventures as they travel together. Joseph's determination to remain chaste provides constant humor as other characters cannot believe a young man would resist temptation. Their journey exposes the hypocrisies and follies of English society through encounters with rogues, innkeepers, and members of different social classes. The story follows their comedic struggles against a world that seems designed to test both Joseph's moral resolve and Adams's trusting disposition.
Genres: fiction, classic-literature, comedy, 19th-century
Vibes: comedic, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, moral-dilemma
Setting: England
Period: 18th-century
416 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books