As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

I definitely appreciated the achievements of this book much more this time around than I ever have before. I'm not quite sure what clicked (whether the epic ambitions / ultimate parody of the journey the Bundrens take, Darl's prescient ability to know what's going on, poor Vardaman's inability to process his mother's death, Cora's self-righteous assumptions, or Anse's sly laziness), but I could see how this novel works better than ever.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

This book repays re-reading insofar as it's gotten better, not worse, since the first time I read it, but it's neither Faulkner's best effort nor one of my favorites. Still, this time around, I paid particular attention to the tension between the epic and the mock-epic in Faulkner's tone, Darl's eerie omniscience in his narration, and Addie's infliction of trauma on Darl. Worth reading, and even more worth a re-read.

Occasional Form by J. Paul Hunter

In this assessment of Henry Fielding's career, Paul Hunter situates Fielding's plays and four novels (Shamela, Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones, and Amelia) in the context of Fielding's culture and society. He pays particular attention to the various models Fielding uses to construct his stories, while still affirming Fielding's particular place in the development of the novel. He includes some particularly felicitous readings of Tom Jones. Although this book was written in the 1970s, many of its arguments are worth pursuing.

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

It's always a pleasure to read this rollicking romp through 18th century England. I particularly liked the narrator's comments and guidance of the story; the first chapter of each of the eighteen books is the narrator's introduction to the book. I like the beginning and ending parts (i.e. I and III) at Mr. Allworthy's and in London better than Part II, on the road between the two, but mostly because I delight in Blifil's evil behavior and his final comeuppance. Reading it for a second time, I could definitely see how careful Fielding had shaped his story to give one impression for the first read, but to reveal the truth to anyone who comes back and reads carefully. Overall a great read.