David Simple

1744 for The Adventures of David Simple, 1753 for David Simple: Volume the Last, Penguin Classics edition 2002
Sarah Fielding
Original price $15.00, bought used for unknown but definitely much less
Worn paperback
C

As with Don Quixote, I'm treating the second part as a continuation rather than a sequel, despite almost a decade's gap.  In fact, "Volume the Last" opens with "Book 5."  Henry Fielding's sister shared his love of Shakespeare and classic literature, so this is a more erudite book than most of the other early novels by women I own.  Also like Henry, Sarah was greatly influenced by Don Quixote, and her "Simple" hero has the Quixotic quest of searching for a true friend.  Unfortunately, along the way he meets many insincere and unkind people.  As his story goes on, the lives of himself and those he cares about become increasingly disastrous, but he endures with Job-like patience.

The problem is, I find this more depressing than inspiring.  Mrs. Orgueil may've been an accurate portrayal of a type of 18th-century fine lady, but I got tired of reading of her casual cruelty, which among other things leads to the death of a child.  On the plus side, Sarah does a better job incorporating "side stories" into the larger narrative than Henry did in Joseph Andrews, although ironically she may've contributed Leonora's letter to that novel.