Numerical Methods for Stochastic Control Problems in Continuous Time (Stochastic Modelling and Applied Probability)

Book Description

This book presents a comprehensive development of effective numerical methods for stochastic control problems in continuous time. The process models are diffusions, jump-diffusions, or reflected diffusions of the type that occur in the majority of current applications. All the usual problem formulations are included, as well as those of more recent interest such as ergodic control, singular control and the types of reflected diffusions used as models of queuing networks. Applications to complex deterministic problems are illustrated via application to a large class of problems from the calculus of variations. The general approach is known as the Markov Chain Approximation Method. The required background to stochastic processes is surveyed, there is an extensive development of methods of approximation, and a chapter is devoted to computational techniques. The book is written on two levels, that of practice (algorithms and applications) and that of the mathematical development. Thus the methods and use should be broadly accessible. This update to the first edition will include added material on the control of the 'jump term' and the 'diffusion term.' There will be additional material on the deterministic problems, solving the Hamilton-Jacobi equations, for which the authors' methods are still among the most useful for many classes of problems. All of these topics are of great and growing current interest.

Spatial Objective Analysis: With Applications in Atmospheric Science

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Spatial Objective Analysis: With Applications in Atmospheric Science
H. J. Thiebaux , and M. A. Pedder
Manufacturer: Academic Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Numerical Methods for Structured Markov Chains (Numerical Mathematics and Scientific Computation)

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Numerical Methods for Structured Markov Chains (Numerical Mathematics and Scientific Computation)
Dario A. Bini , Guy Latouche , and Beatrice Meini
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0198527683

Book Description

Intersecting two large research areas - numerical analysis and applied probability/queuing theory - this book is a self-contained introduction to the numerical solution of structured Markov chains, which have a wide applicability in queuing theory and stochastic modeling and include M/G/1 and GI/M/1-type Markov chain, quasi-birth-death processes, non-skip free queues and tree-like stochastic processes. Written for applied probabilists and numerical analysts, but accessible to engineers and scientists working on telecommunications and evaluation of computer systems performances, it provides a systematic treatment of the theory and algorithms for important families of structured Markov chains and a thorough overview of the current literature. The book, consisting of nine Chapters, is presented in three parts. Part 1 covers a basic description of the fundamental concepts related to Markov chains, a systematic treatment of the structure matrix tools, including finite Toeplitz matrices, displacement operators, FFT, and the infinite block Toeplitz matrices, their relationship with matrix power series and the fundamental problems of solving matrix equations and computing canonical factorizations. Part 2 deals with the description and analysis of structure Markov chains and includes M/G/1, quasi-birth-death processes, non-skip-free queues and tree-like processes. Part 3 covers solution algorithms where new convergence and applicability results are proved. Each chapter ends with bibliographic notes for further reading, and the book ends with an appendix collecting the main general concepts and results used in the book, a list of the main annotations and algorithms used in the book, and an extensive index.

Visualizing Magnetic Fields: Numerical Equation Solvers in Action (With CD-ROM)

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Electromagnetism CAN be fun!
Review of "Visualising Magnetic Fields"

Visualizing Magnetic Fields: Numerical Equation Solvers in Action (With CD-ROM)
John Stuart Beeteson
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

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ASIN: 0120847310

Book Description

Visualizing Magnetic Fields: Numerical Equation Solvers in Action provides a complete description of the theory behind a new technique, a detailed discussion of the ways of solving the equations (including a software visualization of the solution algorithms), the application software itself, and the full source code. Most importantly, there is a succinct, easy-to-follow description of each procedure in the code.

The physicist Michael Faraday said that the study of magnetic lines of force was greatly influential in leading him to formulate many of those concepts that are now so fundamental to our modern world, proving to him their "great utility as well as fertility." Michael Faraday could only visualize these lines in his mind's eye and, even with modern computers to help us, it has been very expensive and time consuming to plot lines of force in magnetic fields.

* Overview of the physics of magnetic fields
* Complete description of the theory behind the new technique
* Overview of the theory of Gaussian elimination and Conjugate Gradient equation solvers (including a software application to visualise the algorithms in action)
* Application software itself, the full-source code and a plain English description of each procedure in the code

Customer Reviews:

Electromagnetism CAN be fun!.......2001-05-17

This book is a delight! If only it had been available during those less than interesting lectures on electromagnetic theory..........

Here, the reader can simulate almost any combination of magnets, conductors and external fields and visualize the result in a number of different ways. So this book and its accompanying software will find use in grade school, universities and industry. The visual impact of the approach used by John Beeteson should prove inspirational to younger students. I would recommend that any teacher involved in this subject should buy this book and try it out.

I have used the software on a W98 notebook computer and on a powerful dual processor NT machine. It works just fine in both cases.

Review of "Visualising Magnetic Fields".......2001-02-13

This book provides a no-nonsense introduction to the ideas and concepts of magnetic field visualisation. Electromagnetics is a large and complex field and, as such, can be difficult to obtain an intuitive grasp of. This book presents the basic ideas of magnetic field analysis in a simple and orderly manner with examples to demonstrate the important fundamental concepts. This makes it an ideal companion for more rigourous texts on the subject that go into greater detail where necessary.

The use of numerical analysis tools is widely regarded as essential for more than the simplest of geometries. Frequently these tools require a substantial knowledge in order to be able to apply them to the problem at hand. With the use of the author's visualisation of numerical solvers in action the user is able to understand how the computation process develops in solving in 2D a mathematical representation of the field problem. This understanding is essential if the reader wishes to progress to the more challenging 3D simulation environment, especially for those creating rather than just applying the simulation software.

Book Description

Monte Carlo methods form an experimental branch of mathematics that employs simulations driven by random number generators. These methods are often used when others fail, since they are much less sensitive to the "curse of dimensionality", which plagues deterministic methods in problems with a large number of variables. Monte Carlo methods are used in many fields: mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry, finance, computer science, and biology, for instance.

This book is an introduction to Monte Carlo methods for anyone who would like to use these methods to study various kinds of mathematical models that arise in diverse areas of application. The book is based on lectures in a graduate course given by the author. It examines theoretical properties of Monte Carlo methods as well as practical issues concerning their computer implementation and statistical analysis. The only formal prerequisite is an undergraduate course in probability.

The book is intended to be accessible to students from a wide range of scientific backgrounds. Rather than being a detailed treatise, it covers the key topics of Monte Carlo methods to the depth necessary for a researcher to design, implement, and analyze a full Monte Carlo study of a mathematical or scientific problem. The ideas are illustrated with diverse running examples. There are exercises sprinkled throughout the text. The topics covered include computer generation of random variables, techniques and examples for variance reduction of Monte Carlo estimates, Markov chain Monte Carlo, and statistical analysis of Monte Carlo output.

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Advances in Dynamic Game Theory: Numerical Methods, Algorithms, and Applications to Ecology and Economics (Annals of the International Society of Dynamic Games)

Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Boston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A Course in Derivative Securities: Introduction to Theory and Computation (Springer Finance)

Game Theory: Decisions, Interaction and Evolution (Springer Undergraduate Mathematics Series)

ASIN: 0817643990

Book Description

This collection of selected contributions gives an account of recent developments in dynamic game theory and its applications, covering both theoretical advances and new applications of dynamic games in such areas as pursuit-evasion games, ecology, and economics. Written by experts in their respective disciplines, the chapters are an outgrowth of presentations from the 11th International Symposium on Dynamic Games and Applications.

Key topics covered include:

* stochastic and differential games

* dynamic games and their applications in various areas, such as ecology and economics

* numerical methods and algorithms in dynamic games

* zero- and nonzero-sum games

* pursuit-evasion games

* evolutionary game theory and applications

The work will serve as a state-of-the art account of recent advances in dynamic game theory and its applications for researchers, practitioners, and advanced students in applied mathematics, mathematical finance, and engineering.

Stochastic and Differential Games: Theory and Numerical Methods (Annals of the International Society of Dynamic Games)

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Stochastic and Differential Games: Theory and Numerical Methods (Annals of the International Society of Dynamic Games)

Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Boston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0817640290

Book Description

This new book, organized by editors representing a wide degree of interests in dynamic games, is aimed at control engineers, applied mathematicians, operations research specialists, and research workers.

It contains survey papers on such diverse topics as pursuit-evasion games, viscosity solutions, gambling theory, discounted stochastic games, optimal routing, numerical methods, and others. The volume consists of two parts, with the first dealing with zero-sum differential games and numerical methods, and the second with stochastic and nonzero-sum games, and applications.

Topics and Features:

state-of-the-art surveys, new results, and algorithms. viscosity solutions. gambling theory and stochastic games. optimal routing. viability kernel algorithm and discriminating kernal algorithm.

Book Description

This book considers recent developments in numerical error estimation and adaptive discretization for finite element and finite volume methods with particular attention given to discretization methods used frequently in computational fluid dynamics. The volume consists of six detailed articles by leading specialists covering a range of topics including a posteriori error estimation of functionals, one- and two-sided error bounds, error indicators for ad aptivity, and nd geometrical aspects of adaptive mesh refinement. This book should be of interest to readers actively working in the field as well as readers seeking a comprehensive introduction to the topic.

Meshfree Methods for Partial Differential Equations III (Lecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering)

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Meshfree Methods for Partial Differential Equations III (Lecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3540462147

Book Description

Meshfree methods for the numerical solution of partial differential equations are becoming more and more mainstream in many areas of applications. Their flexiblity and wide applicability are attracting engineers, scientists, and mathematicians to this very dynamic research area. This volume represents the state of the art in meshfree methods. It consists of articles which address the different meshfree techniques, their mathematical properties and their application in applied mathematics, physics and engineering.

Book Description

A foundling of mysterious parentage brought up by Mr. Allworthy on his country estate, Tom Jones is deeply in love with the seemingly unattainable Sophia Western, the beautiful daughter of the neighboring squire—though he sometimes succumbs to the charms of the local girls. When Tom is banished to make his own fortune and Sophia follows him to London to escape an arranged marriage, the adventure begins. A vivid Hogarthian panorama of eighteenth-century life, spiced with danger and intrigue, bawdy exuberance and good-natured authorial interjections, Tom Jones is one of the greatest and most ambitious comic novels in English literature.

Customer Reviews:

There is only one Tom Jones.......2007-08-25

and he was a foundling. This is the most wonderful novel in English, in my humble opinion. It is a totally delightful romp through 18th Cetury England and a true classic of literature. The other Tom Jones, the Welsh one, does not hold a candle to our dear Tom who adored the charming Sophia and goes on a journey of self discovery.

Greatest comic novel ever written.......2007-08-25

I wouldn't bother writing a review of this novel, since it stands alone as the greatest comic novel ever written, and certainly doesn't need my help. But I can't help responding to the review of the Patriarch. Puck: "Lord, what fools these mortals be." Looking at the sophistication of this reviewer, I assume that he will make the mistake of thinking Puck must be a spectator at a hockey game. Get this book. Read it again and again. Just about everything you need to know about human nature is in this book, and indeed, the author makes the statement in the opening that indeed, his subject is "human nature."

Please ignore the other reviewer.......2007-08-03

This is a classic piece of literature and very entertaining. I was very surprised to find that it had a one star score on Amazon until I read the only review for it, which accused Fielding of writing this as a fake history of the singer Tom Jones. To anyone in doubt, this book was first published on February 28, 1749. Yes, 1749. Tom Jones the singer was born in 1940. So...

It's not unusual...to be disappointed with this book.......2007-08-02

Hey everyone, this is going to be a sad review. Because I've been having an off day today. To cheer myself up I went to the local library. Well, they had nothing. Just the kind of books you find at yard sales. But I spot what appears to be a diamond in the rough. The history of Tom Jones. Now your's truly has been a fan of Tom Jones from the very begin. And since it's been awhile, I thought I'd read this book to see just what Tom Jones life was like. Now after reading this book for some time I realize this book is not about Tom Jones at all! It's just some author's brilliant scheme to make people buy his book. Imagine if I wrote a book and called it, "Paul McCartney, a biography or the Life and Times of John Lennon when the books had nothing to do with either of these people. That's pretty much what we have here. What's next Mr. Henry Fielding, if that is even your real name, The History of Wayne Newton? Anyway, thank God we have Amazon so people could expose these confidence artists for they really are.

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The Earliest Is Still the Best
Best Novel ever written?

Tom Jones (Norton Critical Editions)
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393965945

Customer Reviews:

The Earliest Is Still the Best.......2007-08-25

Although Tom Jones is one of the first English novels, it remains my all time favorite, which is saying a lot since I majored in English and have read too many pieces of fiction to count.It is the only novel I have read more than 2 times. The plot is quite inventive, the characters vivid and the romp through 18th Century England engaging. The style of writing may take awhile to get used to for a modern reader, but perserverence will pay off. Enjoy!!

Best Novel ever written?.......2001-11-03

How do you write a review on what may be the best novel ever written. Charming and wonderfuly written and still hold up almost 300 years later. Funny, thought provoking as Fielding shines light on morale hypocrisy. I did not want this book to end, can there be a better commentary on a book then that?

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The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling

Manufacturer: Wesleyan University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The history of Tom Jones, a foundling (100 greatest books of all time)

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The history of Tom Jones, a foundling (100 greatest books of all time)
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: Franklin Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The History of Tom Jones; a Foundling
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press/Franklin Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The History of Tom Jones. A Foundling
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: Franklin Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Franklin Library's leather-bound collection. With illustrations by Thomas Rowlandson.

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The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: The Franklin Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The History of Tom Jones - A Foundling

Manufacturer: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Introduction by Louis Kronenberger.

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HISTORY OF TOM JONES, A FOUNDLING
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ. Press / Franklin Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling (The Wesleyan Edition of the Works of Henry Fielding)

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Now that's what I call satire...
Mr. Herman Jay, wherever you are, THANK YOU!
A Foundling's Felicity
Tom Jones: There Is No Doubt-Society Is Just
Simply The Best

The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling (The Wesleyan Edition of the Works of Henry Fielding)
Henry Fielding , and Martin C. Battestin
Manufacturer: Wesleyan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0819560480

Amazon.com

Tom Jones isn't a bad guy, but boys just want to have fun. Nearly two and a half centuries after its publication, the adventures of the rambunctious and randy Tom Jones still makes for great reading. I'm not in the habit of using words like bawdy or rollicking, but if you look them up in the dictionary, you should see a picture of this book.

Book Description

The Wesleyan edition of Tom Jones is widely acknowledged as the best available, and this new paperback reproduces the handsomely composed text and notes of that edition. A new Critical Introduction, a brief chronology of Fielding's life, and a selected bibliography of relevant criticism especially designed for student use have been added. The map - "A Geography of Tom Jones" - has been retained, while the General and Textual Introduction and six bibliographical Appendices of the two volume clothbound edition have been omitted.

Customer Reviews:

Now that's what I call satire..........2007-04-24

"Soon after its 1749 publication, Tom Jones was condemned for being "lewd," and even blamed for several earthquakes. But what really riled its critics was its supremely funny satirical attack on eighteenth-century British society and its follies and hypocrisies - which, of course, are very much like our own." From the publisher

A Love Story? Adventure? Sophisticated 18th century humor? A handsome and rambunctious protagonist? I'm In!
This is the lengthy, (maybe a bit too drawn out) history of Fielding's hero, Tom Jones. Found as an infant in the bed of Mr. Allworthy, the wealthy and pious widower who adopts him and raises him as his own.
The enormously Kind Allworthy raises the foundling (orphan) child as his own, much to the chagrin of his super class conscious community, where he is given all the privileges of upper class society (sans the inheritance. In 18th century England, it is illegal for foundlings to be heirs). Fielding's Hero has a heart of gold; he is gallant, chivalrous, with boyish good looks to match-- the only problem is Tom can't seem to keep himself out of trouble. Especially with the ladies. He carries on scandalous affairs--endearingly. He can't seem to control his libido but Fielding never paints his intentions as dishonorable. By no means is he innocent; Jones is just a nice guy who finds himself in hilarious situations with women because he is irresistable...and HORNY.
Through the cunning of Allworthy's nephew Blifil, and his own folly, he gets turned out of doors by Mr. Allworthy, just as his beloved Sophia, (the girl next door) is betrothed to his sneaky cousin.
Sophia runs away to London rather than be forced to marry Blifil, while Tom himself encounters some uproarious adventures in his path to London, where he and Sophia's trails meet and he endeavors to win her back. There in London he even discovers his true parentage, and the evil Blifil gets recognized for the conniving sneak he is.
In the end, all is well. It takes Fielding 1000 pages to do so as he pokes fun at 18th century English morals,introduces us to interesting characters, puts Tom in crazy situations, and explores the true meaning of what it is to be "good."

Mr. Herman Jay, wherever you are, THANK YOU!.......2007-04-06

Henry Fielding's observations about humans and society hold true: This book is so funny it could have been written yesterday.

Thank goodness my 12th grade English teacher (the aforementioned Mr. Jay) had us read this marvelous book. After devouring Fielding's rambling and intricately plotted story as a teen, I was never again daunted by huge pre-20th Century novels with teeny print. This book opened the door for me to enjoy Austen, Dickens, Trollope, etc. I've reread it recently, cackling at every page, and it has remained my favorite novel.

The story is divided into three parts: the country, the road to London and the city itself. Along the way we meet so many memorable people, each with his/her own little set of intrigues--some of which overlap, of course. It is amazing to me how Fielding managed his characters' comings and goings so as to make it perfectly plausible that no one character has all the pieces of the puzzle of Tom's parentage or of Blifl's treachery.

Henry Fielding is a great `host' and companion. He has a truly hilarious writer's voice, alternating different literary tones to describe characters and events for maximum comic effect. He shamelessly digresses about whatever subject he feels like. (He is considerate enough to put these fabulous musings in well-marked chapters and gives the reader permission to just skip them. My very favorite: the one about extending the metaphor of the cliché `all the world's a stage'.)

Favorite Quote from Tom Jones: "It is as possible for a man to know something without having been at school, as it is to have been at school and to know nothing."

Can I give it SIX stars?

A Foundling's Felicity.......2007-01-25

This book or novel or whatever you may deem fit to call it has so many points in its favour that it's difficult to know where to begin. I think a rundown of a few of the myriad of characters that delight me personally might do for starters:

Tom Jones - A young fellow with many "imperfections" if so they may be called, but a robust fellow with a "good heart." Prudence and what is commonly called virtue are not his strong suit - But may I remind the reader that virtue comes from the Latin word for "manliness"- Tom is certainly possessed of the word's etymological origins, if not of its modern usage (particularly in amorous matters)--And a good thing too, or we should have no story here to delight us!

Squire Western- Another rambunctious character, who, for me, typifies all that is Eighteenth Century England. Every time he appeared in this book, whether it was to comment on wenching, wine, or riding to hounds a smirk would immediately cross my face followed invariably by chuckling by the end of the chapter.

Henry Fielding - The author plays as much a part of the book as any of the characters with many prologues and prefaces and etc. For these, and for much of the rest of the book, I might add, the reader who has not had four years of Latin inculcated into him at an English boarding school would do well to buy the Oxford edition, which fully explains all the learned quotes - Also, as one who was thus inculcated but is inclined to laziness, the Oxford edition's notes prove extremely helpful also. Fielding also gives us a lively picture of the literary life of his time, which the Oxford footnotes do a deft job of explaining- In short, buy the Oxford edition.

This review can not be comprehensive. There are simply too many characters to even make a go at encompassing them all. I'm merely describing some of the, to me, more delightful ones.

The book as a whole is simply a joy to read, in its comic descriptions of all who will deign to admit that they are human, and of some priggish sorts who will not so deign. I can put it no better than Fielding Himself at the beginning of Book XV:

"There are a set of religious, or rather moral writers, who teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery, in this world. A very wholesome and comfortable doctrine, and to which we have but one objection, namely, that is not true."

In short, this is a delightful ramble of a book which, while entertaining the reader not too attached to Sunday School, sheds light on how unvirtuous the virtuous can be, and how kind and good-natured the roguish can be as well as giving us as good a history lesson on the state of affairs in Eighteenth century England (with attention given to the Jacobite Rebellion etc.) as many a "proper" history does.

Who, I ask myself, would not delight in this book? ---Well...for the priggish, there's always Jane Austen.

Tom Jones: There Is No Doubt-Society Is Just.......2006-08-18

When Henry Fielding published TOM JONES in 1749, just one year after Samuel Richardson did with CLARISSA, there was a literary and vituperative collision of the only two writers of English novels. Richardson's heroine lived in an uneasy stasis of romance and tragedy, one in which the attention of the reader was directed to specified personalities, clear if egregious motives, and numbed reactions that were none the less horrifying in their numbness. Richardson, then, placed Clarissa in an unjust world that allowed her to grow in a manner that transcended her endured injustices. The world of Henry Fielding, by contrast, was one of benevolence., one in which evil and foolish characters were allowed to thrive but at no point in TOM JONES was the reader in any doubt that by the end of the hero's epic journey that he would regain a sense of social equilibrium. Fielding, then, placed Tom Jones in a just world that allowed him to wallow in his own sexual excesses but would not permit him to stay there very long. The very qualities that annoyed Richardson so much about Fielding's basically optimistic view of society are the ones that have made certain that both Clarissa and Tom Jones are much read today, even if for quite different reasons.

As many readers have noted the action of TOM JONES is divided into three parts: the first tells of the major characters--the Allworthys, the Westerns, the birth of Tom, and the linked events that caused Sophia to flee from an unwelcome marriage to the scoundrel Blifil. The second tells of the interlocking flights and pursuits among Sophia, Tom, Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Waters, and Mrs. Honor. The third details the deux ex machina travails in London that clear up all difficulties in a manner that strains credibility. Each of these three encapsulates specific traits that permeate the book. In the first of the three, Fielding uses deliberate misunderstanding between Squire Allworthy and Tom, between Allworthy and Sophia, and between Allworthy and Blifil to create purposeful ignorance that heightens the satire between what one person knows and what the other does not. In the second, Fielding shows that Tom's numerous falls from grace show him to be not much worse than your typical young man who sees no big harm in engaging in illicit encounters with women who are only too glad to have them. Readers might shake their heads at these lapses, but their essential sympathies were not permitted to waver. Fielding further did not allow readers to forget that the focus of the book was not on Tom's dalliances but on his eventual uncovering of his rightful place in society. By the third section, Fielding uses an admittedly too pat a way of ensuring that Tom's noble birth be acknowledged, but despite that Fielding first hints in the first two sections and then finalizes in the third the underlying ideology that English class structure and unity are paramount. When Tom and Sophia are ultimately reunited in marriage, Fielding assures his readers that one need not upset the stratified social order of 18th century England to ensure a fairy tale ending. The fact that readers now respond as well as readers then suggests that Fielding's belief that society needs a stable and long standing cohesive order has not changed much in three hundred years. Samuel Richardson might object, but readers can find a place for their two widely divergent views and enjoy both.

Simply The Best.......2006-01-31

It's nearly impossible to review a book that is just so incredibly good. The quickest way I can describe it is: This is simply the best novel I have ever read. And that's after four years of being an English major as an undergraduate, plus ten years of reading novel after novel after novel after that.

This book is the bridge between early novels like DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe, and what the novel becomes in the hands of Dickens. It also shows flashes of influence from people like Swift and Pope (whom Fielding mimics in a couple of passages). The novel has something for everyone: for example, if you want humor, it's here in spades--in both broad form (the rantings of Squire Western and his sister arguing with each other) and subtle form (chapter headings like "The Reader's Head Brought Into Danger by a Description", or the ironic description of the plain-looking Bridget Allworthy: "she was so far from regretting want of beauty that she never mentioned that perfection, if it can be called one, without contempt." If you want characters that have real imperfections and aren't just good or bad "types", you won't find more interesting ones than here. If you want to see what English novels looked like before the Victorians made them all "moral", you need look no further than this one, which was blamed for causing a series of earthquakes at the time of its publication because of its "lewdness" (not that it's seriously lewd, but it's hard to imagine a Dickens hero who ever believes, with good reason, that he has fathered a child out of wedlock, and who ends up for a while the "kept man" of a "fashionable woman." And if you want to be a writer and not just a reader of novels, Fielding's book contains quite a bit of advice on that, particularly in the introductory chapters of each sub-"book."

I despise Samuel Taylor Coleridge on most occasions, but he was right about one thing: he described Tom Jones as having, along with Oedipus Rex, the most perfectly constructed plot of any book. I couldn't agree more. So knock the dust off this classic and read it. It may be long, but you'll be wishing it were longer once you finish it.

Incidentally, there's one odd feature of the "Everyman" edition of this book. For some reason, it doesn't include headings to each book, describing the time period covered by that part of the novel. I have seen these headings in a number of other editions, so I'm not quite sure what is up with this.

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