The Adventures of David Simple (World's Classics) by Sarah Fielding

by Sarah Fielding

The Adventures of David Simple follows the fortunes of an innocent young man in search of honesty and friendship in a world where both are scarce. Betrayed by his brother over their father's will, David Simple is driven from home and must make his own way in life. In the course of his travels he discovers a great deal about the 'Mazes, Windings and Labyrinths' of the human heart, and learns that trusting too much may lead to danger. Volume the Last, the sequel to David Simple, provides a moving conclusion to David's story.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, 18th Century, Literature, Novels, British Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1744

About the author

Sarah Fielding was a British author and sister of the novelist Henry Fielding. She was the author of The Governess, or The Little Female Academy (1749), which was the first novel in English written especially for children (children's literature), and had earlier achieved success with her novel The Adventures of David Simple (1744).

Reviews

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Fielding’s most famous novel is not in the same comedic leagues as her brother’s efforts and is rambling and unfocused and overlong. For lovers of the picaresque, there is much to relish here, as the boneheaded hero, with his infectious optimism, scours the Hertfordshire environs for a semi-decent human being. The original volume (published in 1744) is closer to the anthological picaresques, as the narrative wambles into the long histories of characters we meet for the sole purpose of hearing their long histories, rather than the progression of a hero’s adventures as in Henry’s novels. In the final volume (from 1753), David is confronted with a series of mean scoundrels and skinflints, none of whom share his Heartsfree philosophical outlook, and confronts a series of tragedies that push the book into bleaker and less romping territory. The stark realism of this section hints at the sort of acute social realist Sarah might have been if she had been born into an era when social realism was a thing. As it stands, this is an underrated and entertaining novel that should have been kept in print.

[Megan Bruening · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's unfortunate that Sarah's works are often forgotten in the shadow cast by her much more famous brother, Henry Fielding, because she does have some interesting commentary to share with readers. This novel reads like a travel narrative as the titular character roams London looking for a friend who does not turn out to be a horrible person. David is a naive hero and I cannot say I have much sympathy for him, but the novel does offer a witty exposition of London life in the mid-eighteenth century, and Fielding has particularly interesting comments on how women function in society.

I would strongly recommend that anyone who reads this novel read both Volumes 1 and 2, in order to see how Fielding grows as a writer and how her outlook on life drastically changes.

[Pippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was both excellent and terrible. Sarah Fielding had the same gift as her brother, but her education left a lot to be desired. A lot of this book was very sentimental, and rambling, but the long dull passages are suddenly shot through with a scene which is written with comic genius. So sad that such a brilliant person, like so many women at that time, could not develop to her full potential.

[Hollyinnnv · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are three volumes. At the end of the second volume, I felt like there was a good conclusion. The last volume was...a bummer. This text is sentimental and offer many didactic life stories. If you like H Fielding, you are not assured of liking this. It is humorless. Boo!

[Hermien · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit boring.

[Matthew Mill · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Simple has to be one of the nicest heroes you could find in literature, in fact, he’s sickly sweet, and you almost wonder if Fielding is satirising the perceived idea of the “perfect gentleman.” Fielding’s novel follows Simple’s search for happiness in a cruel world, where characters are drowned in misfortune, thus allowing a big, juicy happy ending. Has some excellent philosophical ramblings, and particularly poignant judgement on gender and status, showcasing the futility of the latter. Filled with some wickedly long sentences that do trip you up quite often, and sometimes Fielding’s points get lost in her seeming love for words. Still, a good read.

[Cati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah Fielding proves that women can do it all. For example, she is both a female author in the 18th century and a mysoginist.
Plot: while man goes on a journey to find (male)friends, he manages to rescue women on the verge of prostitution. The age-old question, can men and women just be friends, is clearly answered with two weddings by the end of the definitely-way-too-long novel.