1000 Books Before You Die discussion

For discussion of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding

I read this in college... but not for a class. I had this one professor who kept going on about how hilarious it was. Luckily, it’s a long but enjoyable read. Very much the humor if it’s time, but probably the best example I’ve read so far.

I do have to wonder why so few female authors of the same time period (or just a bit later) got categorized in LOVE when they clearly emulated elements of the slapstick humor popularized by guys like Fielding?