The Adventures of David Simple: Containing an Account of His Travels Through the Cities of London Westminster, in Search of a Real Friend. By A Lady.

In two volumes. First edition. 12mo., full contemporary calf, this copy has been professionally rebacked with more recent calf spines, x, (278); (ii), 322pp. Rebacked as noted above o/w a very good, clean copy. Sarah Fielding [1710-1768] novelist and scholar. Field was the sister of novelist, Henry Fielding and her "private income could not keep her from poverty and partial dependence on her brother.the preface to David Simple, her first work, explains that she writes because of financial difficulties." Fieldings works are mainly fiction of various types; the above has a picaresque structure and a sentimental theme. The hero searches through London for a friend, meeting only hypocrites until he finds Cynthia, Valentine and Camilla. "Feminist ideas are expressed in David Simple by Cynthia, who tells of the prejudices against an intelligent girl and descries her comic rejection of a pompous suitor. Fielding defends learned women by presenting them as gentle, attractive and dutiful." Block p.74, Todd p.125-26. …