Joseph Andrews, Pt. 2, Henry Fielding

Joseph Andrews, volume the second, was a bit of a let down from the humorous escapades and roaring good parody of the first volume. The second volume felt much more puritanical and preachy than the first, which to my sensibilities was not very enjoyable. The female love interest became less and less enjoyable as the reader got to know her, as she was little more than a helpless virgin trying to cling onto her purity long enough to marry Joseph so he could get her in the sack ('cause, you know, no one respectable would marry a rape victim back then). The parson was equal parts absent-minded professor, puritanical religious nut, and violent brawler in defense of his friends, which was at times an ungainly mix of characteristics. Some of the plot twists seemed like they may have been parodies mocking the unbelievable plots of the time; if they weren't then they were just poor plotting on the part of the author.

I do feel that most likely with more background and history in the literature of the era, specifically the cheap stuff that did not outlast the times (the paperback garbage of the day, so to speak), then perhaps the parody and humor of the second volume would have made sense to me. As it was, I just found it a bit dusty, preachy, boring, unbelievable, and occasionally offensive. I would give the second volume a two-and-a-half out of five, at best.