This novel is sometimes thought of as [Fielding's] first because he almost certainly began composing it before he wrote Shamela and Joseph Andrews. It is a satire of Walpole that draws a parallel between Walpole and Jonathan Wild, the infamous gang leader and highwayman. He implicitly compares the Whig party in Parliament with a gang of thieves being run by Walpole, whose constant desire to be a "Great Man" (a common epithet for Walpole) should culminate only in the antithesis of greatness: being hanged. (Summary by Wikipedia)
Chapters
1 01 - Book 1, Chapter 1 [The achievements of Great Men] 10 min 2 02 - Book 1, Chapter 2 [Our Hero's Ancestors] 9 min 3 03 - Book 1, Chapter 3 [Birth, Parentage & Education] 12 min 4 04 - Book 1, Chapter 4 [Mr. Wild's First Entrance into the World] 9 min 5 05 - Book 1, Chapter 5 [Young Master Wild & Count La Ruse] 18 min 6 06 - Book 1, Chapter 6 [Further Conferences between the Count & Master Wild] 10 min 7 07 - Book 1, Chapter 7 [Wild Sets Out on his Travels] 5 min 8 08 - Book 1, Chapter 8 [An Astonishing Instance of Greatness] 12 min 9 09 - Book 1, Chapter 9 [A Visit to Miss Letitia Snap] 8 min 10 10 - Book 1, Chapter 10 [Some Matters Concerning the Chaste Laetitia] 7 min 11 11 - Book 1, Chapter 11 [Notable Instances of Human Greatness] 9 min 12 12 - Book 1, Chapter 12 [Other Particulars relating to Miss Tishy] 11 min 13 13 - Book 1, Chapter 13 [Our Chef-D'Oeuvre] 13 min 14 14 - Book 1, Chapter 14 [The History of Greatness is Continued] 17 min 15 15 - Book 2, Chapter 1 [Characters of Silly People] 12 min 16 16 - Book 2, Chapter 2 [Great Examples of Greatness in Wild] 13 min 17 17 - Book 2, Chapter 3 [Scenes of Softness, Love & Honour] 18 min 18 18 - Book 2, Chapter 4 [On his Misfortune in a Speech] 9 min 19 19 - Book 2, Chapter 5 [Many Surprising Adventures] 16 min 20 20 - Book 2, Chapter 6 [Of Hats] 8 min 21 21 - Book 2, Chapter 7 [Heartfree's Adventures with Wild] 10 min 22 22 - Book 2, Chapter 8 [Greatness to an Immoderate Height] 11 min 23 23 - Book 2, Chapter 9 [More Greatness in Wild] 10 min 24 24 - Book 2, Chapter 10 [Sea-Adventures Very New & Surprising] 8 min 25 25 - Book 2, Chapter 11 [Our Hero in the Boat] 7 min 26 26 - Book 2, Chapter 12 [Strange & Yet Natural Escape of our Hero] 8 min 27 27 - Book 2, Chapter 13 [Conclusion of the Boat Adventure] 8 min 28 28 - Book 3, Chapter 1 [Pitiful Behaviour of Heartfree] 9 min 29 29 - Book 3, Chapter 2 [A Soliloquy of Heartfree] 12 min 30 30 - Book 3, Chapter 3 [The Road to Greatness] 9 min 31 31 - Book 3, Chapter 4 [A Young Hero ... Makes his First Appearance] 8 min 32 32 - Book 3, Chapter 5 [More and More Greatness] 14 min 33 33 - Book 3, Chapter 6 [Fireblood's Adventure] 10 min 34 34 - Book 3, Chapter 7 [Preliminary to the Marriage between Mr. Jonathan Wild and the chaste Laeticia] 9 min 35 35 - Book 3, Chapter 8 [A Dialogue Matrimonial] 12 min 36 36 - Book 3, Chapter 9 [A Base Design on Our Hero] 10 min 37 37 - Book 3, Chapter 10 [Unprecedented Generosity ... Ungrateful Reception] 11 min 38 38 - Book 3, Chapter 11 [A Scheme So Deeply Laid] 8 min 39 39 - Book 3, Chapter 12 [New Instances of Friendly's Folly] 8 min 40 40 - Book 3, Chapter 13 [Something Concerning Fireblood] 8 min 41 41 - Book 3, Chapter 14 [Our Hero Makes a Speech] 14 min 42 42 - Book 4, Chapter 1 [Sentiment of the Ordinary's] 14 min 43 43 - Book 4, Chapter 2 [Concerning Popular Ingratitude] 11 min 44 44 - Book 4, Chapter 3 [The History of Newgate] 15 min 45 45 - Book 4, Chapter 4 [The Dead-Warrant Arrives for Heartfree] 8 min 46 46 - Book 4, Chapter 5 [Containing Various Matters] 9 min 47 47 - Book 4, Chapter 6 [The Foregoing Happy Incident is Accounted For] 8 min 48 48 - Book 4, Chapter 7 [Mrs. Heartfree Relates Her Adventures] 17 min 49 49 - Book 4, Chapter 8 [Mrs. Heartfree Continues] 11 min 50 50 - Book 4, Chapter 9 [Containing Incidents Very Surprizing] 17 min 51 51 - Book 4, Chapter 10 [A Horrible Uproar in the Gate] 8 min 52 52 - Book 4, Chapter 11 [Conclusion of Mrs. Heartfree's Adventures] 14 min 53 53 - Book 4, Chapter 12 [The Contemplation of Greatness] 7 min 54 54 - Book 4, Chapter 13 [Death, Immortality, and Other Grave Matters] 18 min 55 55 - Book 4, Capter 14 [The Highest Consummation of Human Greatness] 15 min 56 56 - Book 4, Chapter 15 [The Conclusion of This History] 20 min
