In 1740, Samuel Richardson published Pamela: or, Virtue Rewarded, which was an instant success. However, Fielding found the work objectionable and set out to write a parody of it, which he called An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews (1741). Although the book was published anonymously and Fielding never claimed credit, it is generally accepted that he was the author. He followed with Joseph Andrews (1742), another parody published anonymously, and The History of the Life of Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great (1743).
Despite his productivity, Fielding endured significant personal loss in these years. His father passed away in 1741, followed by one of his daughters in 1742 and his wife in 1744. He married his wife's maid in 1747 after the two grew close during a period of grieving.