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    Moll Flanders
    Moll Flanders
    Moll Flanders
    Ebook422 pages8 hours

    Moll Flanders

    By Daniel Defoe

    3.5/5

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    First published in 1722, Daniel Defoe’s “Moll Flanders” is the classic and tragic morality tale of its title character. Based in part on the true story of a female criminal that Defoe met in Newgate Prison, Moll Flanders is the daughter of a convict and is driven by a singular ambition, to raise her station in life, by any means necessary. In the process of trying to lift herself out of squalor and become a lady she is married several times, abandons her many children, and eventually resorts to thievery and prostitution in her constant quest for a better life. Bad luck and poor judgment plague Moll at every turn and at one point she discovers she has inadvertently married her own half-brother. Eventually convicted of theft, Moll is transported to the new world where she finally begins to turn her life around. Moll is able to redeem herself, repair many of her fractured relationships, and finds love and a new life of prosperity in the Colonies. One of Defoe’s best and most loved works, “Moll Flanders,” is both the story of a fascinating and complicated woman and ultimately a tale of remorse and redemption. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDigireads.com Publishing
    Release dateFeb 8, 2019
    ISBN9781420960006
    Author

    Daniel Defoe

    Daniel Defoe was born at the beginning of a period of history known as the English Restoration, so-named because it was when King Charles II restored the monarchy to England following the English Civil War and the brief dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell. Defoe’s contemporaries included Isaac Newton and Samuel Pepys.

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    Reviews for Moll Flanders

    3.5/5

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    • 5/5
      This is a re-read of this classic novel which I previously gave up on a decade ago, now approaching its 300th anniversary (published in 1722). It is colourful, rambling and sometimes frustrating read, one that is typical of 18th century picaresque literature. Moll (not her real name, which we never find out) is born in Newgate prison to a woman sentenced to transportation and is brought up by gypsies and then in a household where, as she grows into a young woman, she is seduced by both of the brothers of the household. In all she has six marriages or quasi-marriages (including one to a man with whom she moves to Virginia and who turns out to be her own brother, whom she had not seen since young childhood, and where she also re-encounters her transported mother) and gives birth to numerous children over the next thirty years or so. After this time, reduced to poverty, she perforce turns to theft to keep body and soul together. But, as she grows richer through the proceeds of crime, it becomes its own motivation and she cannot give it up, becoming a member of a crime gang led by "the governess". After years of close shaves, she is eventually caught and taken to Newgate. She is sentenced to death but this is commuted to transportation. In Newgate she encounters one of her ex-husbands who has been arrested as a highwayman and they get together again for the voyage to Virginia. By dint of her links to a now reformed "governess", she is able to reacquire some wealth which enables her to turn over a new leaf and build a prosperous future in Virginia, where she is also reconciled to her son by her ex-husband/brother. A decade later in comfortable old age, Moll and her husband return to England in 1683.This breathless account does, however, mask some problems with the narrative. It is one continuous course, not divided into chapters or sections; and, perhaps worse for readers' recall, almost none of the characters have names. We find out the first names of a couple of her husbands, and one or two other minor characters, but the vast majority are not named. I got used to this after a while, but had to make notes as I was going along to keep tabs on her relationships. A great read, though, dealing with issues in a way that most mainstream literature did not again for over another two centuries.
    • 4/5
      I first read MOLL FLANDERS in 2001, in the midst of an “I’ll Read Classic Lit So's I Can Be Cultured And Stuff” phase. So far as I was concerned, classic novels were Good For You, but they weren’t necessarily enjoyable. I read them to give myself a sense of the wider literary tradition, not for entertainment.Imagine my surprise when I devoured MOLL FLANDERS in three sittings, one of which took me through nearly a hundred and fifty pages.The book is almost indecently fun. Moll schemes her way through the England of the 1600s, rising and falling at irregular intervals as her illegal undertakings bear fruit or go awry. She marries often, bears a multitude of children, turns to robbery whenever the need arises (or the opportunity presents itself), and deceives very nearly everyone she encounters. Her wild life must have seemed the height of debauchery to eighteenth century readers, many of whom I'm sure gloried in it anyway.I suppose it’s possible to read MOLL FLANDERS as the chronicle of a woman forced into an indecent life of which she repents most ardently, but I find that a terribly boring take on the situation. I much prefer to view Moll as someone who’s ever in charge of her own destiny. She’s born into fairly low circumstances which she contrives to improve upon by any means necessary. Whether she's talking her way into a rich man’s bed or persuading an elderly fence to help her become London’s most successful pickpocket, she’s always in charge. She caters her lies to each individual, playing on their peculiar vanities in such a way that they can’t help but give in to her whims. Poor luck may set her back a step or two, but she never lets it keep her down for long. As soon as one scheme grows stale, she turns her hand to another. No matter what life throws at her, she finds a way to turn it to her advantage and come out on top.The narrative conventions of the time dictate that she must deny receiving any satisfaction from her actions, but it’s obvious she enjoys herself immensely. The novel is full of moments where she vows to lead a somber and discreet life... right after she’s finished committing such-and-such a sin, and maybe one more for good measure. And hey, she’s never been involved in that line of illegal work, so she might as well give it a go before she throws in the towel. If it leads to another opportunity of a similar nature... well, so much the better.Oh, Moll. I frickin’ love you.Of course, I’m not an eighteenth century reader. It’s entirely possible that the original target audience would’ve been so scandalized by Moll’s doings that they took her cautions and lamentations at face value. Hell, maybe Defoe even intends them that way.Me, I remain unconvinced of her penitence. She's an adept liar, after all; it's difficult to believe she'd restrain herself from practicing this skill upon the reader. I like to hope she keeps on scheming after the novel’s end, albeit in a wealthier sphere than was previously possible and with a willing partner in her final (or maybe just latest?) husband.Godspeed to you, Moll, and good luck.(This review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina.)
    • 4/5
       This is traditionally considered the first English novel. Moll Flanders presents an interesting picture of a deeply flawed woman. Though the story is fictitious, the reader is encouraged to think of it and read it as one would a memoir. Defoe allows his main character to give herself a pseudonym, since ostensibly her reputation is so horrible as to taint those who would admit to knowing her. Indeed, the crimes and follies to which Moll stoops through the course of the narrative justify her use of an assumed name. Her life is incredibly flawed- yet she does little to improve her situations and reputation.Through various revelations and circumstances, Moll's life falls into ruin and decay. She marries several times, but no marriage provides financial security. Any children of hers that survive she pawns off on relatives to have no added responsibility. Chiefly, she thinks nothing about stealing and the life of theft she is living. Through the narrative, she mentions her shady acquisitions with a careless offhandedness that is morally disturbing. When forced to think about the course her life is now taking, Moll denies any wrongdoing on her part. Even when her recklessness in thievery lands her in jail, Moll has no regrets for the life she is living.Despite the lack of chapters, Moll Flanders is an interesting read for many reasons- character development, social commentary, and the maturing of a new writing style being a few.
    • 3/5
      Moll Flanders describes how she fell into whoring (her words) and thievery. Basically it's a long rambling tale of her life as she moves from one husband to the next, sometimes marrying one husband while still "technically" married to the last, and leaving a litany of children in her wake (whom she seems to have little interest in at all, despite assurances otherwise).The point of the story is that this is supposed to be a tale of the misfortunate, as tales about thieves, murders, and other miscreants were very popular at the time period. It had enough to it that I was able to keep trudging through it, as she fell into one misfortune after another (kind of like watching a train wreck). But I have to admit that I was severely disappointed in the book, because I so loved the movie. True, the movie had been Hollywood-zed big time, but in my opinion this is one of the very rare cases where this was a good thing. Moll was more naive in the movie, not so much trying to con her way through live but falling into the necessity so as to survive, which is part of what appealed to me. The book's Moll lacked that innocence, and was openly deceptive and conned many men (from fear of poverty, true), and there was very little to redeem her. Tar and feather me, if you like, but in my opinion the movie was more enjoyable than the book.
    • 1/5
      Loved this on PBS, but couldn't stand reading it. Quit before 100 pages
    • 4/5
      I am sometimes afraid that we will have nothing to say to each other at our reader discussion groups. Hah! We talked for over an hour and a half about this picaresque classic. How much was to be considered 'true', considering that it was supposedly a memoir of a repentant woman? How could she say so little about her children? Did she exploit her sexuality or just make the best of the society? She confessed to liking the thrill of theft even after she no longer needed more money, trimmed her stories to her circumstances and her audience, barely mentioned the hardships of crossing the Atlantic (I wonder if Defoe ever did?), learned to make and manage money, and in general navigated a society that was not kind to women without status and means. Was Defoe as tuned in to the hardships of women as this book suggests? Or was he more interested in writing a sly, picaresque adventure with the allure of a female protagonist? Did we believe the 'woman's voice'?Defoe shows us the society of the time, the narrow path between servant and master class in the late 17th century in an urbanizing country as well as a new world. The book is filled with incident - in fact, when Moll has achieved, however temporarily, a quiet life, we hear nothing about it except how it ends. Moll ('not my real name') tells us at the beginning that she ends up in London, secure, married, content, mature, repentant of her sinful life. So the traditional suspense is absent - it was all about how it happened. But it was fun to read, watching her journey and learning about the times.
    • 5/5
      The quality of Defoe’s work varies wildly and if you have been stung before, fear not, for this is one of the good ones. It’s a proper page turner, but there’s far more to it than that. All the way through there’s this counterbalance between reason on the one hand and crime on the other, caused by either inclination or necessity. You can read it just as a series of plot less set piece scenes but what really fascinated me in Moll’ character was her treatment of her own children. It’s almost psychopathic. Seriously, she abandons all her, what, nine or ten children. I think this behaviour all ties in to being (unintentionally) abandoned by her own mother in Newgate and I think this ties to the reason / crime argument. She’s a sinner, not by inclination but because of the appalling events of her life. An argument that’s still going on today, and this novel explores the idea better than anything else I’ve read.
    • 3/5
      Too long ago to remember. I do remember she ends up in the American colonies for a happy ending
    • 3/5
      Audiobook on CD. Book written detailing the adventures of Moll Flanders who lives by her wits and her body. Her fortune is made several times by herself, but is lost again, mostly due to her poor choice in men (drunks, womanisers, already married etc). Narrative is bawdy, jolly etc. It is both a serious (about a world where a woman can rarely survive on her own and with few rights to even her own money) and not-serious tale (she goes through husbands with almost every chapter). As a result of these dalliances, she has plenty of children, of which little is heard off once they are packed off somewhere else, to ensure that Moll isn’t hindered by a flock of children following her. I dont know if a woman would really do this, or whether this is Defoe's "wishful thinking" of fertile women not actually having children in tow. Overall an enjoyable lighthearted 18th century romp
    • 5/5
      Great novel about how rough it was to be a woman alone in the world. Moll is pious when she can afford to be, lawless and wicked when she can't. A great book if you enjoy dramatic irony, and I do.
    • 4/5
      Moll Flanders was a surprisingly good read considering it was written in the 17th century and thought to be one of the first novels ever written. It wouldn't make my favorites list, but the story definitely never got boring. All of Moll's story is pretty much summed up in the paragraph-long title. She gets married five times (once to her brother! Unknowingly, of course), becomes an infamous criminal, and then settles down for a quiet life in rural Carolina where she inherits a fortune from her mother. I admit, the fact that my copy had no chapter breaks whatsoever, had every noun capitalized, and had no quotation marks for the dialogue made this book a little tedious to read at times, but otherwise it was an entertaining story. If Moll Flanders was ever rewritten as a contemporary novel, I believe that it could be a favorite.
    • 3/5
      This book seemed a lot longer than it actually was. It's not exactly boring - a lot happens. However, Defoe tends to simply list events so it's a little like reading someone's flat and colorless diary. The novel follows Moll Flanders as she moves from poor orphan to wife, mistress, thief, convict and penitent. She's involved in multiple melodramas but generally extracts herself and is on to the next adventure. Moll marries several times, but a lot of her husbands don't even rate a name. In one case, she appears to care about one of her children, then forgets it a few pages later and it is never mentioned again. When Defoe does choose to focus on a subject, however, the book is quite interesting.He spends a lot of time describing Moll's initial fall from grace, why women should be choosy in picking a partner and Moll's exploits as a thief. Throughout all of Moll's adventures, her main goal is simply to make a living. While married, she was generally a good wife but her husbands keep dying or going on the run. Desperation drives her to steal or become someone's mistress. Wouldn't say it wasn't worth reading, but you have to pick through a lot of all-plot-no-development to get to the good parts.
    • 4/5
      like having a conversation with someone who never lets you get a word in
    • 5/5
      We get a real taste of old England. Very well written in the King's English. If you are a little unsure about the subject matter, the great writing will make you happy you picked up the book. The leading character always has your sensibilities uppermost in her mind, so no worries.
    • 5/5
      A wild, chaotic ride through 17th century London, culminating in an unplanned trip as an exile to the New World. Moll Flanders is an amoral opportunist who tries to turn every situation to her advantage when she discovers that as a young woman alone, the deck is stacked against her. She learns not only how to survive, but how to thrive until it all comes crashing down in a legal case that threatens her very life.
    • 3/5
      Moll Flanders1996, Recorded Books LLC, Read by Virginia LeishmanWant to Read“I am giving an account of what was, not of what ought or ought not to be.”Having read Moll Flanders many years ago in university, in the usual panicked rush which characterized that time, I wanted to visit it again for a clearer sense of it. Too, it’s in [1001 Books], and I like to make some effort to read a number of these each year. I decided to listen to Defoe this time, and am happy to highly recommend Viriginia Leishman as a wonderful narrator.What struck me about Moll’s character in the first half of the story were her contrasts: she has experienced a great deal of life and yet is naïve; she is an intelligent woman and yet a foolish woman – or at least one who makes foolish decisions. As her story unfolds and as she matures, she becomes much more weathered in the ways of her world: a seasoned con (and later convict), bold thief, wary whore. I wondered whether Moll chose her way of life, or whether having set out on that wrong path, albeit perhaps unintentionally, it was impossible to find her way back. Part of me thinks the latter, particularly as a woman living in the 17th century; and yet I believe she enjoys her wily, wicked ways. In the novel’s concluding chapters in which Moll falls into favour with the gift of a grown son and a handsomely profitable plantation in Virginia, I was amused at her humility and penitence in the face of Providence – after all, what’s a woman to do? Whatever the case, I don’t intend to spend any more time with the character. Having read [Robinson Crusoe] and [Moll Flanders] within a few months of one another, I’ve decided that I can appreciate Defoe for his contribution to the form of the modern novel; but he really is not one I can treasure. I’m glad to have read and reread some of his work presently, but probably with leave him with this final word.
    • 4/5
      “…let the Experience of one Creature compleatly Wicked, and compleatly Miserable be a storehouse of useful warning to those that read.” Daniel Defoe’s summation (at the bottom of p.250 in the 2002 Modern Library paperback edition I just read) in the mouth — or at least in the thoughts — of Moll Flanders is, thankfully, as close to didacticism or morality as the author ever comes. It’s also a good illustration of the non-standard spelling, capitalization, punctuation and syntax of his era (he finished the book in 1683), which may be the greatest obstacle to an otherwise clear and thorough enjoyment of the text.

      To print Moll Flanders in the original was a conscious choice on the part of the publisher — and a choice I’m not entirely certain I agree with. As I had a similar difficulty with John Cleland’s Fanny Hill, let the reader beware. (Imagine trying to dig through the unedited manuscript of a contemporary writer whose writing mechanics are, to say the least, primitive, and you’ll get the picture.)

      That caveat notwithstanding, Moll Flanders is a grand story — and eminently worth reading — no less than Fielding’s Tom Jones or John Cleland’s Fanny Hill. And one of the more interesting aspects of this novel is the point of view: in this case, first-person singular. In other words, a man (Defoe) tells the story through the eyes and heart — and, however obliquely, between the legs — of a woman (Moll). Moreover, he does so — in my opinion — quite convincingly.

      What is perhaps most remarkable about the author of Moll Flanders (but also of the more popular if not necessarily more notable Robinson Crusoe) is that Defoe first turned his hand to fiction only at the age of fifty-nine! One has to wonder whether he was an example and an inspiration to Benjamin Franklin, who first turned his hand to the violin at fifty-three. Who says — on the basis of this evidence — you can’t teach a (smart) old dog new tricks?

      RRB
      10/21/13
      Brooklyn, NY
    • 4/5
      Daniel Defoe engages the reader in a story which exposes the plight of women in 17th century England. Moll Flanders (a name used for disguise) lives a life of one who must/chooses to do whatever it takes to survive. Throughout the tale, she is the victim of misfortunes both of her own creating and not of her own creating. This is an excellent book, particularly for those readers who like period pieces.
    • 4/5
      The lack of chapters (a later development in English novel writing) poses a bit of a challenge, and there are spots where the book gets a bit tedious in recounting minutia of relationships. However, this book rewards readers with an interesting view on the rising middle class (dare I say bourgeoisie) and the intersection of raising capital to secure one's class position, gender relations, and the impacts on the human character. To what would you stoop if put in the situation of Moll or her many husbands, suitors, and friends? What do we inherit from a society structured in the manner we encounter in this novel? In what ways does our society mold our character as Moll's molds hers, and what do we make of this? This novel provoked quite a few questions like this, which in the end seems to me to be one of the main reasons we still read classics. I just wish that it had been a slightly more enjoyable read to go along with the provocation.
    • 5/5
      It's delightful when a book you have been hearing about your whole life lives up to expectation. Dear Moll, or whatever your real name was, what a pleasure it was to sit by your side. What is remarkable is that a book told to us entirely in summary could be so rich and deep and satisfying. Moll has the mic, everything we learn is filtered through her unreliable filter and yet because she is so utterly human you are charmed. I loved how Moll would advise us that she couldn't possibly tell someone something just before she does. Apparently the lives of criminals in her day and age were very popular and that Defoe was working in a popular genre, maybe even basing Moll on an actual woman. The tragedy of the book occurs when Moll announces that she hopes to be a gentlewoman and is laughed at. What she means is independent, self sufficient, what they mean is aristocratic. But however much Defoe based it on a person his hand is there. Whenever something good happens to Moll, like she married an upright decent guy, he's killed off quickly. Most frightening at least from the sociological standpoint is Moll's relationship to her many children. With one exception - the child born of incest in Virginia - there is none. They don't even receive names. So we are very much looking at the world during a period in which one didn't become too attached because of the frequency with which they died.
    • 4/5
      Moll Flanders by Daniel DefoeConsidered one of the great classic novels, Defoe's book follows Moll Flanders as she struggles to avoid the deadly poverty of 17th-century England. From a prison birth to final prosperity Moll considers love, theft and prostitution in terms of profit and loss. She emerges as an extraordinary character.This is the vivid saga of an irresistible and notorious heroine. Her high misdemeanors and delinquencies, her varied careers as a prostitute, a charming and faithful wife, a thief, and a convict endures today as one of the liveliest and most candid records of a woman's progress through the hypercritical walks of society ever recorded.Moll isn't the most proper of women. She isn't the cleanest. She isn't the most trust worthy. She isn't a lot of things. But what Moll Flanders is; is an exceptional character of literature. I loved Moll! I can't wait to give this one a reread.
    • 4/5
      Two things stood out for me:
      It's a first-hand look at the underside of early 18th-century life in England and the American colonies, particularly the economic constraints on women.
      Defoe was a skillful writer: compare Robinson Crusoe, Journal of the Plague Year, and Moll Flanders. Each differs from the others in the handling of how Defoe presents himself as the author, how he creates a supposed narrator, and how the characters speak (or not) about themselves.
    • 3/5
       Moll Flanders is a strange book. It's a cautionary tale, but it also feels like a sermon on promiscuity and greed. The book follows the life of Moll Flanders from her infancy, being born to a criminal in prison, all the way through her life which also ends in crime. She grows into a beautiful woman and ends up marrying one man after another. Her horrible circumstances move her from one bad situation to another. One husband dies, another ditches her, and another turns out to be her half-brother! I enjoyed the first half much more than the second. The story’s moralistic tone echoes that in the author’s other famous work, Robinson Crusoe.
    • 4/5
      What can I say about Moll Flanders? This book really makes you look at the life of women in the past. Moll does a lot of things that will make you go what!? I enjoyed it because it is a book that can be analyzed and interpreted in so many ways. Moll becomes a survivor in a world that she was made to fail in.
    • 4/5
      "Moll Flanders" is the tale of an innovative woman who will stoop to the lowest of trades in order to be a "lady." Married five times, Moll is at varying times a thief, a whore, a convict, and a prisoner. This book was interesting, though not exactly a page turner. Defoe, as is to be expected, is quite fond of rambling on about every little detail, which is accentuated due to a lack of chapters or page breaks.Few characters are given a name, which can also make the book a bit confusing. Even Moll never reveals her true name, always insisting to the reader that Moll Flanders is just a nick name she is given later in life. I got more than a few of Moll's many husbands confused at different points, because they were all "him." Eventually everyone just became "that guy" in my mind.I liked the character of Moll, because she was different, and certainly unique for a book written in Defoe's time. She seems shameless and unscrupulous from the very beginning, which she seems to justify in her mind as a way of survival.When her friends and comrades in crime are hung, Moll voices no sorrow over their deaths, only fear that she may soon share the same fate.There is no doubt that Moll is not exactly a blameless character. She uses her beauty to snare potentially rich husbands, and she mentions a few times having children and then they are never mentioned again. In fact, I remember her saying that she had "gotten rid of" her children, or some similar phrasing, by giving them to a friend or family member. She has a few very low moments, such as when she steals a piece of jewelry from a young child, or when she steals a family's things while their house is burning down. However, there is something likable to Moll, and I would never classify her as one of those hero-villain types. Perhaps it is how clever and innovative she is, just trying her best to make her way in the world the best that she knows how.Her schemes becoming increasingly creative as the book progresses, and I loved when she began her disguises - a man, a lady, a begger, a widow, a foreigner. Though Moll is always calling herself "wicked" or "sinful," she seems unwilling to fully acknowledge it. Such as, just after she has stolen something, she says: "I confess the inhumanity of this action moved me very much, and made me relent exceedingly, and tears stood in my eyes..., but I could never find in my heart to make any restitution."When Moll is at least caught in her schemes and locked in Newgate Prison, I felt that I knew her for the first time in the story. Defoe's writing style doesn't exactly allow you to become all that close to Moll through out the story, but we feel that we have seen her entire life leading up to this point when at last she is thrown into the jail.She seems to fear Newgate more than anything, perhaps because it forces her to think of herself as not a great lady, like she always strove to be - but a common criminal. I loved how even after thrown in jail and sentenced to death, Moll never ceased her scheming, and rather than sink into despair over the verdict, she immediately begins planning a way out of it.*Mild spoilers in the next paragraph*The ending surprised me a little, as I had honestly expected Moll to meet as unfortunate an end as the rest of her life reflected. But the ending was, instead, a happy one, and I closed the book smiling."Moll Flanders" is a good character study about a very interesting, notorious woman.
    • 3/5
      I did not love this book but I was fascinated by it. Defoe paints a clear picture of what life was like for a female without means in the17th century. Written as autobiography, the narrator never reveals her true name, taking several names and becoming known as Moll Flanders. She is born of a convicted criminal in Newgate Prison, who was spared execution because of her pregnancy. Mother's sentence is commuted and she is "transported" to America, while her baby is sent to be raised by a foster mother. She tells her foster mother that she wishes to be a gentlewoman, having no idea what the term actually means. She believes that a gentlewoman is one who has the means and abilities to care for herself without being attached to anyone as a servant. (she calls a seamstress by that term becuase she is able to earn her own keep and have her own place) Our narrator is eventually sent to live with a family as their servant. She becomes a target for the affections of the two sons in the home. The first cajoles her into believing that he will marry her and coaxes her into an affair. The second tells her that he is in love with her and does not care that she is of low station. She does what is necessary to survive. She marries the younger son, at the request of the elder. He gets drunk and passes out on their wedding night and never knows that his bride was not pure. He does not live long and she is thrust into a world that values only those of means. She faces many obstacles and more than one moral dilemma. And she survives... using any and all means she possesses. Although I did not particularly like Moll, I am struck by her tenacious will to live. I am glad that I read it.
    • 4/5
      I continued my current re-reading of the classics with this one, first read 40 years ago, and I was pleased to have my fond memories of it refreshed. One of the earliest British novels, this masquerades as a memoir, with Defoe handling the female perspective of the eponymous heroine just as well as he did Robinson Crusoe. I call her 'heroine' though Moll's adventures as sometime prostitute and recidivist thief would seem to disqualify her from such a status but for her late redemption and reform. In any case, we never think of her as a real villain, rather one who is forced by circumstances to make her way in life the best she can. She does admit to being an easy prey to temptation, and she is her own best apologist. As Moll says herself, her 'wicked' life is a lot more interesting to read than her return to virtue and prosperity. We learn a good deal along the way about the harsh conditions of living in late 17th Century England, and of the brutal treatment wrong-doers might expect, both from the courts and, if they catch you, from the mob. Humour and romance help to alleviate the gloom which, along with Moll's winning narrative, always keep us on her side even while she commits her more outrageous sins.
    • 2/5
      With the novel's title you know what's going to happen: The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders who was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums.Sounds all very exciting, but to me it was a tedious account by a very annoying person. I didn't like her at all, and it goes on forever describing various husbands, lovers and money-worries - the latter is preeminent - the children she have we hear little or nothing about - as if they were just some play dolls. From a historic point of view of course it's interesting to read as a precursor to the modern novel.
    • 3/5
      Moll Flanders led a scandalous life back when that was a bad thing. In this book she relates her life from her inauspicious birth in the Newgate prison, to her industrious rise in society as a young woman, and through her years as a thief and whore. Her words, not mine. OK, maybe mine, too.I found the first part of the book entertaining as Moll always seems to find herself associated with the wrong type of men. About halfway through the book she is forced into thievery and at that point I thought the book really slowed. There seemed to be a non-stop catalog of all the things she stole and how. The final part of the book, which Moll herself will be less interesting to the reader, was indeed less interesting, but Defoe does a nice job of tying up all the loose ends before the end. There are better classics, but I'm glad I read this one.Used Whispersync to both read and listen to this book via Audible. The technology worked better for me this time than last, but there were still a view glitches.
    • 5/5
      I adore Moll. She's a fascinating, dynamic character: full of depth, verve, and joi de vivre. She's as flawed as characters come (an amoral whore that frequently uses people to suit her own ends, while placing all her love and trust (and fortune) in people who inevitably abandon her or let her down). And yet, she's completely aware of her flaws and acknowledges that they are flaws. The change and growth in Moll is progressive, logical, and exceedingly realistic.

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    Moll Flanders - Daniel Defoe

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