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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was dreading reading Moll Flanders. Somewhere, I had heard that it was slow-going and incredibly hard to read. However, I listened to the audiobook, which was just delightful! The narrator brought a great sense of humor to the work, and so I found it quite funny.
At times, the plot was filled with over-the-top melodrama; however, this lent the book a charm that did it no disservice. I was thoroughly engaged in Moll's many exploits- every marriage, every affair, every scam. Though she was by no means a good person, it was still easy to root for her thanks to her positive attitude.
I will say that the last few chapters of the book didn't hold as much interest for me as the rest, but that's a small complaint when compared to the mounds of compliments I would love to lavish upon the novel. For a work written in the 18th century, it sure was massively entertaining!
At times, the plot was filled with over-the-top melodrama; however, this lent the book a charm that did it no disservice. I was thoroughly engaged in Moll's many exploits- every marriage, every affair, every scam. Though she was by no means a good person, it was still easy to root for her thanks to her positive attitude.
I will say that the last few chapters of the book didn't hold as much interest for me as the rest, but that's a small complaint when compared to the mounds of compliments I would love to lavish upon the novel. For a work written in the 18th century, it sure was massively entertaining!
I really enjoyed this book - Moll Flanders is such an interesting and gripping character. The plot is often scandalous, and the autobiographical nature of the narrative mens that the reader can really connect with Moll, as they follow her through her life.
Many of the plot twists left me shocked and racing to read more in order to discover how Moll's life would change, and despite all her immoral and criminal choices, you cannot help but feel sympathy for her plight and the dire circumstances she often found herself in. For, as she states at the start of the novel, if there were a better system for caring for orphaned and abandoned children in place, then maybe her life would have been exceedingly different.
The book itself provides a fascinating insight into Georgian England, the struggles of poverty and the criminality that was the subject of many works of art and literature in this era.
Many of the plot twists left me shocked and racing to read more in order to discover how Moll's life would change, and despite all her immoral and criminal choices, you cannot help but feel sympathy for her plight and the dire circumstances she often found herself in. For, as she states at the start of the novel, if there were a better system for caring for orphaned and abandoned children in place, then maybe her life would have been exceedingly different.
The book itself provides a fascinating insight into Georgian England, the struggles of poverty and the criminality that was the subject of many works of art and literature in this era.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 Stars.
I've been flip-flopping between the two star rating and the three, partially because I'm writing this several days after finishing reading it so I'm already getting a little rosy-retrospection and remembering more of the good things than the bad. But ultimately, it was not actively fun or enjoyable to read.
Moll Flanders is an important step in the process of the development of the novel as we see it today. It's interesting to see the elements of a current novel that it lacks - no chapter division, for instance. And the older form of English might be a little hard for some readers to get into if you're not well versed in it. But there are also elements that form the novel as we come to expect it today; we get insights into the character's psychological motivations (formation of a more well rounded character) and the formation of a first person narration that brings with it the question of an unreliable narrator. It also develops a strong didactic purpose, and introduces fictional autobiographies or "life stories" into the development of the novel genre.
So there's that whole side of it. But then there's the less formal and less scholarly side of me that is more of a leisure reader. And this was not leisurely to read. It wasn't fun, and it didn't really engage me. It was a push to get to finish the reading in time for class because I kept wanting to put it down. So yes, analytically it's an important step along the process of development of novels and has a lot of interesting factors in that sense, but it was unable to hold my interest past that due to the very slow plot and long-windedness of Moll herself.
Not a bad thing to read for school, thus three stars. Not a great thing to read for fun, thus two stars.
I've been flip-flopping between the two star rating and the three, partially because I'm writing this several days after finishing reading it so I'm already getting a little rosy-retrospection and remembering more of the good things than the bad. But ultimately, it was not actively fun or enjoyable to read.
Moll Flanders is an important step in the process of the development of the novel as we see it today. It's interesting to see the elements of a current novel that it lacks - no chapter division, for instance. And the older form of English might be a little hard for some readers to get into if you're not well versed in it. But there are also elements that form the novel as we come to expect it today; we get insights into the character's psychological motivations (formation of a more well rounded character) and the formation of a first person narration that brings with it the question of an unreliable narrator. It also develops a strong didactic purpose, and introduces fictional autobiographies or "life stories" into the development of the novel genre.
So there's that whole side of it. But then there's the less formal and less scholarly side of me that is more of a leisure reader. And this was not leisurely to read. It wasn't fun, and it didn't really engage me. It was a push to get to finish the reading in time for class because I kept wanting to put it down. So yes, analytically it's an important step along the process of development of novels and has a lot of interesting factors in that sense, but it was unable to hold my interest past that due to the very slow plot and long-windedness of Moll herself.
Not a bad thing to read for school, thus three stars. Not a great thing to read for fun, thus two stars.
Holy cow. Is there anything that didn't happen to this woman? And also how did Defoe know all this stuff about women's lives? I liked the overall feel of the novel-- Moll has a great voice. But it got a little long towards the end as it became harder to keep track of all the different people and events.
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was a wild ride from start to finish, Moll was one crazy bastard. I do recommend the read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Incest, Sexual content
challenging
slow-paced
Read for 18th Century Literature class, Spring 2021
In seventh-century London a woman survives by whoring and they being , determined to gain - by any means - a secure place in society.
Wow , this book was a journey to read . I found myself dipping in and out of pages due to me not enjoying it or understanding the language. BUT I am so glad I stayed with it , the story warmed my heart and made me smile.
Wow , this book was a journey to read . I found myself dipping in and out of pages due to me not enjoying it or understanding the language. BUT I am so glad I stayed with it , the story warmed my heart and made me smile.