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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
What can one say about Moll Flanders? It’s the first English language novel, a highly original book, a supposed commentary on morality and quite action packed. That’s what someone could say about Moll Flanders. I just say “meh.”
I read this book last semester for my literature and gender class and if we’re being honest (and my professor isn’t reading this right now) I didn’t read the whole thing. I read most of it! But I just couldn’t get to the end.
Moll Flanders is an orphan taken in at an early age by a wealthy family, and after that it gets confusing. She has like 5 husbands (I think,) some ridiculous number of children (most of whom conveniently fall out of the picture,) and despite being kind of an awful person, gets a happy ending.
Okay, poor summary, but it’s difficult to summarize a book that’s difficult to read. I mean, this book is pretty much required reading for any literature enthusiast, but as a book you actually WANT to read? Yeah, it’s nothing to get excited about. If you’re a member of the general public, you don’t need to bother. If you’re a history/literature nerd, eat your heart out.
3/5 stars
I read this book last semester for my literature and gender class and if we’re being honest (and my professor isn’t reading this right now) I didn’t read the whole thing. I read most of it! But I just couldn’t get to the end.
Moll Flanders is an orphan taken in at an early age by a wealthy family, and after that it gets confusing. She has like 5 husbands (I think,) some ridiculous number of children (most of whom conveniently fall out of the picture,) and despite being kind of an awful person, gets a happy ending.
Okay, poor summary, but it’s difficult to summarize a book that’s difficult to read. I mean, this book is pretty much required reading for any literature enthusiast, but as a book you actually WANT to read? Yeah, it’s nothing to get excited about. If you’re a member of the general public, you don’t need to bother. If you’re a history/literature nerd, eat your heart out.
3/5 stars
"I saw the Cloud, though I did not foresee the Storm."
One of the goals on my (reading) bucket list is to get through as many stories about women as possible so when I found this little gem during one of my binge-buying-sprees online I was enraptured.
Moll Flanders is a report about Moll's life recounted in 1st person. She tells us the story of how she was born in the prison of Newgate, of how she was raised parentless and of how she found herself falling slowly into depravity at the hands of a destiny too cruel to allow otherwise. She marries five times, once, unbeknownst to both, to her own brother. When widowhood and abandonment bring only poverty and despair she finds herself either stealing from others or selling herself. Moll Flanders is a cruel portrayal of a female condition that doesn't really allow much more:
I found Moll's voice strong and assertive, some of the instances drippled with such exquisite feminism that I couldn't do anything else than cheering and rooting for her.
It took me 3 whole months to get through this book though and that is because, read past 1/3 of it, the story slows painfully down, being extremely detailed oftentimes it felt sterile and dry. That didn't put me off though which is undoubtedly a good thing, but I had to lower my rating that had been a strong 4 star one for the majority of my time reading it.
I'm glad I read Moll Flanders though and I'd recommend it to anyone in need of a strong female voice and who wants to catch up on the classics just like I am!
One of the goals on my (reading) bucket list is to get through as many stories about women as possible so when I found this little gem during one of my binge-buying-sprees online I was enraptured.
"What an abominable creature am I! and how is this innocent gentleman going to be abused by me! How little does he think, that having divorced a whore, he is throwing himself into the arms of another! that he is going to marry one that has lain with two brothers, and has had three children by her own brother! one that was born in Newgate, whose mother was a whore, and is now a transported thief! one that has lain with thirteen men, and has had a child since he saw me! Poor gentleman!"
Moll Flanders is a report about Moll's life recounted in 1st person. She tells us the story of how she was born in the prison of Newgate, of how she was raised parentless and of how she found herself falling slowly into depravity at the hands of a destiny too cruel to allow otherwise. She marries five times, once, unbeknownst to both, to her own brother. When widowhood and abandonment bring only poverty and despair she finds herself either stealing from others or selling herself. Moll Flanders is a cruel portrayal of a female condition that doesn't really allow much more:
"As the market ran very unhappily on the men's side, I found the women had lost the privilege of saying No; that it was a favour now for a woman to have the Question asked."
"Certainly does interest banish all manner of affection, and so naturally do men give up honour and justice, humanity, and even Christianity, to secure themselves."
I found Moll's voice strong and assertive, some of the instances drippled with such exquisite feminism that I couldn't do anything else than cheering and rooting for her.
It took me 3 whole months to get through this book though and that is because, read past 1/3 of it, the story slows painfully down, being extremely detailed oftentimes it felt sterile and dry. That didn't put me off though which is undoubtedly a good thing, but I had to lower my rating that had been a strong 4 star one for the majority of my time reading it.
I'm glad I read Moll Flanders though and I'd recommend it to anyone in need of a strong female voice and who wants to catch up on the classics just like I am!
slow-paced
Durante la lettura mi sono dovuta fermare più volte perché è un libro ripetitivo sia negli schemi narrativi che in generale anche nelle descrizioni. Le prime 200 pagine narrano delle esperienze "amorose" di Moll ( tra virgolette perché l'amore non c'entra niente in questo libro, ma solo i soldi e la volontà di cambiare status sociale ) tra 5 mariti e circa 11 figli. Le ultime 200 pagine narrano delle sue scorribande tra furti e prigioni. Come si può intuire vengono affrontati due macro-argomenti ma in maniera ridondante poiché morto un marito ne trova un altro, compiuto un furto ne elabora un altro. Ho considerato Moll Flanders una leader, una donna che sa cosa vuole e non ha paura di andarselo a prendere, e perciò una ispirazione se pensiamo all'anno di pubblicazione di questo libro. Ma Defoe preferiva raccontare delle vicende più che indagare i personaggi, ragion per cui i personaggi in generale sono tutti bidimensionali. Inoltre la lunghezza del libro era proporzionale ai soldi che avrebbe guadagnato, poiché all'epoca si usava pagare così uno scrittore, ed è questa una chance di Defoe di seguire la sua onda scrivendo parole su parole, senza capitoli, senza stacchi, senza che tu possa riprendere fiato chiedendoti se l'autore sappia dove sta andando a parare ( spoiler: più o meno, molti errori di trama sono stati corretti per la seconda edizione). Lo stile di scrittura è un po' rozzo, ci sono salti dal presente al passato, errori e buchi di trama, niente segni di punteggiatura a parte il ";". Però bisogna considerare che è un romanzo del 1722 e che costituisce l'inizio di un genere, perciò perfetto non può essere.
Il titolo per esteso di quest'opera, uno dei più grandi romanzi della letteratura inglese, recita così:" Fortune e sfortune di Moll Flanders, la quale nacque nella prigione di Newgate e nel corso di una vita di continui mutamenti, per sessant'anni, oltre alla sua infanzia, fu per dodici anni prostituta, cinque volte moglie (una delle quali di suo fratello), dodici anni ladra, otto anni deportata in Virginia, e infine divenne ricca, visse onesta, e morì pentita."
Defoe si divertiva a stendere i titoli che sintetizzavano l'opera che il lettore sI accingeva ad scoprire. E il libro, naturalmente, è una memoria autentica in cui l'autore si limita a pubblicare ciò che la protagonista stessa racconta di assolutamente veritiero. È questa la sua tecnica dell'artificio, la maschera attraverso cui diventa egli stesso Moll Flanders con tutto il prepotente realismo della sua arte.
Per chi non conosca la trama, basti la scheletrica sintesi del lungo titolo congegnato da Defoe, il quale ha dato vita ad una proto-femminista inconsapevole di esserlo, amante della libertà e dell'indipendenza, dalle idee rivoluzionarie: la bella e dannata Moll, che fino all'ultimo giorno della sua vita non rinnegherà i propri ideali e sarà coerente con le proprie azioni, che la renderà un vero e proprio personaggio tridimensionale.
Appare invece opportuno soffermarsi sulla morale del libro. Lo scrittore infatti ci invita a riflettere, ponendoci davanti a degli interrogativi: Quanto sono determinanti le condizioni sociali sulla nostra vita? Quant'è forte il rapporto ineliminabile tra denaro e rispettabilità?
Questo romanzo a tratti può risultare una lettura un po' ostica per l'assenza di suddivisione in capitoli, ma la prosa fluida e la penna vivace di Defoe raffigurano un mondo pieno di vitalità, come la protagonista del romanzo.
Si tratta di un romanzo picaresco fine a se stesso? Di un attacco al moralismo anglosassone che condanna condotte moralmente "discutibili" senza considerare le ragioni e le necessità che possono condurre chiunque ad abbracciarle? Di un elogio alla scaltrezza umana che può innalzare alla ricchezza anche chi è povero?
Non saprei. Forse è tutto questo, forse tutto il contrario. Ai futuri lettori l'ardua sentenza.
Defoe si divertiva a stendere i titoli che sintetizzavano l'opera che il lettore sI accingeva ad scoprire. E il libro, naturalmente, è una memoria autentica in cui l'autore si limita a pubblicare ciò che la protagonista stessa racconta di assolutamente veritiero. È questa la sua tecnica dell'artificio, la maschera attraverso cui diventa egli stesso Moll Flanders con tutto il prepotente realismo della sua arte.
Per chi non conosca la trama, basti la scheletrica sintesi del lungo titolo congegnato da Defoe, il quale ha dato vita ad una proto-femminista inconsapevole di esserlo, amante della libertà e dell'indipendenza, dalle idee rivoluzionarie: la bella e dannata Moll, che fino all'ultimo giorno della sua vita non rinnegherà i propri ideali e sarà coerente con le proprie azioni, che la renderà un vero e proprio personaggio tridimensionale.
Appare invece opportuno soffermarsi sulla morale del libro. Lo scrittore infatti ci invita a riflettere, ponendoci davanti a degli interrogativi: Quanto sono determinanti le condizioni sociali sulla nostra vita? Quant'è forte il rapporto ineliminabile tra denaro e rispettabilità?
Questo romanzo a tratti può risultare una lettura un po' ostica per l'assenza di suddivisione in capitoli, ma la prosa fluida e la penna vivace di Defoe raffigurano un mondo pieno di vitalità, come la protagonista del romanzo.
Si tratta di un romanzo picaresco fine a se stesso? Di un attacco al moralismo anglosassone che condanna condotte moralmente "discutibili" senza considerare le ragioni e le necessità che possono condurre chiunque ad abbracciarle? Di un elogio alla scaltrezza umana che può innalzare alla ricchezza anche chi è povero?
Non saprei. Forse è tutto questo, forse tutto il contrario. Ai futuri lettori l'ardua sentenza.
I've undertaken to read all the books that accompany the Teaching Company's course "Meeting the Challenge of Great Literature", of which this is the first book, so expect to see more classics cropping up on these pages soon.
So, what did I think of this book that was written nearly 300 years ago? I enjoyed it and found it easily comprehensible with but a little effort (and the occasional glance at the end-notes). The text flowed well, as did the story itself. Unlike a large number of readers (to judge by the goodreads reviews), I had no problem with the text being unbroken into either chapters or other identifiable parts. This is still done today, the two examples that spring immediately to mind are Sir Terry Pratchett and Karl Ove Knausgaard. I'm sure you can supply others.
The story itself was rather unremarkable, although thoroughly absorbing. Of more interest, I found, was its facility as an historical document, holding a mirror up to the society of the late 17th-century . Particularly abhorrent to me was the callous treatment of children that seemed the norm, at least within certain sections of the population.
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes, very much so. It's a worthy read in and of itself and not, as others unkindly suggest, only to see how far the novel has come.
So, what did I think of this book that was written nearly 300 years ago? I enjoyed it and found it easily comprehensible with but a little effort (and the occasional glance at the end-notes). The text flowed well, as did the story itself. Unlike a large number of readers (to judge by the goodreads reviews), I had no problem with the text being unbroken into either chapters or other identifiable parts. This is still done today, the two examples that spring immediately to mind are Sir Terry Pratchett and Karl Ove Knausgaard. I'm sure you can supply others.
The story itself was rather unremarkable, although thoroughly absorbing. Of more interest, I found, was its facility as an historical document, holding a mirror up to the society of the late 17th-century . Particularly abhorrent to me was the callous treatment of children that seemed the norm, at least within certain sections of the population.
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes, very much so. It's a worthy read in and of itself and not, as others unkindly suggest, only to see how far the novel has come.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The only thing I didn’t appreciate (at all!) was the lack of any type of internal division of the book (there are no chapters, nor breaks of any kind between the scenes); this made reading the book significantly harder.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is filled with drama and at times is difficult to read. I studied this for uni and have to say it was one of my least favourite books on the course. I have things to say on the plot and form.
Form: there are no chapter divisions since Defoe is characterised as the one who begun the novel therefore it is difficult to read since there is a continuous illustration, with no where to put your book mark. While the story is flow paced, everything bad happens to Moll- I suggest reading this in one day like I did to not loose anything about the plot due to it’s different form to todays standards.
The plot: full of drama, tension and trauma. the main character goes through so much, it almost feels like the character is a toy to a unscrupulous plot. it is character driven but if you read it, it seems likes the plot controls the character is a way which is traumatic.
Form: there are no chapter divisions since Defoe is characterised as the one who begun the novel therefore it is difficult to read since there is a continuous illustration, with no where to put your book mark. While the story is flow paced, everything bad happens to Moll- I suggest reading this in one day like I did to not loose anything about the plot due to it’s different form to todays standards.
The plot: full of drama, tension and trauma. the main character goes through so much, it almost feels like the character is a toy to a unscrupulous plot. it is character driven but if you read it, it seems likes the plot controls the character is a way which is traumatic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship
I think it's befitting of this novel to describe it as riveting, even for a modern-day work. As it was written in the 18th-century and often acclaimed as the first English novel, I expected dull, sluggish language and a story about as scandalous as the unintentional revealing of a petticoat in London high-society ball.
Instead, I received the tale of a straight-up skank ho, sleeping with men for money, stealing from children, and giving up her own babies, left and right. Hardly as industrious, witty, or charming as Thackeray's Becky Sharp, Moll horizontally flounders from bed to bed, birthing infants and promptly abandoning them to whomever happens to be near. Her entire motivation is wealth, which she never can seem to achieve, through five marriages and seven? eight? children. The miscarriages nearly outnumber her ignorant decisions.
Obviously, I disliked her. Imagine my disgust when she emerges from the infamous Newgate prison unscathed, on her way to Virginia. As a native of that state, I was disgusted with how it was portrayed: a home to criminals and degenerates, thinking nothing of purchasing human beings for their plantations. When Moll arrives there (for the second time), she finds that her criminal mother gave her a great deal of money and that one of her abandoned sons is also wealthy and only adds to her fortune. I would feel that was a complete abortion of life justice but she's in her sixties by then.
She lived a horrible, immoral, and wretched life and in the end, becomes wealthy, along with her criminal husband, twice-married. I will give her credit for ending the marriage to her own brother. That was decent of her.
In all, I couldn't stop reading this little tale of debauchery. Don't let first impressions fool you. This was worth the read.
Instead, I received the tale of a straight-up skank ho, sleeping with men for money, stealing from children, and giving up her own babies, left and right. Hardly as industrious, witty, or charming as Thackeray's Becky Sharp, Moll horizontally flounders from bed to bed, birthing infants and promptly abandoning them to whomever happens to be near. Her entire motivation is wealth, which she never can seem to achieve, through five marriages and seven? eight? children. The miscarriages nearly outnumber her ignorant decisions.
Obviously, I disliked her. Imagine my disgust when she emerges from the infamous Newgate prison unscathed, on her way to Virginia. As a native of that state, I was disgusted with how it was portrayed: a home to criminals and degenerates, thinking nothing of purchasing human beings for their plantations. When Moll arrives there (for the second time), she finds that her criminal mother gave her a great deal of money and that one of her abandoned sons is also wealthy and only adds to her fortune. I would feel that was a complete abortion of life justice but she's in her sixties by then.
She lived a horrible, immoral, and wretched life and in the end, becomes wealthy, along with her criminal husband, twice-married. I will give her credit for ending the marriage to her own brother. That was decent of her.
In all, I couldn't stop reading this little tale of debauchery. Don't let first impressions fool you. This was worth the read.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes