A review by terrahome
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

3.0

Not good, but intensely interesting. Defoe has a lot of sharp observations about capitalism, the limitations of women in 18th century England, and the desperation caused by poverty; but he also doesn't really interrogate these problems and is very eager to send all criminals off to US colonies in a way that ignores the fundamental problems with the harsh prison sentences of his era. More than that the book's plot is contrived as hell. Defoe has one theme and he really wants to hammer it home with ridiculous situation after ridiculous situation. Still, it is fascinatingly weird which made it pretty entertaining.