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abisometimesreads 's review for:
Moll Flanders
by Daniel Defoe
I went into this already pretty familiar with the story, having watched ITV's The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders repeatedly when I was younger (Alex Kingston was tremendous; I pictured her as Moll the entire time I was reading!) but I wasn't sure my enjoyment would translate to the book, which I suspected might be a slog, based on what I recalled of the miniseries' narration. However, I was encouraged to give it a go because of my love for complex, morally grey female characters (and unfairly demonised women).
To my surprise, I really enjoyed this. You can see how Defoe (considered the father of the English novel) is trying to define 'The Novel' in as stark a contrast to 'The Poem' as possible – where poetry is full of metaphor and symbolism open to interpretation, Defoe's writing is PAINFULLY precise (with whole paragraphs detailing the amount of money Moll has in her purse, the worth of various fabrics, etc.), but, more often than not, I actually really enjoyed feeling lost in Moll's sprawling stream of consciousness, with all its intricacies and repetition. It felt to me that this was how a woman like Moll, in this time and with this particular vocabulary, would speak and think. She has such a distinct character and voice.
This is the earliest truly 'feminist' novel I've ever read. Defoe emphasises how easily women (especially those not born into money – or even family, as a result of the harshness of the early UK criminal justice system) could be plunged into poverty, due to, for example, having no husband to support them, being widowed with children, finding themselves in disadvantagous match, etc. This forces you to ask if Moll's 'sins' really make her 'wicked' or just a woman doing what she must, in order to survive.
ULTIMATE SPOILER: Defoe's choice not to punish Moll's 'wickedness' by taking her life at the gallows but instead allow her to ultimately find love, prosperity and happiness was a subversive, radical one that moved me.
Personally, I love Moll and would forgive her just about anything. I deeply admire her tenacity and ability to turn any situation to her advantage. She's never down for very long. ❤️
Side note: I find it funny how the blurbs of some editions, and common belief, seem to indicate that Moll is a sex worker when she never engages in anything of the sort?
To my surprise, I really enjoyed this. You can see how Defoe (considered the father of the English novel) is trying to define 'The Novel' in as stark a contrast to 'The Poem' as possible – where poetry is full of metaphor and symbolism open to interpretation, Defoe's writing is PAINFULLY precise (with whole paragraphs detailing the amount of money Moll has in her purse, the worth of various fabrics, etc.), but, more often than not, I actually really enjoyed feeling lost in Moll's sprawling stream of consciousness, with all its intricacies and repetition. It felt to me that this was how a woman like Moll, in this time and with this particular vocabulary, would speak and think. She has such a distinct character and voice.
This is the earliest truly 'feminist' novel I've ever read. Defoe emphasises how easily women (especially those not born into money – or even family, as a result of the harshness of the early UK criminal justice system) could be plunged into poverty, due to, for example, having no husband to support them, being widowed with children, finding themselves in disadvantagous match, etc. This forces you to ask if Moll's 'sins' really make her 'wicked' or just a woman doing what she must, in order to survive.
ULTIMATE SPOILER: Defoe's choice not to punish Moll's 'wickedness' by taking her life at the gallows but instead allow her to ultimately find love, prosperity and happiness was a subversive, radical one that moved me.
Personally, I love Moll and would forgive her just about anything. I deeply admire her tenacity and ability to turn any situation to her advantage. She's never down for very long. ❤️
Side note: I find it funny how the blurbs of some editions, and common belief, seem to indicate that Moll is a sex worker when she never engages in anything of the sort?