A review by dilfpercyshelley
Fantomina; or, Love in a Maze by Eliza Fowler Haywood

challenging funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this was funny as hell. goofy as fuck. wacky, even. standing at only 55 pages (ish), Fantomina (or love in a maze) is a truly wonderful insight into the intelligent desires of 18th century women. Our leading lady tricks, lies and deceives without rest, seemingly just for a laugh (and some really good sex, apparently) which is the most wonderful storyline for a modern novel, nevermind one written in the early 1700s. Fantomina is certainly a beloved character (by me at least) and had me cheering her on with every deception she produced. Morally ambiguous protagonists are my thing, especially when the moral ambiguity highlights and humiliates misogynistic predispositions on the fragility and incompetence of womanhood. wonderful fucking stuff.