beeorr 's review for:

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

2.0

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The thing you have to remember when reading Defoe is that he was writing fiction when fiction was just beginning--and so he had very little to work from. It's obvious that he's struggling to figure out what he's doing while he's doing it. The plot is repetitive, there are gaping holes in his characters and events, and it's weirdly descriptive--meaning that the description is in-depth when describing monetary transactions and basically nonexistent during important plot points in Moll's life. For a discerning reader, it's an irritating read. But, as my professor explained when my entire class was complaining about the book: you have to treat it as a historical document. It's the rudimentary beginnings of the novel which are important because we can see the birth of what we recognize in novels of today. So while I don't really put in my vote of confidence in it, I do recognize the value it possesses.