Tab Article

ratings: (4.5/5)
Genre: Classic Literature, Picaresque Novel, Crime Fiction, 18th Century Fiction

Book Review:
'Moll Flanders' is a novel of astonishing energy and vitality. It is the story of a woman who refuses to be a victim, who uses every weapon at her disposal—her wit, her beauty, and her cunning—to survive in a world that offers her no other options. Moll is one of the great characters of literature: tough, resourceful, and utterly unforgettable. She is a thief, a whore, a bigamist, and a survivor. She is also, in her own way, a moralist, constantly reflecting on her sins and her chances of redemption. Defoe's novel is a picaresque romp through the seedy underbelly of 17th-century London. We follow Moll from her birth in Newgate Prison to her life as a gentlewoman, through her five marriages and her career as a master thief, to her eventual transportation to America and her final, prosperous old age. The novel is a vivid portrait of a society in which the only sin is to be caught, and in which the only virtue is to survive. Defoe's prose is direct, unadorned, and utterly convincing. He creates a voice for Moll that feels completely authentic, a woman speaking to us across the centuries with shocking familiarity. This Penguin Popular Classics edition is an affordable and accessible way to experience a true classic. 'Moll Flanders' is a novel that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, a story that will make you laugh, gasp, and question your own assumptions about morality and survival. Highly recommended.