This is a very dull, tedious book. It has some plot, but it is disorganized and not very compelling. Moll Flanders herself is flat and underdeveloped, and her many marriages and children seem to affect her very minimally, if at all, to a point that makes her seem unrealistic. While my copy of this book was under 300 pages long, it felt 4 times as long. If you have to read this book, take notes and pace yourself, and otherwise there are a lot of better classic novels to choose from. ( )

Another good book that is difficult to stick with as a modern reader. ( )

Rapture. Lust. Journey into a place where women were faced with a brutal truth. ( )

Daniel Defoe did not disappoint. Moll Flanders was a fantastic read. If you're into classics (and if you're not please tell me why), then this book is going to be right up your alley. Written in an autobiographical style, the story of Moll Flanders unfolds in England (for the most part) in the 18th century. She begins her life inauspiciously as a servant for a well-to-do family where she is known for her genteel manners and pious spirit. However, this lasts only until she is made an offer from a young man in the household and the next you know she's his mistress. O_O Don't worry, guys, I'm not encouraging you to read smut. The book was intended to be a cautionary tale for both those headed down this path and for those that might come across these ne'er-do-wells. She is purely driven by her fear of becoming destitute and living on the streets. To that end, she marries many times (dubiously for the most part), sells her body (I don't mean for science), and steals. BUT this is a moral tale and so there are messages spread throughout (not so subtly either). Like I said, if you're a fan of the classics you'll like this one. ( )

or, as it might otherwise be called: "The Accidental Whore & Grifter, Who Lives Happily Ever After," which, if asked to give a ten-word review, would be perfectly fitting. All that would need to be added would be to say that the whore part was interesting, the grifter part wasn't, and the happily ever after part was consistent with how Defoe seems to write: tie things up nicely with a bow, as he did with Crusoe. It should also be mentioned that all of it was readable, because Defore is a deft writing hand. ( )