Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

Now that I'm out of high school and have fulfilled all my lit requirements in college, I haven't had to read any classics. I committed myself to doing so, however, because there are so many fine works out there that are just "old" and difficult to read but definitely worth the time spent doing so. Still, I've been nervous about picking up the earlier classic books I choose to read.

I'm amazed at Moll Flanders. Daniel Defoe published this book in 1721. Was it considered "racy"? I don't know enough about the time period except to say that my belief about that time is that people were shocked and did not want to talk about prostitution. They would not look favorably on an author who had a prostitute as the "heroine". Well, maybe I'm wrong.

Moll Flanders is a prostitute. She didn't start out that way. Born to a convict mother, she was given over to foster care when her mother was deported. She might have had a terrible life but she didn't. She always wanted to be a lady. The thought of being a servant was abhorrent to her. She's pretty clever in the way she managed to avoid that fate.

Moll leads a very colorful and interesting life all right. I think that's why amazed me so much. I wouldn't want to give away too much of the story but some of her marriages (there are five) and situations she gets into are ... well, shocking.

It took me longer than usual to read the book because of the language and style. Once I got used to it, though, I was able to pick up speed. It really was a pretty good book!

Reading the book fits into these book challenges: