Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe)

Daniel Defoe

Moll Flanders

Hardly the racy novel that I was expecting as the descriptions of sex are not graphic by any means. In some ways this is a precursor to later novels of the trials of a woman, or girl, left destitute in the world and how she makes her way. The difference between much later novels is that the morality of prostitution, or at least promiscuous living, and theft is put forward as inevitable in order to survive which is exactly what Moll (Defoe) tells us. The critical analysis at the start of the novel, note it's a real spoiler, as is the introduction by Defoe to be honest, puts this in the context of political upheavals of the time and are interesting. The novel is a good read and although not particularly descriptive of people or things has enough detail to bring you nearer to the early 18th century.