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" This is one of the first novels ever written. And that is about the most interesting thing about it. I recall very little about it. "
- Carly, 2/20/2014
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" I want to teach this book so my students can see that people were the same 200 years ago as they are now. They enjoyed sexual scandal and notorious women. What a fun read! "
- Angie, 2/19/2014
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" For "the first novel ever written," if we buy that claim, this book was absolutely hilarious. So entertaining! Moll's infuriating, though, but you kind of have to love her for her ridiculousness and awfulness. "
- Huma, 2/17/2014
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" I loved this book! Moll's life is a series of fortunate and unfortunate events. I do not judge her, i liked her strength, her ability to adapt and her will to live! I wanted to know more about her other children though. So little was mentioned about them. But anyway, it's sad that few people have heard about this novel, most are familiar only with Robinson Crusoe. It's a light reading and I recommend it to all who like adventures! "
- Krasimira, 2/17/2014
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" A bit too long, told quite slow, but very entertaining still. "
- Ab, 2/16/2014
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" After you read this one. .. you won't trust a woman. "
- Rashid, 2/16/2014
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" Moll Flanders is a character that gets under you skin. One moment, you hate her. The next, you are cheering for her. The one thing I couldn't stand about her was her rather blase treatment of her children. She would give them away for practically no reason, with very little thougth or emotion attached. She is not exactly a squeaky clean heroine, but somehow her crimes endear you to her. And, her sincere repentance makes her likeable in the end. "
- Andrea, 2/15/2014
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" A wonderful story of a very strong woman in a plethora of bad situations. It is so easy to love Moll. Her journey is a pleasure to go on. "
- Cameron, 2/15/2014
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" I can see myself in her. I really have that devilish side when I want to show it, I am just glad I neer got caught. Moll really had an interesting life, even though not all of it was great. "
- Deborah, 2/15/2014
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" Love this book... It has everything. "
- Joy, 2/14/2014
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" Last year I described this book as being like a big gushy Cinnabon, sweet, sticky, and cloying. I love it to bits, but it does make me feel like I need to wash, or something. "
- Katharine, 2/14/2014
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" This did strain the bounds of credibility at times, but that was all part of the fun. The format did make it a bit hard to read (what can I say, I like chapters), but overall it was an interesting read. "
- Lindsay, 2/13/2014
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" I can see myself in her. I really have that devilish side when I want to show it, I am just glad I neer got caught. Moll really had an interesting life, even though not all of it was great. "
- Deborah, 2/10/2014
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" Was forced to read this ... twice ... and hated it both times. "
- Rosie, 2/10/2014
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" Took me forever to get through b/c it lacks chapters or any breaks in flow- that makes it very easy to put down whenever. What an interesting character, especially considering the book was written in the 17th century. Moll Flanders makes for a very resourceful woman- a survivor- and impressed me with her ability to reinvent herself over and over. If you have large chunks of time, I recommend banging this book out. "
- Jackie, 2/9/2014
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" This book is great soft-core historical fiction fun! "
- Christina, 2/5/2014
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" LOVED her.....the language is so intriguing in how much it communicates without saying the obvious. This was great fun. "
- Gwen, 2/5/2014
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" Fantastic story, great pace and I find that the moral of the story is that it is far easier to be sorry for one's sins, when there is a giant stack of money to sit on... "
- Rebecca, 2/5/2014
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" Moll Flanders, the repentant woman of ill-repute one can't help but love despite all her "wicked" lascivious adventures. It is interesting to read it in a time where nothing is off limits, as the tone is quite antiquated and reminded me of the SNL sketch "Tale's of Ribaldry" with Jon Lovitz. During certain off-hand allusions to the title character's "wicked" adventures I could faintly hear Lovitz exclaiming, "How ribald!" and bursting into seedy giggles. Moll Flanders is like the anti-Jane Eyre; pragmatic, lusty, and devoid of self-righteousness. "
- Tanya, 1/31/2014
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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. "
- Becca, 1/26/2014
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" The most surprising thing about Moll Flanders was how much I liked her as a character. She was amoral, self-centered, and unscrupulous, but I wanted her to succeed nonetheless. The other aspect of this book that I most appreciated was the idea of reinventing oneself. Moll Flanders is able to start over in various locales--new name, new husband, and all--without much trouble. How times have changed. "
- Adelaide, 1/25/2014
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" Overall, I found this book repetitive and boring. I was really expecting it to be a bit saucier. "
- Corrie, 1/24/2014
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" The first book that shocked me! "
- Rachael, 1/24/2014
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" Rambling, incoherent nonsense. The first novel? Thank god people kept trying. "
- Bobby, 1/21/2014
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" I was actually surprised by how much I ended up liking this book. The main character is so interesting and she doesn't disturb her narrative with any unnecessary descriptions. I don't think I have ever read a book where the main character gets married so often and who ends up having such agreeable, though poor, husbands. Moll Flanders begins the tale of her life with her humble origins and ends it with a complete reverse in fortune. The first half of the book details her many marriages and how she contrives to be married. And just when you start thinking, "Um, really, the only bad thing you've done is marry half a dozen men...", the second half of the book relates her descent into thievery, which is also very good and very well told. The only thing that pretty much drove me nuts over the course of her life story was, viz. that the author used the word "viz" quite a lot when relating a list of examples pertaining to Moll Flanders' particular circumstances. All in all, I loved that this woman told her story boldly, and though penitent, really made little to no excuses. "
- Erin, 1/19/2014
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" Oh maaaan I love this book. "
- Obadiah, 1/19/2014
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" Having read Roxana first (although Moll Flanders was written first), I found this too similar to Roxana. And Moll Flanders fixes herself and goes on to live a prosperous life of good behavior. I enjoyed Roxana infinitely more for being a stronger woman. "
- Angelina, 1/18/2014
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" Oh God. Had I realised that Defoe also wrote Robinson Crusoe I would not have read this. We're reminded constantly that the live of ol' Moll is so like, terrible and she's just gushing all over about it to warn us away. Gushing being a relative term, as Defoe over describes the most useless detail, repeats himself unnecessarily, and somehow makes the pace of his work drag like an anchor. We're punished for wanting to read such a scandalous story by having to wade through self-important moral lessons and absolutely no juicy bits. "
- B., 1/18/2014
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" I might need an English teacher to tell me what I'm missing in Moll Flanders. I get the social commentary on women's roles and rights in society, certainly, but after 60 pages of Moll's hysterical yet petty voice, I needed a break. "
- Eliza, 1/18/2014
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" After you read it, rent the Masterpiece theater version of the film. Both are excellent! "
- Jen, 1/4/2014
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" I love Moll! A real character representative of the different social hierarchies of 18th century England. An oldie but a goodie! "
- Mosh, 1/4/2014
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" The story content of Moll Flanders is very interesting, I had a hard time because the novel goes on without any breaks in chapters, just one long run on. "
- Kelly, 1/3/2014
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" I think that the fact that there weren't any chapters in this book influence my feelings on the book. I never felt like I was gettnig anywhere and it was annoying. The book was okay, but I just couldn't get behind the main character. Maybe I'll stick with Austin. =) "
- Heather, 12/30/2013
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" Interesting... Not something I would read again, but I guess I'm glad I read it. Not at all what I was expecting (I should have read the complete title!). "
- Dave, 12/19/2013
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" AN exaggerated Story that will never take place,even in Lala Land.However,I dipped into it to see to what extent the author s imagination is limited! "
- Mohammed, 12/13/2013
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" Sorry, just so-so for me. Is it bad that I enjoyed watching the movie with Morgan Freeman more than reading this? ha! "
- M, 12/12/2013
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" Hard to believe that the same guy who wrote this wrote Robinson Crusoe--if that was an excercise in austerity, this is an excercise in late 18th century soft-porn. Crusoe a genius with the first person narrative. "
- Jenny, 12/11/2013
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" Loved it ,one of my favourite books . "
- Linda, 12/10/2013
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" Loved it ,one of my favourite books . "
- Linda, 12/6/2013
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" Solid novel. One of Defoe's better novels demonstrating many of the tensions of the period. Definitely deflates Victorian romanticism. "
- Kel, 12/3/2013
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" No chapters made this pretty difficult to read. Aside from that, it had a dark subject matter and was great for sifting through for my essays. "
- Mairead, 11/28/2013
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" i read it voluntarily, but the whole time it felt exactly like the kind of required reading that makes teenagers hate reading. it read exactly like an old lady rambling. there are no chapters. over 250 pages and no chapters. the events of moll's life and her reactions are pretty repetitive too. "
- Alicyn, 11/26/2013
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" Interesting as one of the first ever novels, but too hard going as entertainment. "
- Jason, 11/22/2013
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" Great! Wonderful! A Classic. There were parts that had me laughing out loud. DeFoe smartly weaves a social commentary about class, gender, and yes even race and globalism, into this classic. "
- Izetta, 11/21/2013
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" Dude, this is so much better than Robinson Crusoe. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy RC, but Moll is just so much cooler. Also, thank you Defoe for writing a book with a strong (non-asinine) female character in the 18th century that I actually like. I appreciate it. "
- Faith, 11/18/2013
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" A classic novel about the life and times of a prostitute. But good and intresting. "
- William, 11/18/2013
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" An assigned reading that I never finished. Maybe someday. And maybe then I'll change the rating. "
- Kbord, 11/15/2013
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" "Diverting", as it might be put in the 17th century style, but not particularly profound. "
- Gordon, 11/7/2013
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" While Defoe's writing style is extremely easy to non-stuffed shirt lit types, the character of Moll left me raging. Moll was a hollow, ridiculously written character with zero backbone or morals. Truly Defoe wanted his audience to walk away with a low opinion of women. "
- Anya, 11/4/2013
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" Interesting... Not something I would read again, but I guess I'm glad I read it. Not at all what I was expecting (I should have read the complete title!). "
- Dave, 10/13/2013
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" If you're depressed about your life, read this. Moll Flanders has it worse... "
- Jacob, 10/2/2013
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" Interesting... Not something I would read again, but I guess I'm glad I read it. Not at all what I was expecting (I should have read the complete title!). "
- Dave, 9/22/2013
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" Moll Flanders was a gifted theif. Her misfortune always turned to good fortune in this lively tale of vicorian London. I enjoyed it greatly. "
- Denise, 9/18/2013
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" You tell 'em Moll Flanders! You don't take no shit from no one! "
- Steven, 8/25/2013
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" The theme of the book really made me think about how strange life in this time period would be. A woman's survival completely depended on marrying well. Also interesting to think about what good ole Virginia, my current home, was like in the beginning. Convicts, convicts convicts.... "
- Amber, 8/9/2013
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" A rare case where I really preferred the movie to the book. "
- Candace, 6/28/2013
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" Does exactly what it says on the cover - a bawdy, incredible page turner with an unbelievable amount of crime, sex and pregnancy. Good though "
- Maeve, 6/24/2013
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" This book kind of creeped me out. "
- Alison, 5/15/2013
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" I love stream of consciousness. "
- Tara, 5/5/2013
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" I absolutely loved this book! I think it's one of my favorites. "
- Justine, 4/8/2013
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" An assigned reading that I never finished. Maybe someday. And maybe then I'll change the rating. "
- Kbord, 3/17/2013
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" An interesting view into the early stages of the novel as a genre. The descriptions of Moll's escapades as a thief were amusing, but overall the book was too long, and definitely a slog by the end. "
- Wes, 2/15/2013
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" This was so painful to read. My mind was going to explode. She was kind of an annoying narrator. "
- Maggie, 2/7/2013
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" Loved this when I read it in college. "
- Rainey, 2/5/2013
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" I really struggled with the language and could not get into the story because of it. I'm afraid I gave up on page 60. "
- Toni, 1/16/2013
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" I enjoyed this story - would have liked it better with about 50% of the superfluous sentences edited out. Chapter divisions would have been nice, too. There was a big chunk in the middle that was tedious, but on the whole it was interesting from a historical and moral point of view. "
- Amy, 1/9/2013
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" I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a dark, sad, searching psychological novel along the lines of Roxana, also by Defoe. Like in Roxana, Defoe proves his skill and early influence on the novel. "
- Mark, 12/17/2012
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" Interesting as one of the first ever novels, but too hard going as entertainment. "
- Jason, 12/6/2012
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" While Defoe's writing style is extremely easy to non-stuffed shirt lit types, the character of Moll left me raging. Moll was a hollow, ridiculously written character with zero backbone or morals. Truly Defoe wanted his audience to walk away with a low opinion of women. "
- Anya, 11/5/2012
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" I love stream of consciousness. "
- Tara, 8/23/2012
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" If Dick Turpin and the Julia Roberts Pretty Woman character had a baby it would be moll. Love her but the language makes your head ache - a classic "
- Nicola, 8/18/2012
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" Defoe's Moll Flanders lives her life in her own way, surviving by her wits and making the most of her abilities. She's clever. She's creative. She's sexy. She's devious. She knows how to get away with things. "
- Rick, 8/12/2012
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" A rambling, disturbing book; written as a cautionary tale about bad choices, and wicked living. Fairly happy ending, as much as can be expected for such a wicked soul, in any case. "
- Mama2hapas, 7/23/2012
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" I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a dark, sad, searching psychological novel along the lines of Roxana, also by Defoe. Like in Roxana, Defoe proves his skill and early influence on the novel. "
- Mark, 7/18/2012
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" For my St Lawrence "Mapping London" class. "
- Jill, 7/8/2012
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" It was a good story but there was too much description. As a modern reader I could have done with something more... concise. "
- Jesika, 7/5/2012
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" Gives a picture of what life was like in the 1700s, with a lower-class woman as the focus. "
- Sally, 5/11/2012
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" A rambling, disturbing book; written as a cautionary tale about bad choices, and wicked living. Fairly happy ending, as much as can be expected for such a wicked soul, in any case. "
- Mama2hapas, 4/8/2012
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" After you read it, rent the Masterpiece theater version of the film. Both are excellent! "
- Jen, 3/30/2012
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" I can see myself in her. I really have that devilish side when I want to show it, I am just glad I neer got caught. Moll really had an interesting life, even though not all of it was great. "
- Deborah, 3/29/2012
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" A classic that I had to read for my Rise of the Novel class. "
- Charlotte, 3/3/2012
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" Well, I lost track of how many husbands/children the heroine had during the course of the novel, but heck, that happens, I guess. Kind of over the top. A solid read regardless. "
- J., 2/20/2012
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" Moll Flanders is my hero. "
- Naveen, 2/17/2012
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" A bit wordy but worth the read. This women put herself through the wringer! "
- Karen, 1/16/2012
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" What a girl has to do to survive in the late 1700's is not for the weak of heart. "
- Katie, 11/29/2011
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" This was a very difficult read, it has no chapter separations. It felt like it would never end. "
- Wendy, 11/26/2011
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" This was an enjoyable, baudy classic. I was familiar with the story and wasn't disappointed. "
- Clara, 11/16/2011
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" An amazing lady. Enjoyable read. "
- Lorene, 10/21/2011
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" It was a good story but there was too much description. As a modern reader I could have done with something more... concise.
"
- Jesika, 10/13/2011
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" Not the kind of book I'd ever recommend someone unless they were studying 18th Century lit...but it was an easy enough read once I got into it. Pretty repetitive and idealistic, though.
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- Brian, 10/10/2011
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" I liked parts of it. "
- Kari, 10/8/2011
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" This book kind of creeped me out.
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- Alison, 10/4/2011
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" While Defoe's writing style is extremely easy to non-stuffed shirt lit types, the character of Moll left me raging. Moll was a hollow, ridiculously written character with zero backbone or morals. Truly Defoe wanted his audience to walk away with a low opinion of women.
"
- Anya, 10/4/2011
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" Better than I expected it to be. Humorous to an extent.
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- Ian, 9/27/2011
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" Perhaps now that I have studied in depth, English Lit of this period, I should read this book again. Who knows, it may result in better understanding of a story that is so rife with pathos that it can hardly be considered credible. Or perhaps I just don't really like DeFoes' writing!
"
- Gena, 9/7/2011
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" I liked this book. Moll Flanders was a tough woman!
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- Christe, 8/19/2011
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" An endearing character (she's so mischievous!), with an endearingly simple story telling style (and then I did this, and then this, and then this, and then this other cool thing happened.. etc). Fun to read.
AUDIO
"
- Jessie, 8/9/2011
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" I found Moll Flanders very entertaining, but not as much as The Adventures of Tom Jones, and the two stories are quite similar. "
- Paula, 7/26/2011
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" A classic that I had to read for my Rise of the Novel class. "
- Charlotte, 7/9/2011
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" How is it that I love this whore? I was not raised to love whores.
"
- Victoria, 6/13/2011
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" Fantastic, elucidating adventures of a smart, sexy woman bent on survival. Strongly considering making a movie adaptation. The female version of Barry Lyndon.
"
- Anya, 5/30/2011
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" For "the first novel ever written," if we buy that claim, this book was absolutely hilarious. So entertaining! Moll's infuriating, though, but you kind of have to love her for her ridiculousness and awfulness.
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- Huma, 5/10/2011
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" What a woman and what a book! I thoroughly enjoyed this and would now consider one of my favourite classics.
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- Jade, 5/9/2011
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" I found this book amazingly funny. The crazy things that Moll Flanders gets herself into had me laughing out loud.
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- Jessica, 4/6/2011
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" Love, love, love.So glad I don't live her life, but what an mazing story. Lots of twists, turns, ups, downs, and laughs along the way. She may be responsible for birthing half the population of England, and robbing the other half.
"
- Cinderfox, 4/4/2011
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" This did strain the bounds of credibility at times, but that was all part of the fun. The format did make it a bit hard to read (what can I say, I like chapters), but overall it was an interesting read.
"
- Lindsay, 3/4/2011
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