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Moll Flanders  By  cover art

Moll Flanders

By: Daniel Defoe
Narrated by: Davina Porter
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Editorial reviews

Narrator Davina Porter's attentively detailed performance of Moll Flanders evokes the determination and resourcefulness of Daniel Defoe's titular character with great finesse and clarity. Porter balances Moll's archness with strength of character as this heroine tumbles around prostitution, bigamy, incest, and theft, all the while inspiring the listener's sympathy - and perhaps even encouragement. Through Moll, Defoe revealed the plight women without wealth faced during his time, and how immoral choices may be necessary in order to survive. Listeners will find themselves unable to forget Porter's perceptive interpretation of this classic.

Publisher's summary

One of the most determined, energetic, and lusty heroines in all of English literature, Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders will do anything to avoid poverty. Born in Newgate Prison, she was for 12 years a whore, five times a wife (once to her own brother), 12 years a thief, and eight years a transported felon in Virginia before finally escaping from the life of immorality and wickedness imposed on her by society. She is as much a survivor and just as resourceful as Defoe's other great literary creation, Robinson Crusoe.

Celebrated as "a masterpiece of characterization" by E. M. Forster, Moll Flanders is both a cunning examination of social mores and a hugely entertaining story filled with scandalous sexual and criminal adventures. In Moll, Defoe created a character of limitless interest, in spite of her unconcealed ethical shortcomings. Taking Moll through the echelons of 18th-century English society, Defoe seldom moralizes as he champions the personal qualities of self-reliance, perseverance, and hard work - even when it takes the form of crime.

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: Erotica

What listeners say about Moll Flanders

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Fascinating!

Any additional comments?

It is difficult to believe that this audacious novel was written by the same author as Robinson Crusoe, that classic among all that is definitely traditional and even somewhat staid!
Here, a very independent minded woman pretends to tell us her life story marked with bigamy, theft, incest, embezzlements, etc.

Since the overall plot is described from the start, the whole suspense lies in how what is announced will actually fit in (it does).

The novel may be read at multiple levels since the degree of truthfulness on the narrator’s part is of course questionable given that she tells the reader about her life based on deceiving others.

She certainly seems completely amoral and her single motivation appears to be money. Thus, in very modern fashion, her loyalties vary according to her own interest. For much of the work, she complains that she has no friend but has no qualms time and again to abandon her own children. She does develop a very close relationship with another woman, although it seems to be somewhat unidirectional in her favour. If it was as intimate as one may deduce, it certainly would have been completely scandalous in her days. Although the author does not shy away from providing precise details in many instances, he remains elusive on this account.

This enthralling work written three centuries ago is very pertinent today and warmly recommended to all (adult) readers.

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The Memoirs of a Mistress, a Thief, and a Penitent

The sub-title of Daniel Defoe's novel Moll Flanders (1722) says it (almost) all:

"The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums."

It sure is an odd book! I suspect Defoe of having his cake and eating it too, of presenting Moll’s story as a cautionary tale replete with Christian moral lessons, but also writing what was for its era a titillating, suspenseful, and social novel. After a rather slow first half or so, in which Moll recounts her birth in Newgate Prison, her childhood, her youth, and her romantic relations in a well-to-do family, as well as her marrying of the first two or so of her several husbands, her story becomes more involving and exciting as she begins thieving. This second half is more compelling because it is morally disturbing and darkly revealing of human nature, and because Defoe gets the reader to root for the careful, quick, and lucky Moll as she frankly recounts doing wicked criminal acts that must psychologically and financially hurt her victims. She tells us of robbing a little girl of a gold necklace and even contemplating killing her to silence her, of robbing a woman whose house is on fire by pretending to be there to help her, and of tricking a host of gullible or unobservant maids, tavern boys, shopkeepers, traders, gentlemen, gentlewomen, justices and constables, and even fellow thieves. Defoe must have done a lot of research into the practices of pickpockets, shoplifters, and scam artists.

We know from the sub-title of the novel and hints that she sprinkles about that Moll will be caught, and one of the pleasures of the novel involves anticipating and then finding out how things that we know will happen to her (like marrying her brother) will come to pass. Despite gaining enough money from her thieving to live comfortably on and despite seeing several colleagues collared, imprisoned, and either transported to the colonies or hanged, Moll continues her criminal career, offering up moral lessons about how we should be more observant when among strangers and about how the devil, fate, poverty, and avarice can lead people into wickedness. Moll is a fascinating character: fearlessly honest to her reader in narrating her exploits and cannily dishonest to nearly everyone she encounters, from her victims to her confidante-mentor "governess" and her husbands and son.

Defoe establishes the authenticity of Moll's story by saying that he has edited her "memorandums." And it is easy to read Moll Flanders, like Robinson Crusoe, forgetting about Defoe and believing in the reality of his fictional autobiographical narrator. Although Moll is a very different person from Robinson, being more sinful and less pious, as well as being more reliant on society than on nature to make her living, both characters are intelligent, resourceful, and strong-spirited in the face of exceptional adversity.

The imagination necessary for Defoe to write in the voice of Moll Flanders as a “real” woman must have involved a good deal of empathy for women and sympathy with their plight in the male-dominated and morally corrupt early 18th century. A woman like Moll born in Newgate Prison had few opportunities to make something of herself, and she was lucky to wind up in a relatively nurturing and comfortable place, but even if she were fortunate enough to find a good husband, he would automatically possess any of her assets which she hadn’t previously hidden. The end of the novel was partly disappointing, because it seems as if Moll (and Defoe?) has forgotten her many victims as she complacently lists her and her "gentleman" husband's plantation wealth and luxury objects almost as though they are heavenly rewards for having become "penitent." But throughout the novel Defoe does express through Moll many devastating insights into human nature, among them the fact that in time anyone may become used to hell, as Moll and her fellow inmates come to accept living in Newgate Prison.

Davina Porter is a clear and engaging reader, with a rich and gravelly voice, especially for men's lines, and she’s quite good at inflecting her speech for wit, grief, fear, or love (though all her men sound pretty much the same).

In short, if you are interested in the early 18th century (especially in their treatment of women and criminals) and in vivid novels about frankly wicked women of a certain age and experience, you should give Moll Flanders a try.

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Like a Loop

A classic dull piece.

I think this was a shocker in its day and for that reason, its a classic today. I hated it. I didn't like the performance (narrator) at all. The story seemed like a loop of deception, gain, punishment, repeat.

There are some amusing characters and some insight into human nature. But this book was not my cup of tea and I could hardly wait to finish it.

Can't recommend.

Chris Reich

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Marvelous story and beautifully read

This is a delightful book! Written in the first person it chronicles the life of one Moll Flanders – not her real name but useful to sum up her life. She was born in London’s infamous Newgate prison where her mother was under a sentence of death for theft. Our heroine struggled on her own to form a life for herself and goes from one adventure to another. She tells us she was married 5 times and was a whore many years (by that she means what we would call a mistress, not a prostitute). Her “voice” in the book itself is enchanting and the reader does a beautiful job of portraying her and all the other characters. I will not give away much of the plot but reading it will give you great insight into the struggles women faced over the past 200 years. I found the part when she herself was in Newgate prison for theft very touching. How easily they executed people for petty crimes – awful to think of. Anyway, the book is wonderful and I highly recommend it. Don't miss it!

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what a gal

What a great character! I've heard the name over the years, but never had a frame of reference for it. It's amazing to imagine the challenges of the times, societal rules, etc. Even by today's standards, "Moll" would be an extraordinary woman.

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Salacious in its day

Today this almost feels like a comedy or comic tragedy. The numbers of marriages and mishaps give this a sense of the absurd. Tough to go back to the early 18th century and understand the perils of caste and courtship. Stick with Robinson Crusoe.

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Another great classic!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's a great marathon read. Very entertaining.

What about Davina Porter’s performance did you like?

Wonderful job with the characters!!! She did an awesome job with the voice of Moll Flanders, as well as, the countless other characters she portrayed.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it's a long story.

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Somewhat drawn out!

Felt to long to listen to, but finally finished. It was an ok read.

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Thoroughly enjoyed this Classic!

I was in NO way disappointed with this audiobook purchase. The story moved along easily and held my interest to the end. The ending was so good, and I came away feeling so pleased with it, that I would say it influenced my rating of the story from 4 to 5 stars. As for the narration Davina Porter was superbly entertaining. She is by far my favorite narrator and definitely influenced my decision to purchase this particular Classic.
If only all audiobooks had such superior quality narration.....

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Glad I didn't live back then!

If you could sum up Moll Flanders in three words, what would they be?

A Cautionary Tale...about being a woman living in the 1720s. Thankfully cultural opinions about premarital sex and laws regarding inheritance of wealth and property have changed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Moll Flanders?

I feel like answering this would give away too much of the plot.

Have you listened to any of Davina Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I actually love Davina Porter as a narrator and chose this book, in part, because I saw she had narrated it. I find her voice, in this story as in the Outlander series, to be soothing and gentle. She's also really good with most accents (except American accents, where she sounds like an English woman trying to do an American accent badly).

If you could take any character from Moll Flanders out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I think the only person I'd take to dinner would be Moll herself...though she would probably spend all my money and maybe rob me. I love the complexity of her character and I think that she would've been much better off in the 20th century!

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed two things specifically: 1) this book gave me an appreciation for living in a time period where women have basic rights and a greater deal of choice over their fate, and 2) the effective use of first person narrative. I usually dislike first person narrative though it is very popular in many current science fiction and fantasy novels (my preferred genre), but I think that when it is used to create a character whose words clash with their actions like Moll it can add to the subtext. For example, Moll claims to feel penitence and sorrow, yet how do we actually know she feels this way? Her feelings rarely appear to affect her actions, and perhaps she is merely telling the reader what they want to hear or echoing back her culture's traditions and customs, while mocking them with her actions.

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