Considered one of the first English novels, Daniel Defoe's "Moll Flanders" was published in 1722. To put that date in perspective, Moll first appeared about 100 years after Shakespeare died and forty years before "Tristam Shandy" made his debut.

Given the amount of time that separates our world from Defoe's, one of the most striking things is how approachable, accessible, readable, and downright entertaining "Moll Flanders" is. It's both a page-turner and an august member of the High Canon of Literature, which is a more rare combination than one would hope.

Moll is a fully realized character, a woman you could easily imagine stepping off the page and into the world. Defoe of course doesn't engage in any psychological exploration of her motives or feelings, which seems a bit foreign for a modern reader. But there is something rather refreshing about a novel in which the characters aren't absorbed in self reflection. The details of Moll's life -- from the art and craft of being a cut-purse, to the abandonment of the old world for the newly minted America -- are plenty engrossing.

While I enjoy modern historical fiction, there is nothing quite like seeing the past through the eyes of an author for whom it was the present. ( )

Started reading because it’s on the 1,001 Books list and seems like one of those classics everyone needs to enjoy. While I found it a great read and very interesting watching the fortunes and misfortunes, it was different reading a story that was not broken up into chapters or sections. As I read it online, that was how it was provided, so I’m not sure if that is how the actual book is put together, but it made it hard to always find a good stopping point and then to join back in.

A great trip through seventeenth century England. ( )

Interesting tale of one "Moll Flanders," a woman who tries her hand at several unsavory occupations in order to avoid poverty. I was shocked with how many children she had, and yet did not stay in contact with any of them, save for the son that she discovers in the end. If it hadn't been for that, I would have liked her much more, for her exploits really didn't seem to be all that disturbing, considering her circumstances. ( )

A feircly determined woman, against all sorts of problems, survives and then some. ( )