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MOLL FLANDERS is a novel by DANIEL DEFOE, first published in 1722 in the Kingdom of Great Britain by WILLIAM RUFUS CHETWOOD. It represents itself to be the true account of the life of the eponymous Moll, detailing her exploits from birth until old age.
By 1721, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, with the success of Robinson Crusoe in 1719. His political work was tapering off at this point, due to the fall of both Whig and Tory party leaders with whom he had been associated. Robert Walpole was beginning his rise, and Defoe was never fully at home with Walpole's group. Defoe's Whig views are evident in the story of Moll, and the novel's full title gives some insight into this and the outline of the plot.
The original printing did not identify an author, as it was an apparent autobiography. The attribution of Moll Flanders to Defoe was made by bookseller Francis Noble in 1770, after Defoe's death in 1731. The novel is based partially on the life of Moll King, a London criminal whom Defoe met while visiting or incarcerated in Newgate Prison.
Historically, the book was occasionally the subject of police censorship. The novel has been adapted for radio, stage, screen, and television.
MOLL FLANDERS
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