Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

I officially made it 236 pages into this classic novel and had to quit. While I think there is so much literary merit in one of the world's first novels, I found it to be extremely episodic. Every ten pages, Moll Flanders, the underprivileged protagonist from the 18th century, leaves a husband and gains a new one. One aspect of this continuous storyline that made me dislike this text was because of the lack of respect for the institution of marriage. While I understand that in the 18th century, laws and forms of communication were few and far between, I have trouble with the way in which Moll Flanders views men as a catalyst into wealth and something to simply shed at the first sign of distress.  

After her fifth marriage was dissolving after the usual ten pages, I had to put the book away. I was finding that the structure of the text and the way in which the storyline was like a revolving door was actually making reading a chore for me. I had a really hard time allowing myself to give up reading a book half way through, but the whole purpose of reading is to enjoy it. Therefore, You Win Defoe. You Win. I Surrender!