Fanny: Being the True History of the Adventures of Fanny Hackabout-Jones

Erica Jong

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0393324354 ISBN 13: 9780393324358

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003

Discovered on the doorstep of a country estate in Wiltshire, England, the infant Fanny is raised to womanhood by her adoptive parents, Lord and Lady Bellars. Fanny wants to become the epic poet of the age, but her plans are dashed when she is ravished by her libertine stepfather. Fleeing to London, Fanny falls in with idealistic witches and highwaymen who teach her of worlds she never knew existed. After toiling in a London brothel that caters to literati, Fanny embarks on a series of adventures that teach her what she must know to live and prosper as a woman. Soon to be a major Broadway musical. Reading group guide included.

Review:

"Jong... filled a gap in the great tradition of the picaresque novel. Fanny had to be written, and Erica Jong was the right person to write it. Linguistically, Fanny is a tower of strength.... Jong has gone farther than Joyce."

Synopsis:

A foundling, Fanny, is raised by adoptive parents, Lord and Lady Bellars, but is forced to flee to London when her libertine stepfather ravishes her. After toiling in a London brothel, Fanny embarks on a series of adventures that teach her what she must know to live and prosper as a woman.