Fanny

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

By: Erica Jong

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

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.

©2003 Erica Jong (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A rollicking tale...a tour de force." ( Newsweek)

Kinky, trigger warning: rape, beastiality, and more

This book was definitely different. It depicts many different *acts* that may appeal to some individuals and not to others. I don’t mind the graphic details and enjoy erotic novels but this one didn’t have much depth

My favorite book!

This book is one of my all-time favorites! I have read it a bunch of times and now I listened to it and the narrator was the absolute best! I found myself laughing out loud while driving or doing whatever I was doing. So so good!!

story of a strong woman

this is the story of a strong woman, written by a strong woman. and is an inspiration to all women to live their own lives as they see fit.

What if Tom Jones Had Been a Woman?

“What if Tom Jones had been a woman? What if Fanny Hill had been as witty as she was sensuous? What if Moll Flanders had been as tenderhearted as she was tough?”

—Erica Jong

Written as an answer to Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (popularly known as Fanny Hill) by John Cleland, the first English language pornographic novel, Fanny is an extensively-researched novel of adventure and debauchery.

Jong, after Fear of Flying, was criticized as a woman writer who wrote about sex and was accused of heaving "loose morals." She decided to write a novel, using her M.A. in 18th century English literature, from the point of view of a similarly-maligned heroine.

Jong brings a poet’s spirit to everything she writes, and here she deftly assumes the episodic, ornate writing style of eighteenth century novels— while bringing a sly understanding of women’s psychology absent from the books of the time.

Abandoned on the doorstep of an English manor, Fanny is brought up by the manor’s Lord and Lady. When she develops into a comely lass, she is “ravished” by her stepfather and runs away. What follows are a series of adventures showing the different strata of English life at the time and an intellectual, sensual coming of age story.

Be sure you listen to the narrator before buying!

What would have made Fanny better?

The performance of the narrator. I just finished listening to excellent narrators of two other audible audiobooks under which Jong's Fear of Dying, and this doesn't come even close. I stopped listening after 15 minutes. That to think the recording is over 20 hours long!