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

by Jong, Erica; Jong, Erica

ISBN13: 9780451133700

ISBN10: 0451133706

Format: Paperback

Publisher(s): Signet

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Summary

Left as an infant on the doorstep of a grand English estate, Fanny is raised to young womanhood by Lord and Lady Bellars. A beautiful woman with a taste for literature, Fanny is ambitious to become the epic poet of her age -- but her plans are dashed after she is ravished by her libertine adoptive father. Fleeing to London, Fanny meets up with idealistic witches and a band of highwaymen who teach her of worlds she never knew existed. She embarks on a series of adventures that take her from a London brothel that caters to the literati, to a pirate ship on the high seas and beyond, teaching her what she must know to live and prosper as a woman. Erica Jong offers us entrance into an age long past, replete with the boisterousness and bawdiness that are often missed in its histories. The result is a highly entertaining, original work of fiction. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Erica Jong is the author of eight novels, including Fear of Flying and Sappho's Leap, six books of poetry, and several works of nonfiction. She lives in New York City and Connecticut


The Introduction to the Work or Bill of Fare to the Feast	p. 15
A short Description of my Childhood with particular Attention to the Suff'rings of my Step-Mother, Lady Bellars	p. 18
In which I meet my first Great Man, and learn the Truth of that Maxim: "'Tis easier to be a Great Man in one's Work than in one's Life"	p. 22
Of Gardening, Great Houses, the Curse of Fashion, Paradise Lost, a Family Supper with a Famous Visitor in Attendance, and the Foolish Curiosity of Virgins of Seventeen	p. 31
Of Flip-Flaps, Lollipops, Picklocks, Love-Darts, Pillicocks, and the Immortal Soul, together with some Warnings against Rakes, and some Observations upon the Erotick Proclivities of Poets	p. 38
Some Reflections upon Harmony, Order, and Reason, together with many surprizing Adventures which follow one upon the other, in rapid Succession	p. 43
Venus is introduced, with some pretty Writing; and we learn more of the Am'rous Dalliances of Lord Bellars than we, or our Heroine, would wish to know	p. 49
Containing the sundry Adventures of our Heroine in preparing her Escape, as well as many edifying Digressions upon Doweries, upon Love, upon the Beauties of the English Countryside, upon the Wisdom of Horses, upon the Necessity for Disguises, and, finally, upon the Preferability, at all Times, of being a Man rather than a Woman	p. 54
Containing a most improving Philosophical Enquiry into the diff'ring Philosophies of the Third Earl of Shaftesbury and Mr. Bernard Mandeville, together with an Account of our Heroine's sincere Dilemma concerning the Role of Womankind in the Great World; whereupon we follow our Heroine to a Country Fair and relate the Misadventures she had there, her Debut as a Duellist, and, last but not least, her most surprizing Rescue by a most surprizing Rescuer	p. 61
A Word to the Wise about Gratitude; an exciting Chase upon horseback; our Heroine's Conversations with two Wise Women of the Woods; and a most astonishing Prophecy	p. 70
Of Prophecies and Herbs; of Witchcraft and Magick; of Courage and a red silk Garter	p. 79
Containing some Essential Information regarding the Nature of Esbats, Sabbats, Flying thro' the Air upon Broomstaffs, and other Matters with which the enlighten'd Young Woman of Parts should be acquainted; together with a most dreadful Scene upon Stonehenge Down, which few Readers should venture upon in an Ev'ning, especially when alone	p. 85
Containing sev'ral Dialogues concerning Fate, Poesy, and the Relations betwixt the Sexes, as well as other Intercourse of a more sensual Nature (because of which the Modest Reader is advis'd to pass o'er this Chapter unread), which our Heroine had with Miss Polly Mudge, Chambermaid, Mr. Ned Tunewell, Poetaster, and e'en with Herself, at that celebrated Coaching Inn call'd The Dumb Bell	p. 100
In which Lancelot Robinson and his Merry Men are introduced and our Heroine meets her Fate in all its Nakedness	p. 115
A short Hint of what we can do in the Rabelaisian Style; our Heroine gets her Name; Lancelot Robinson begins his astounding History	p. 123
Lancelot Robinson concludes his astonishing History, showing that a Man may be wise in all Things, both sublunary and divine, yet still be a Ninny where Women are concern'd	p. 133
An improving philosophical Conversation upon the Nature of Orphans, after which the Merry Men are introduced, Lancelot discloses his future Plans, and Horatio's curious History is reveal'd	p. 139
Containing some mischievous and am'rous Play in which 'tis presently seen that Lancelot's Protestations of sexual Preference are not as fixt as he would have had us believe, nor indeed are those of our Friend Horatio, whereupon our Heroine finds herself in a Predicament which Prudes will applaud but the Hot-blooded will find (nearly) tragick; after which we ponder a prophetick Dream and thereafter begin our Voyage to London	p. 155

In which our Heroine first makes an intimate Acquaintance with the Great City of London, and what befell her upon her historick Arrival there	p. 171
Some Animadversions upon the Author of that Notorious Book, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, or Fanny Hill, together with our Heroine's True and Compleat Recital of what really happen'd during her Initiation into Mother Coxtart's Brothel, her first Visit to a London Draper's, and a most astonishing Message from the Ghost of Robin Hood	p. 183
In which our Fanny meets a Frog who thinks himself a Prince and loses her Virginity for the second Time (which Doubting Thomases may profess to be impossible, but Readers wise in the Wicked Ways of the World will credit)	p. 195
In which we follow Fanny to Mrs. Skynner's Emporium, are initiated into some Mysteries to which Wise Women have been privy thro' out the Centuries, and subsequently make our Descent into London's own Hades, namely, Newgate Prison	p. 203
Fanny's Flight thro' London; Dissension in the Body Politick, and a most amazing Revolution, which Whigs will applaud but Tories may grumble of; after which our Heroine learns sev'ral important Lessons, which we hope will help her her whole Life, long, but ne'ertheless is mov'd to an Act of great Desperation which causes her untold Anguish and Agony	p. 213
Containing a short Sketch of the celebrated Dean Swift of Dublin, Author, Misanthrope, and Horse-Fancier extraordinaire; together with some philosophical and moral Lessons which our Heroine drew from her curious Friendship with him	p. 224
Of Fanny's Acquaintance with those two curious Figures, Mr. William Hogarth and Master John Cleland; their opposing Views of her Character, their Predilections both in Life and Art; together with our Heroine's Motives in composing this True and Compleat History of her exotick and adventurous Life	p. 234
In which we look in upon Mr. Lancelot Robinson in Newgate Prison and learn what hath transpir'd with him whilst our Fanny was very much Otherwise Engaged	p. 245
Containing a most edifying Excursion into the World of London Clubs, in which our Heroine journeys to the Centre of the Earth, meets the Devil, and finds him a more familiar Figure than she otherwise would have guess'd	p. 252
Of Love and Lust, Pan and Satan, Longing and Loyalty, and other such lofty (or low) Matters; together with our Heroine's Adventures at the notorious George & Vulture Inn, and how (with the Aid of some of the surviving Merry Men) she resolv'd the Dilemma of her Destiny	p. 266
Containing a most curious Exchange of Letters thro' which our Fanny learns more concerning the Capriciousness of Destiny than all her Adventures have taught her until now; after which she is summon'd by her one True Love, as the Reader of this most stirring epistolary Chapter shall shortly see	p. 276
Containing an Incident of a more tragick than comedick Kind, the Import of which may not be Reveal'd for many Years, but which nonetheless alters our Heroine's Destiny most profoundly	p. 285
Containing a most Edifying Comparison betwixt Life and a Masquerade, as well as our Heroine's Meditations upon Maternity and the curious Bargain she struck with the Devil to ensure the safe Arrival upon this Earth of her unborn Babe	p. 297

How our Heroine spent her Confinement; a short Description of her Loyal Servant, Susannah; some philosophical Meditations upon the Phases of Childbirth, after which your Author enters into the Controversy (which raged thro' out the Age) betwixt Midwives and Accoucheurs, and thereafter gratefully ends the Chapter	p. 305
Containing better Reasons than any which have yet appear'd for the happy Delivery of Women by those of their own Sex, together with the Introduction of the newest Character in our Historio-Comical Epick, who, tho' small, proves more Trouble to her Author in her Entrance upon the Scene than any Personage of more prodigious Size	p. 317
In which such surprizing Events occur that we dare not e'en hint of'em here, lest the Muse of Historio-Comical Epick Writing be very cross with us and flee our House forthwith	p. 331
We are introduced to Prudence Feral, Wet-Nurse extraordinaire, and your humble Author summarizes the current Controversy concerning Wet-Nursing versus maternal Breast Feeding, to which she appends some Views of her own, drawn from Experience (that greatest of all Teachers)	p. 339
Containing the Character of a Cook, some useful Opinions upon the Nature of Infants, our Heroine's Attempts to find a new Wet-Nurse for her Babe, and the compleat Contents of a Mother's Nightmare	p. 350
In which our Heroine and her loyal Servant, Susannah, begin their Apprenticeship at Sea, and learn that the Sailor's Life is not an easy one, tho' the Ship hath scarce left the Dock	p. 359
Containing a Storm at Sea, a Scene which should perhaps be skipp'd o'er by those with squeamish Stomachs, and the Entrance into our History of the notorious Captain Whitehead	p. 370
In which 'tis prov'd that Sea Captains are as lustful as they are reputed to be, that Deists do not always make the best Lovers, and that many Persons in their Erotick Habits crave that Treatment which, in Truth, they deserve, in consequence of their Characters	p. 382
In which our Heroine learns more than she wishes to know about the Nature of Distemper'd Lust; debates with the Surgeon (and indeed with herself) about the Nature of Evil and whether anything we Mortals do can assuage it; and loses an old Friend just as she hath made a new	p. 395
In which our Heroine learns that no Man is such a Scoundrel that he doth not wish to be an Author, that e'en Slavers account themselves patriotick and virtuous, that the Sea is as full of Magick and Mystery as the Land, and that Ships oft' become Pyrate Prizes as much thro' the Connivance of their own Tars as thro' any other Means	p. 406
Containing a better Explanation for the Prevalence of Pyracy than any Authors, ancient or modern, have yet advanced; together with our Heroine's tragick but true Realization that most Revolutionaries are none where Women are concern'd, and what ingenious Stratagem she made Use of to alter this sad State of Affairs	p. 417
Containing divers Dialogues betwixt Lancelot, Horatio, and our Heroine in which the History goes backward somewhat and we learn what these Gentlemen have been doing whilst the Queen of our Narrative was extending her Education and Adventures; thereto is added a brief History of Buccaneering for the Reader who is bent upon the noble Cause of Self-Improvement as well as the more pleasant one of Entertainment	p. 432
In which our Heroine well and truly learns the Pyrate's Craft, discovers the Joys of Sailing (as she hath previously known only the Pains), whereupon our valiant Pyrates meet their Match upon the Seas, and we disprove that old Maxim, namely: "Man cannot be rap'd."	p. 446
Containing Anne Bonny's Legacy to our Heroine; better Reasons for Female Pyracy than for Male; a very tragical Incident; and the Beginning of the Conclusion of our History--(but do not fear, we shall not leave our Reader without many more Epilogues, Appendices, and Farewells)	p. 469
In which we draw nearer and nearer to our Conclusion, and certain Omens presage the Future of our Heroine, Hero, and their Beloved Babe	p. 484
Drawing still nearer to the End	p. 506
Epilogue: In which our Author explains the curious Chain of Events which led to the Writing of this History	p. 513
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