Fantomina and Other Works

by Eliza Fowler Haywood, Alexander Pettit (Editor), Margaret Case Croskery (Editor)

This collection of early works by Eliza Haywood includes the well-known novella Fantomina (1725) along with three other short, highly engaging Haywood The Tea-Table (1725), Reflections on the Various Effects of Love (1726), and Love-Letters on All Occasions (1730). In these writings, Haywood arouses the vicarious experience of erotic love while exploring the ethical and social issues evoked by sexual passion. This Broadview edition includes an introduction that focuses on Haywood’s life and career and on the status of prose fiction in the early eighteenth century. Also included are appendices of contextual materials from the period comprising writings by Haywood on female conduct, eighteenth-century pornography (from Venus in the Cloister ), and a source text (Nahum Tate’s A Present for the Ladies ).

Genres: Classics, Fiction, 18th Century, School, Read For School, British Literature, College

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1725

About the author

Eliza Haywood (1693 – 1756), born Elizabeth Fowler, was an English writer, actress and publisher. Since the 1980s, Eliza Haywood’s literary works have been gaining in recognition and interest. Described as “prolific even by the standards of a prolific age” (Blouch, intro 7), Haywood wrote and published over seventy works during her lifetime including fiction, drama, translations, poetry, conduct literature and periodicals. Haywood is a significant figure of the 18th century as one of the important founders of the novel in English. Today she is studied primarily as a novelist.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I...I don't think I even really know what to say about Fantomina. It might be one of the strangest stories I have ever read. Not to mention that we read it in English class, and the prof scarred us all for life trying to get us to have a class discussion about it.

Let's start out with the basic plot. We have a unnamed female who just happens to be noble in some right. But, she decides that the prostitutes at the theater are having better conversations with men than she is. So, naturally, she decides one night to go ahead and pretend that she is a prostitute. She calls herself 'Fantomina', and eventually attracts the attention of another noble named Beauplaisir, who just happens to think highly of her because she 'sounds' more intelligent than the other girls. The next night, she does it again, taking her disguise too far, and dear old Beauplaisir essentially rapes her, not knowing that this woman is not, in fact, a true prostitute. However, after 'Fantomina' moans about the loss of her honor and virtue, he realizes that, oh no, this woman wasn't actually a streetwalker. He begs her of her identity, but she only gives him a fake one. Then they carry on their tryst quite happily until Beauplaisir gets bored, and leaves town.

Well, of course, there is nothing better for Fantomina to do but follow him and become his maid. Which, they do the nasty, proclaiming adoration for each other until Beauplaisir gets tired of this maid Celia, and leaves town again.

And our maid Celia follows him. Again. This time though, she disguises herself as a widow. Surprisingly (or not, depending on your outlook of life), Beauplaisir falls for it again.

When Beauplaisir gets bored again, the widow - who is really Celia who is really Fantomina who is really some noblewoman whom we know nothing about other than she is crazy as a bat - poses as a masked woman, ready for another romp.

Then, plot twist, dear Fantomina's mother shows up as Fantomina is congratulating herself on a conquest well made. And then, bang, all that unsafe sex leads to a pregnancy, which leads her poor mother to presumably grab the shotgun off the wall as she demands who did this unsavory deed to her precious unblemished flower. Fantomina answers with "Beauplaisir!", and his sorry ass is hauled in. However, Beauplaisir has no idea who this woman is. It seems her disguises were a little too well done, or he just was so involved in his sex life that he didn't notice he had had sex with the same woman in several different disguises. Fantomina is forced to reveal her dastardly plan, and her mother confused as hell, sends Beauplaisir on his way with an apology for her crazy daughter.

Then, as any good noblewoman with an insatiable sexual hunger, she is sent off to the monastery.

AND THAT'S HOW IT ENDS. Everybody goes on their merry way.

It's really not my favorite piece of literature. I had trouble swallowing it, let alone having to write a five page essay on it.

On that note, if you like strange but adventurous, sex-hungry, noblewoman, then this is the story for you!!!

[Sarah Key · Rating 4 out of 5]

A summary of Fantomina for the 21st century reader--

Beauplasir: the fuck? I never slept with you!
Fantomina: lol nope.

There you go, Goodreads. That's my contribution for the day.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantomina was written during a time of intense female suppression of sexuality and serves as a rebellion against these unfair stereotypes that had been blindly accepted for far too long.

The story of Fantomina describes a woman who knows exactly what she desires (mostly in a sexual sense) and makes it her mission to get it no matter what the consequences are. Many times throughout the story, the mysterious woman disregards any penalties that could come from her behavior. This woman was not about to deny her sexuality, even if it meant lying to everyone around her. The fact that she feels she needs to lie about her true wishes implies that during this time, a woman following her desires is not virtuous or of any quality.

There is a definite double standard that is very present throughout this story. Beauplaisir is never embarrassed or even worried about his reputation being at risk for sleeping with numerous “different” women. Yet, Fantomina is basically shunned for sleeping with one man. This unbalanced system is still going on in today’s society. Women who are noticeably promiscuous are labeled as “slutty” by men and women alike while men who do the exact same thing are considered “masculine” and looked up to by other males. Pretty interesting (and scary) that even such an old and obviously problematic belief is still alive and well today.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

criminally underrated

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliza Haywood was Centuries before her time.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantomina, you sly devil you!!

[Rebeccajr7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok LOVED THIS. I got to read this for UNI and I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This is a very short little book- more like a novella. It was written in 1725, so I was shocked to read a book that explores female sexual desire so explicitly. I have read many a classic from this time period and always notice how certain topics are brushed over like they don't exist, this book felt very modern. It was fun, saucy and intriguing. It can easily be read in one sitting.

[rania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantomina was a great reread (ofc, a fan favourite), and i really enjoyed Love Letters on All Occasions. Tea Table and Reflections were alright, didn’t find them nearly as intriguing as the other two

[Fin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ended up liking the final work in this collection, "Love Letters On All Occasions", the most: its chorus of voices interlock to form a kind of abstract conversation on the nature of love and a series of variations on the love letter form so important to eighteenth century literature. To me, this structure affords more nuance and ambiguity than the collection's previous two faintly dull texts that tackle the same question, and it also served to better capture and interrogate the timbre of the century's social conventions and relations than her previous attempts. The other work of note, the titular "Fantomina", is an interesting and provocative proto-novella, though it suffers from a rudimentary construction and rushed narrative discourse that "Love Letters", in its casual structure and ambient patterning, avoids.

[anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

me when i’m insane

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

girl boss! once again proving that women are more clever than men (even in the 18th century) !

[Olga Tsygankova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Удивительная история. Незамужняя леди решает переодеться проституткой, чтобы чуть повеселиться. Влюбляется в потенциального клиента, и продолжает шараду, пока он не устает от нее (быстро). Переодевается служанкой и соблазняет его снова (он, конечно, ни сном, ни духом, все эти женщины одинаковые). Потом наряжается вдовой, и так далее. Очень telling tale о том, как видели женскую и мужскую сексуальность в Англии 18-го века.

[ouijacine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read!! The masquerade; a woman claiming control of her sexuality. Lovely and also terrifying.

[julia :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

levels of plottery i can only dream of. may now have to consider also going undercover next time i stalk someone fit

[Crissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't trust men...that's what I've learned from this book. No big surprise really.

[Alina Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on women’s sexuality in a regressive period

[meg (the.hidden.colophon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for Restoration and 18th Century Literature and British Literature I in Fall ‘24.

I love Fantomina, she’s just a girl. Haywood is a gem.

[Dori-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish Eliza Haywood was more widely read. I am simply going to quote the introduction because it says it all : "As the four works in this volume show, during a period of social and literary transition, Haywood's writing embraced the complexities of human experience, both structurally and thematically. In order to better reflect a multitude of human experience, Haywood took risks as an author, expirimenting with generic forms and perspectival shifts, all the while successfully negotiating the competitive and ever-changing literary marketplace. Far from exploiting the same formula over and over, as some of her detractors have charged, Haywood's writings create a comprehensive matrix for exploring the complexities of seduction, of love, and of passion, outside any single conventional paradigm".

[Andrew Lamb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must admit that the 18th century idiom of this rose makes it rather hard to digest. Most women’s writing of the era is so replete with sentimentalism that it can be hard to read. Here we have a cautionary tale of a woman who is a creature of the night. But it is a short novel with very little to offer in the way of insight . There is very little to read in between the lines. Women we’re at a distinct disadvantage at this time because of lack of sufficient education. Men received lopsided educational attention. So it’s important to put a word in that context. I didn’t enjoy the novel but I can understand why I didn’t enjoy it. But you might, especially if you are a feminist reader of fiction .

[Ragdoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander Pope was a critic of Haywood for her salacious writing and considered it to be aspiring to be higher-end prose than it was.

I disagree. I love it. It is a novella near the beginning of the collection (I haven't read any of the other texts yet - but look forward to) and excellently explores the female condition, feminine sexuality, consent and duplicity, the masquerade and anxieties around cross-dressing and cosplay in the era (pre-Victorian, I don't quite know what time she wrote it. I know it was between King James - Stuart era and the Georgian era).

4/5 Stars. I would highly recommend as a quick flick. Contains quite triggering and erotic themes (they certainly aroused me!) (Sexual assault/ rape & non-informed consent trigger warning)

Peace.

[emily wind · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for Fantomina, but 5 stars for Eliza Haywood.

I quite enjoyed the beginning of this novel, but the ending lost me; it felt really rushed, and with no chapter (or even paragraph) breaks it does get a bit tedious. In saying this, there is so much to take away from this story about sexuality and gender that is relevant to this day, and considering the time it was written in (1725), it felt almost modern. I'm eager to read more works by Haywood – she was very ahead of her time – and feel as if studying her body of work as a whole would be more fun than actually reading individual texts on their own.

note: my review is only for Fantomina, I haven't read the other stories in this edition yet.

[Alysia Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 'Fantomina' for one of my university classes and found the narrative quite entertaining; we follow a woman after she falls in love with an eighteenth-century womaniser, but instead of just trying to gain his attention as herself, she creates several different facades to keep him entertained and ignorant of her high-class identity.

'Fantomina' is a fun piece that speaks volumes about women's roles during the eighteenth century and the responsibility that befalls them, highlighting the lack of repute that men would receive for their actions and how, in the end, it is only Fantomina that pays the price for the consequence of their sexual relations.

[Rylee Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

read for college!!! i loved fantomina and loved the messaging in it! overall thought it was an amazing classic written in a time period with a lot of female opression and the female mc was a GIRLBOSS idec. the way she brings up so many interesting topics and every sentence means something so big is simply fascinating. the concept of going off of social norms, the double standard of women vs men, and the morality of humans and she even plays that with the reader based on who you feel badly for! overall great classic novella everyone should read

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it hard to read probably only because it was assigned but once I finished Fantomina I actually enjoyed the story a lot!!

In all honesty good for her, systems that seek to oppress women and the cycles of controlling patriarchy should be fought tooth and nail. I'm on her side. Let women have fun

[obiwanownsme · Rating 4 out of 5]

we love the masquerading of sexual freedom here. this is one of my favorite reads i read previously for other enl classes so revisiting this was pretty fun especially when putting in focus of sexuality during the 18th century.

[Aster :)) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m actually so confused because what is this book…?

Like I get what it’s trying to say about the patriarchy and etc but oh my god there were better ways to do it PLEASE

SHE FALLS IN LOVE WITH HIM?? AFTER HE CHEATS THREE TIMES??? THEN HE DOESNT EVEN KNOW WHO SHE IS??? PLEASE WHAT THE HELL

[Ni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my "female authors before 1800s" class. I liked how it depicted both men and women as flawed.

[cj]

[read for school

[Hypatia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantomina was delightful.

[Kayleigh Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful narrative detailing not only female power but the lack of consequences males face when it comes to sex.