Fantomina

<p><I>Fantomina: Or Love in a Maze</I> (1725) is a novel by Eliza Haywood. Blending tragedy and comedy Haywood revolutionizes the novel by turning the common trope of the persecuted maiden on its head. A story of individual autonomy and sexual freedom <I>Fantomina: Or Love in a Maze</I> is considered a prime example of the popular genre of amatory fiction which often exposes the imbalance between male and female desire in a patriarchal society. Fantomina is an independent woman a prostitute for whom desire is a powerful tool. Celia an innocent country girl is a young maiden unfamiliar with the ways of love. Mrs. Bloomer a widow knows what it is to love and to lose. Incognita is a mysterious masked woman who meets with men in the dead of night. Each of these women is involved sexually with Beauplaisir a vain and handsome aristocrat. But they have something else in common-all four lovers are in fact the same woman an unnamed narrator whose infatuation with freedom and innate curiosity lead her on a quest to experience desire in a multitude of ways. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript this edition of Eliza Haywood's <I>Fantomina: Or Love in a Maze</I> is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.</p>