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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fanny Price is a better person than me. I would have given Henry Crawford two black eyes on page 316, if not sooner.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like Mansfield Park better as a 50-year old than I did when I tried to read it in my twenties. Many of the 'faults' of the book are still there: I don't really like any of the main characters, save Fanny and even she gets on my nerves a bit with her lack of spirit and standing up for herself. I feel I am supposed to like Edward, because he is kind to Fanny, but he is also a rather selfish and neglectful twat when falling for a pretty face. And his treatment of her when Mr Crawford proposes to her is really beneath contempt.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've read P&P, S&S, Emma and Persuasion multiple times, but have never got around to Mansfield Park. Really glad I did, but honestly I'm also happy I went for the audiobook version. Frances Barber did SUCH a great job, especially on Mary Crawford and Aunt Norris – she must have had so much fun finding their voices! If it wasn't for her engaging performance, I might have got bored part way through to be honest, but she kept me paying attention.
Okay, now onto spoiler territory.
One big piece of advice I'd give people reading this for the first time is not to expect a romance. I avoided spoilers as much as I could, but I think I already knew who Fanny ends up with. Because of that, and me assuming that Austen = romance, I started getting really confused and frustrated. I didn't feel ANY vibes between them, and none seemed to be appearing even very close to the end... But as it turns out, that's because they don't get together on the page! So that's not a criticism of the book, but it did affect my enjoyment of it.
I actually ended up liking Fanny as a character quite a lot. Sure, she can be a bit of a stick in the mud, but my early impression of her as a bit of a pushover was WAY off base. How could she not be timid and accommodating with how she was raised? I think she was a pretty convincing portrait of someone worn down by the people around her (particularly that AWFUL Aunt Norris), who frankly must have been pretty traumatised.
That context makes her ability to trust her gut incredible. She knows what she thinks is right or wrong, and she stands her ground, even against relentless opposition and attempts to manipulate or guilt her. It's hard, and she cries and questions herself, but ultimately she follows through. I think it's not only admirable, but frankly a bloody miracle.
The context also makes me feel a bit more understanding about her affection for her aunt and uncle and Edmund. Honestly I wasn't a big fan of any of them, but what was she supposed to do? In a situation like hers, I can see that their consistency (except Edmund joining the play, which was clearly out of character because Fanny was SHOOK) and lack of outright malice towards her probably made them feel like allies. So yeah, I want better for her, but I think she did the best she could to protect her heart, live her values and make practical choices.
Henry... sucks. I'm always into the rogues and cads, but I just feel like there is no possible world in which they'd actually end up happy together. I see the appeal, but come ooooon he would 1000% get bored within a few years and be cheating on her. And would she really enjoy being forced into London society and moving around all the time? I really doubt it, and I think people rooting for Henry are basically only doing it because at least we see him loving her, unlike damp dishcloth Edmund. The fact that he ended up doing what he did, and for such realistically stupid reasons, makes me sure he was NOT the man for Fanny. He doesn't have a tenth of her strength of character.
So... yeah. My least favourite Austen book so far, in DIRE need to a ruthless edit because it truly dragged in places, but there's a lot to like here.
Okay, now onto spoiler territory.
I actually ended up liking Fanny as a character quite a lot. Sure, she can be a bit of a stick in the mud, but my early impression of her as a bit of a pushover was WAY off base. How could she not be timid and accommodating with how she was raised? I think she was a pretty convincing portrait of someone worn down by the people around her (particularly that AWFUL Aunt Norris), who frankly must have been pretty traumatised.
That context makes her ability to trust her gut incredible. She knows what she thinks is right or wrong, and she stands her ground, even against relentless opposition and attempts to manipulate or guilt her. It's hard, and she cries and questions herself, but ultimately she follows through. I think it's not only admirable, but frankly a bloody miracle.
The context also makes me feel a bit more understanding about her affection for her aunt and uncle and Edmund. Honestly I wasn't a big fan of any of them, but what was she supposed to do? In a situation like hers, I can see that their consistency (except Edmund joining the play, which was clearly out of character because Fanny was SHOOK) and lack of outright malice towards her probably made them feel like allies. So yeah, I want better for her, but I think she did the best she could to protect her heart, live her values and make practical choices.
Henry... sucks. I'm always into the rogues and cads, but I just feel like there is no possible world in which they'd actually end up happy together. I see the appeal, but come ooooon he would 1000% get bored within a few years and be cheating on her. And would she really enjoy being forced into London society and moving around all the time? I really doubt it, and I think people rooting for Henry are basically only doing it because at least we see him loving her, unlike damp dishcloth Edmund. The fact that he ended up doing what he did, and for such realistically stupid reasons, makes me sure he was NOT the man for Fanny. He doesn't have a tenth of her strength of character.
So... yeah. My least favourite Austen book so far, in DIRE need to a ruthless edit because it truly dragged in places, but there's a lot to like here.
I am very strong. Nothing ever fatigues me, but doing what I do not like.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
qué final tan insatisfactorio 😭