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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Be careful with the footnotes in this edition. They give away future bits of the story. I was not pleased to find that out.
I really like the tired anxiety of Fanny Price going through everyone else's bullshit. Austen is always feminist and right about the world around her as a well off woman.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reread update: You know, I think Mary Crawford’s only real sin was being too outspoken for a woman in this time period. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Original review: My last Jane Austen novel, and the only one (though it pains me to admit this) that I struggled getting in to. Never before has my beloved Jane left me sitting on the fence between a three and four star rating. I went with the latter because I overall really did enjoy “Mansfield Park” — the drama, the relationships, the commentary on women’s limited options — but the first 120 or so pages dragged by so dully and densely that I chipped away at it for weeks, driven almost solely by the desire to read all of Austen’s six completed novels. When things finally picked up, I couldn’t help but think, “There you are, Jane! Where have you been hiding?” before eagerly devouring the rest of the book.
As far as characters go, I think Fanny gets a bad rap for being “annoying.” She’s been verbally abused and looked down on from childhood — of course she let herself get walked on. Her extended family had worn her down to that point. Honestly, I was more annoyed with Edmund for loudly proclaiming multiple times that he could never view anyone as a wife but Mary Crawford… and then ultimately marrying Fanny, as if that wasn’t going to smack hard of settling for his second choice. There’s no way he won’t spend the rest of his life carrying a torch for Mary, and Fanny deserves better than being stuck with someone who wouldn’t choose her first.
I did enjoy the humor of Lord Betram coming home while the group was rehearsing a play; it had the feeling of a parent catching their child throwing a wild house party. Fanny’s sensitivity and gentleness were often endearing to me, maybe because I tend to be a people-pleaser, too. And I liked that she was the story’s moral center; despite her timidness, she wouldn’t do anything that went completely against her principles, even if it upset other people. i.e., She didn’t approve of Henry Crawford’s character, therefore she would not marry Mr. Crawford, even though Lord Betram tried to remind her of her “place” by sending her back to the cramped, noisy, impoverished home he plucked her from.
That said, I really thought Fanny should have ended up with Mr. Crawford. He was showing some genuine reform by the end — he seemed to truly love and respect Fanny, put significant effort into pursuing her, and Austen herself wrote that they could have had a future together if Edmund had married Mary. Edmund views Fanny as a sister for the entire book, and his sudden change in affections frankly didn’t feel very sincere to me. So it would have been nice to see Fanny grow past her childhood infatuation with Edmund and see Mr. Crawford choose the moral high ground he was starting to gain.
I guess it’s back to the fanfic writers for me, to get the ending I should’ve had here. “Mansfield Park” is still certainly worth a read, though, even if it will never be my favorite Austen novel.
Original review: My last Jane Austen novel, and the only one (though it pains me to admit this) that I struggled getting in to. Never before has my beloved Jane left me sitting on the fence between a three and four star rating. I went with the latter because I overall really did enjoy “Mansfield Park” — the drama, the relationships, the commentary on women’s limited options — but the first 120 or so pages dragged by so dully and densely that I chipped away at it for weeks, driven almost solely by the desire to read all of Austen’s six completed novels. When things finally picked up, I couldn’t help but think, “There you are, Jane! Where have you been hiding?” before eagerly devouring the rest of the book.
As far as characters go, I think Fanny gets a bad rap for being “annoying.” She’s been verbally abused and looked down on from childhood — of course she let herself get walked on. Her extended family had worn her down to that point. Honestly, I was more annoyed with Edmund for loudly proclaiming multiple times that he could never view anyone as a wife but Mary Crawford… and then ultimately marrying Fanny, as if that wasn’t going to smack hard of settling for his second choice. There’s no way he won’t spend the rest of his life carrying a torch for Mary, and Fanny deserves better than being stuck with someone who wouldn’t choose her first.
I did enjoy the humor of Lord Betram coming home while the group was rehearsing a play; it had the feeling of a parent catching their child throwing a wild house party. Fanny’s sensitivity and gentleness were often endearing to me, maybe because I tend to be a people-pleaser, too. And I liked that she was the story’s moral center; despite her timidness, she wouldn’t do anything that went completely against her principles, even if it upset other people. i.e., She didn’t approve of Henry Crawford’s character, therefore she would not marry Mr. Crawford, even though Lord Betram tried to remind her of her “place” by sending her back to the cramped, noisy, impoverished home he plucked her from.
I guess it’s back to the fanfic writers for me, to get the ending I should’ve had here. “Mansfield Park” is still certainly worth a read, though, even if it will never be my favorite Austen novel.
So,Henry likes fanny, fanny likes Edmund, edmund likes Mary. Mary liked another dude.
I'm afraid only after reading a couple of Austen's work I'm starting to see a pattern here.. And this complicated plot is too much work to unweave for my bedtime reading
I'm afraid only after reading a couple of Austen's work I'm starting to see a pattern here.. And this complicated plot is too much work to unweave for my bedtime reading
I know that people think of Fanny Price as Jane Austen's least exciting heroine, but I really liked Fanny and Mansfield Park. Although Fanny was a bit of a goodie-two-shoes, I found myself truly engrossed in her tale and really unsure where the story was heading at times. I think that says a lot about Austen and this book, because she really did keep me guessing.
This is the last of Austen's novels that I had to read, and I saved it for last because I had heard from so many people that it is inferior. With that in mind, I listened to the audiobook by Juliet Stevenson, which was really excellent. I'll probably listen to all of her Austen readings.
I actually loved this book. Some reviews on this site say to read this as less of a romance and more of a social commentary and I agree. Other critiques say that Fanny doesn't develop in the same way as Austen's other heroine's, which is true -- but I also think that that's kind of the point. That Fanny is steadfastly good in spite of the people she grew up with is pretty incredible. And while Fanny didn't grow like Elizabeth or Emma, I think that many of the people around her grew -- and grew to revere her, as they should have done from the start.
While Fanny doesn't always sparkle, the other characters absolutely shine. Mrs. Norris, Lady Bertram, the Crawfords, the Prices, etc. were just the worst, but in the Jane Austen way, which means that they were wonderfully fun to read. I actually laughed out loud at the things they did and said. Austen is relentless in the way that she skewers her characters, and this is some of her finest work.
I can finally give my ranking of Jane Austen's works. Every one of her novels was a joy to read and I anticipate that this will change with subsequent re-readings, but as things stand now:
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Northanger Abbey
3. Persuasion
4. Mansfield Park
5. Sense & Sensibility
6. Emma
I actually loved this book. Some reviews on this site say to read this as less of a romance and more of a social commentary and I agree. Other critiques say that Fanny doesn't develop in the same way as Austen's other heroine's, which is true -- but I also think that that's kind of the point. That Fanny is steadfastly good in spite of the people she grew up with is pretty incredible. And while Fanny didn't grow like Elizabeth or Emma, I think that many of the people around her grew -- and grew to revere her, as they should have done from the start.
While Fanny doesn't always sparkle, the other characters absolutely shine. Mrs. Norris, Lady Bertram, the Crawfords, the Prices, etc. were just the worst, but in the Jane Austen way, which means that they were wonderfully fun to read. I actually laughed out loud at the things they did and said. Austen is relentless in the way that she skewers her characters, and this is some of her finest work.
I can finally give my ranking of Jane Austen's works. Every one of her novels was a joy to read and I anticipate that this will change with subsequent re-readings, but as things stand now:
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Northanger Abbey
3. Persuasion
4. Mansfield Park
5. Sense & Sensibility
6. Emma
OKAY. This one was so good! Imagine my surprise when, on finishing Mansfield Park, I discover that many people hate this book and its heroine, and find her passive and weak. I have to strongly disagree. Fanny Price has an iron will and she knows how to pick her battles. When her morals and integrity are at stake, she never wavers. This is a woman who has been constantly put down and reminded of her inferiority her entire childhood, and the portrayal of this kind of psychology was spot-on for Austen. I found myself wondering why I enjoyed MP so much more than S&S, when both books have moral female characters who end up being right in the end. But I think the difference is in Fanny’s suffering. She has endured so much, and this makes her actions and reactions so much more understandable compared to Elinor, who, though not rich, has essentially lived a charmed life. In addition, I found Fanny to be a more mature portrayal for Austen. She IS a romantic, she DOES cry when pushed to her limit, and Austen considers these virtues, while Marianne was considered silly for her romantic sensibilities. Another thing that makes Fanny likable, is that she remains un-fooled by Henry even when the reader IS fooled by him. We get duped by the Crawfords’ style and flashiness and warmth, and I began to really believe in the change in Henry and root for him. But Fanny was wiser than me, and I respect her for that. I feel this is Austen’s most mature and complex novel, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, on re-reading it, I update this rating to 5 stars. It doesn’t knock P&P from being my favorite… but one day it just might.
I liked it - but felt the book dragged. From the LONG portion about the "play" to constantly wondering if Fanny COULD even marry her First cousin - it really kind of bugged me that in the end she was right.