Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Mansfield Park

The narration is great, and I really loved the emotion Frances Barber is able to depict in each of the charcoal, but ThisI have completed feelings about the story.
Overall, I did enjoy but the way everything turned out towards the end felt rushed and unsatisfying.
The moral commentary behind Austen's work felt slightly contradictory in Mansfield Park. Fanny relied a lot on her own prejudices in how she responded to the Crawford's and was very withdrawn and over cautious. These are both things that were seen as a character flaws in Lizzie and Darcy, but Fanny is praised for them because they show her 'consistancy' and 'moral conviction'. Fanny is sweet and definitely has a lot of inner strength, but aside from becoming slightly less shy, she doesn't really see much character development and the rest of her flaws tend to be explained away as somehow actually being a good thing in the end.

There was also so much build up of the 'potential for good' in the Crawford siblings, and their genuinely seemed to want to do better that their downfall felt like it came out of nowhere.
The romance with Fanny and Edmund was also unsatisfactory. Austen constantly stressed their platonic connection on Edmund's side, despite Fanny being in love throughout that a few sentences in the final chapter don't convince me that he was able to realise that he was really in love with her all along. We see so much of Fanny's feelings that maybe if we had seen what prompted Edmund to realise he was in love then I could believe it.
The only satisfying part of the ending was that Mrs Norris got sent away and is constantly unhappy.

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lindseyhall44's review

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

“She alone was sad and insignificant; she had no share in anything; she might go or stay, she might be in her midst of their noise, or retreat from it to the solitude of the east room, without being seen or missed.”
Jane Austen’s third novel is the most polarizing review-wise, so I was a tad skeptical going in. That being said, the complexities and depth of Mansfield Park is unlike anything in her extensive resume, creating a unique but still amazing read.
Mansfield Park follows Fanny Price, the daughter of a lower to middle class nuclear family, who moves in with her extremely wealthy extended family. Through the exploration of desire, wealth, and ultimately corruption, the “outsider” narrative perspective provides and outlook of society which has stood the test of time today.
Out of all the Austen heroines I have read so far, I think Fanny is my favorite. Where Elizabeth Bennett is fearless and out-spoken, Fanny is timid and shy. These qualities-paired with a good heart and constant anxiety-make her both relatable and lovable.

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rikke_bay's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.0

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bookreadingelf's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I loved Fanny as a character. She was very shy, gentle and quite, but strong, even though she was not treated well by her family. She would not change her mind if she feel one way, even when pressured. She observed a lot, but did not speak much, which I liked. I did not like either of the love interests and the plot was a bit bland.

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veganecurrywurst's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I did not dislike the book, although in part it was rather boring. Fanny's shyness are what make her an interesting observer of the other characters. Many other readers criticised the character for not being as active, but I did not mind. Still I would have liked for her to have more of a personality. However, I have to agree with the readers, who did not like the ending. It feels quite rushed and Edmund's change of heart is much confusing. I also was disappointed in how bland Edmund was.

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nisha_nee's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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kestrel's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring slow-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Review | 3.5/5

To be honest, I went into this expecting to dislike it. I've started it only because reading all of the complete novels by Jane Austen is a goal I have (one more to go!).

However, I quite enjoyed myself and ended up appreciating Fanny's character so much. She is NOT weak as so many call her, she is NOT unworthy. She is someone who was treated as disposable by her own family, someone who had to hear since she had been 10 years old that she is inferior, that she should feel lucky to have the bare minimum. She is someone who struggles with anxiety and is physically weak because of the neglect and emotional abuse she had to go through. Not everyone ends up being feisty and sassy and badass after suffering. It's good to think that people go through hardships in different ways. No need to invalidate anyone.

And still, she is strong in her own way. Her moral compass is intact. She doesn't talk too much, but she observes. She knows what she wants, and doesn't let others to manipulate her into doing anything she doesn't wish to do. I really admire her.

Not gonna lie, the romance was the weakest point of the novel, since it was underdeveloped and practically happened in the last chapter.

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