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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
dark
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-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
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lots of spoilers in this review, FYI.
BOOOOO
Okay, now that that eloquent review is out of the way, a little more substance: This novel had really no likable characters which is fine, but also almost no interesting ones, which is the real issue for me. It blows my mind that Fanny Price could be a "protagonist" (a term I use in the loosest sense--usually one at least wants to root for a protagonist, which I found hard to do with Fanny) written by Austen, who otherwise writes such incredible heroines. Such little growth or development, and such a dull inner monologue! I mean, unless you count having an anxiety disorder and marrying your cousin-brother cool character developments. (Real talk: I wanted a novel about Mary Crawford!) What a strangely moralistic and puritanical book. On the bright side, on going back to the introduction of the edition I read, I learn I am not alone in this
BOOOOO
Mansfield Park's problematic status has been rationalized in the best English literary tradition: it has long been agreed that this is Austen's most complex and profound and her least likeable novel.
The rest of the introduction gave me the context to understand why it might be considered "complex and profound" from a cultural and political standpoint, but as I was not reading this as part of an English literature course, I was alas struck more by the BOOOOO-ness of it all.
All of that said, it is still Jane Austen and so the writing is a delight to read (and with a few laugh-out-loud moments). I also enjoyed some reflections on memory, which I appreciated more after reading the Introduction. My favorite passage (despite being spoken by my least favorite Austen heroine to date):
"How wonderful, how very wonderful the operations of time, and the changes of the human mind!" And following the latter train of thought, she soon afterwards added: "If any one faculty of our nature may be called more wonderful than the rest, I do think it is memory. There seems something more speakingly incomprehensible in the powers, the failures, the inequalities of memory, than in any other of our intelligences. The memory is sometimes so retentive, so serviceable, so obedient--at others, so bewildered and so weak--and at others again, so tyrannic, so beyond controul!--We are to be sure a miracle every way--but our powers of recollecting and of forgetting, do seem peculiarly past finding out."
Despite my disappointment in this particular title, I'm happy to continue my Austen-at-the-Holidays reading tradition. I've not yet read some of her works, and next year will likely be Northanger Abbey which I previously dreaded after half-watching a film adaptation which I have no memory of except some ridiculous images and an absurd bit of the film score, but it's nice for Mansfield Park to have lowered the bar.
lighthearted
reflective
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
That free indirect discourse sure can free indirect discourse
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm not going to rate this book, simply because I don't know what to rate it on.
Enjoyability? Wasn't very high for me while reading, maybe a 2/5. It also took me quite a long time to finish (Most Austen novels have though). Jane Austens writing skill? 5/5, I love her snark and wonderful prose. The plot? Well...
Mansfield Park is an odd book to me. No doubt it is to other people as well who have read Austen's other novels first. The confusion for me mostly comes from the protagonist, Fanny. Those who liked Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennett, her humor and chaos balanced by her tactfulness and grace, will be stumped by Fanny. Because Fanny is more puritanical than anything else. She has a distaste for anything that falls outside the rulebook. She feels herself superior to her original family. She says little and only the most agreeable things, but Austen shows us that in her own private thoughts, Fanny harbours judgements about everyone around her. In short, to modern standards of morality, Fanny is a self-righteous snake without backbone and a victim complex. Her being right about the Crawfords does little to show her in a good light, her happy ending feels undeserved, because none of her flaws are redeemed. Maybe this is also the reason why movie adaptions of Mansfield Park have always takenthe weirdest liberties with the material. It seems that no one really knows what to do with this novel.
It's worth it to read this, especially if you have read Sense & Sensibility, just because it's an interesting contrast and makes you think about Austen's other works in a different way.
In the meantime, I'll be off reading Persuasion...
Enjoyability? Wasn't very high for me while reading, maybe a 2/5. It also took me quite a long time to finish (Most Austen novels have though). Jane Austens writing skill? 5/5, I love her snark and wonderful prose. The plot? Well...
Mansfield Park is an odd book to me. No doubt it is to other people as well who have read Austen's other novels first. The confusion for me mostly comes from the protagonist, Fanny. Those who liked Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennett, her humor and chaos balanced by her tactfulness and grace, will be stumped by Fanny. Because Fanny is more puritanical than anything else. She has a distaste for anything that falls outside the rulebook. She feels herself superior to her original family. She says little and only the most agreeable things, but Austen shows us that in her own private thoughts, Fanny harbours judgements about everyone around her. In short, to modern standards of morality, Fanny is a self-righteous snake without backbone and a victim complex. Her being right about the Crawfords does little to show her in a good light, her happy ending feels undeserved, because none of her flaws are redeemed. Maybe this is also the reason why movie adaptions of Mansfield Park have always takenthe weirdest liberties with the material. It seems that no one really knows what to do with this novel.
It's worth it to read this, especially if you have read Sense & Sensibility, just because it's an interesting contrast and makes you think about Austen's other works in a different way.
In the meantime, I'll be off reading Persuasion...
“A fondness for reading, properly directed, must be an education in itself.”
I hated this in the beginning. Fannie was such a bad character at first (I was used to the femininity of Austin) but Fannie was all “oh I’m so weak, I must sit down”. It wasn’t until Crawford announced his love for her before she got any type of backbone.
Also, Austin threw in SUCH a plot twist at the end and I loved it, I needed it. It was the exact type of action that I was repeatedly told about.
Forever still impressed with Jane Austin and ashamed I haven’t read her before.
Also, Austin threw in SUCH a plot twist at the end and I loved it, I needed it. It was the exact type of action that I was repeatedly told about.
Forever still impressed with Jane Austin and ashamed I haven’t read her before.
Sooooo this book was good up until the ending where she literally marries her cousin......
Edmund was always treating her poorly and was infantilized by him, once he got the hots for Mary he ignored his friendship with Fanny and I lost respect for him. Like how can I take Fanny seriously, after her denial of Henry, ONLY TO GO FOR HER COUSIN.
Also is Jane Austen okay, bc apparently even her sister tried to persuade her to change this ending. And I'm not letting anyone forget that ONCE AGAIN we have a make lead role with the name Henry (just like in Northanger Abbey...WHEN AUSTEN'S BROTHER IS NAMED HENRY
Edmund was always treating her poorly and was infantilized by him, once he got the hots for Mary he ignored his friendship with Fanny and I lost respect for him. Like how can I take Fanny seriously, after her denial of Henry, ONLY TO GO FOR HER COUSIN.
Also is Jane Austen okay, bc apparently even her sister tried to persuade her to change this ending. And I'm not letting anyone forget that ONCE AGAIN we have a make lead role with the name Henry (just like in Northanger Abbey...WHEN AUSTEN'S BROTHER IS NAMED HENRY