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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jane Austen's novels were prescribed reading for British soldiers suffering from shellshocked during World War I. No wonder I turned to Mansfield Park in the midst of a pandemic and wildfires. It was a great solace!
La protagonista di questo romanzo è Fanny Prince, una ragazza che è nata in una famiglia numerosa, per poi essere condotta dagli zii ricchi, che vivono a Mansfield Park, insieme ai cugini.
La storia si svolge intorno alla vita della protagonista, dei cugini e dei nuovi vicini che arrivano dopo la morte dello zio “Mr Norris”, i cosiddetti Cranford.
Vi è un intreccio amoroso tra tutti i personaggi, tra delusioni e amore.
Non il mio libro preferito di Jane Austen, ma lo consiglio.
La storia si svolge intorno alla vita della protagonista, dei cugini e dei nuovi vicini che arrivano dopo la morte dello zio “Mr Norris”, i cosiddetti Cranford.
Vi è un intreccio amoroso tra tutti i personaggi, tra delusioni e amore.
Non il mio libro preferito di Jane Austen, ma lo consiglio.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
Possibly Austen’s most divisive novel — and, in my view, her most underrated. We all swoon over the wit of Pride and Prejudice, others adore the romance of Persuasion, or the emotional elegance of Sense and Sensibility… but there’s something about Mansfield Park that lingers long after the final page.
This is a story of moral courage, quiet resilience, and the unseen toll of social exclusion. Fanny Price is no Lizzy Bennet — and that’s entirely the point. Plucked from poverty and brought to live at Mansfield Park, she grows up an outsider: expected to be grateful, yet never truly accepted. She’s often dismissed as passive or dull, but I’d argue she’s Austen’s most radical heroine — her strength lies not in charm or cleverness, but in an unshakeable integrity that refuses to bend, even when it costs her dearly.
I’ll admit I’ve always leaned more Brontë than Austen (don’t come for me!), but the stakes here felt higher, if more quietly drawn. Fanny’s refusal of a wealthy suitor, knowing full well what she stands to lose, is one of the most quietly powerful moments in all of Austen. Subtle. Subversive. And deeply moving. I also felt her love for Edmund from the beginning — a love that was steadfast, unglamorous, and quietly heartbreaking. It’s about recognising heroines in all their forms. If we were meant to have another Pride and Prejudice, Austen would’ve told this story through Mary Crawford.
I understand why Mansfield Park isn’t everyone’s favourite — like many novels of its era, it’s shadowed by uncomfortable themes of class, colonialism, and complicity. But therein lies its richness. The novel’s ambiguity allows space for wildly different readings: some see it as a defence of traditional values; others, a radical critique of the social systems that hold them up. For me, it’s Austen at her most serious and socially sharp.
A quietly defiant, often overlooked masterpiece.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book took me a month to read. It was so slow and dull that I never wanted to pick it up, even listening to the audiobook on 2x speed it was boring.
The characters are awful. Fanny is a dreadful protagonist, boring, pious, judgmental, naive, weak.
Everyone around her treats her horribly. There’s not a single redeeming character in my opinion.
There’s still beautiful prose and plenty of wit as is standard for Austen’s writing, but this fell sadly short of my expectations for a Jane Austen novel and I won’t hurry to pick it up again.
The characters are awful. Fanny is a dreadful protagonist, boring, pious, judgmental, naive, weak.
Everyone around her treats her horribly. There’s not a single redeeming character in my opinion.
There’s still beautiful prose and plenty of wit as is standard for Austen’s writing, but this fell sadly short of my expectations for a Jane Austen novel and I won’t hurry to pick it up again.
funny
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2025Reread for Jane Austen 250. Mansfield Parik isn't an easy read. Younger me certainly didn't enjoy it. But reading through older eyes, I see Fanny's quiet strength of character. I still find Edmund to be a dud, but I understand that's what Fanny needs. Something I came to realize on this reading; all the worst characters of Austen are in Mansfield Park.
2021 Epiphany during Pemberlittens Readalong of Mansfield Park: why I didn't like when originally read as a teenager. Now I have Elizabeth Bennet's Obstinate Headstrong Girl attitude, back then I was Fanny Price. Quiet, shy, & afraid. Often, I've compared my hypochondriac mother to Mrs. Bennet. Yet so many times with reading (especially when listening to the brilliant Juliet Stevenson on Audible) Mrs. Norris sounded exactly like my mother. Verbal abuse & neglect of Fanny I think just hit to close to home for me back then.
Another reason for disliking - Fanny got her HEA but Edmund is no Mr. Darcy or Henry Tilney.
Having survived and thrived despite of my childhood, I can now read through older eyes and appreciate Fanny Price. And I will definitely read again. 💙💙💙💙💙
Also read Annotated Mansfield Park. Goodreads doesn't seem to be able to separate the 2 books especially in App. I enjoyed the Annotations but they distract from story so after finishing my Chapter a Day of Mansfield Park I would read a 2nd time with Annotations. Hence, I read the book twice.
2021 Epiphany during Pemberlittens Readalong of Mansfield Park: why I didn't like when originally read as a teenager. Now I have Elizabeth Bennet's Obstinate Headstrong Girl attitude, back then I was Fanny Price. Quiet, shy, & afraid. Often, I've compared my hypochondriac mother to Mrs. Bennet. Yet so many times with reading (especially when listening to the brilliant Juliet Stevenson on Audible) Mrs. Norris sounded exactly like my mother. Verbal abuse & neglect of Fanny I think just hit to close to home for me back then.
Another reason for disliking - Fanny got her HEA but Edmund is no Mr. Darcy or Henry Tilney.
Having survived and thrived despite of my childhood, I can now read through older eyes and appreciate Fanny Price. And I will definitely read again. 💙💙💙💙💙
Also read Annotated Mansfield Park. Goodreads doesn't seem to be able to separate the 2 books especially in App. I enjoyed the Annotations but they distract from story so after finishing my Chapter a Day of Mansfield Park I would read a 2nd time with Annotations. Hence, I read the book twice.
Fanny Price is sent to live with her rich aunt and uncle as a child when her parents needed financial help. Surrounded by those who see her as less than, Fanny has to stay true to herself as she witnesses the corruption around her.
This is my fifth of Jane Austen's seven (depending on how you count) novels. This is considered one of her more "controversial" books and I can see why - it's not nearly as happy as her others are, it can be frustrating, and I think it's more subtle. And while Austen's works aren't known for being plot-driven, I did feel like this one had less plot than what I've read from her before. This is called "Mansfield Park" and not "Fanny Price" for a reason - although Fanny is undoubtedly our protagonist, she gets so little screen time. She has been so belittled and pushed aside by everyone around her that she doesn't feel like she's allowed to take up any space, and so she doesn't take up much space in the narrative. She's very similar to Jane Eyre - taken from her immediate family to live with her aunt/uncle, poorer than everyone around her, has higher moral standing than everyone else, determined to stay true to herself. But, we don't get to see into and through her nearly as much as we do with Jane, which is much of the reason the reader loves Jane. Most of the plot of this book is the everyday goings on around Mansfield with the people who try to get in with the family and how these people are corrupt and corrupting. Fanny sees through every single one of them, but her relatives never do. When Fanny is finally the center of attention - which is only because everyone else goes away - she still isn't considered anyone's equal. Then, when she's finally allowed to stay with her family, she can't fit in there either because everyone has grown up without her. She has nowhere to be, nobody that truly puts her first, and no control over her life; all she can do is watch people debase themselves. Even her love interest only treats her passably, and she gets no sweeping declaration of love. And there is no just deserts: the morally bankrupt stay as such, and get slaps on the wrist. So, yes, I was frustrated by this book. I don't know to what degree I was supposed to be frustrated. All I wanted was for something good to happen to Fanny, and in my opinion, nothing really does. I would've wished for more focus on Fanny and a few more events to happen, but this book did make me think a lot, especially about author intention.
Overall, this definitely feels different from every other Austen I've read. I'm feeling really complicated about it in a way that doesn't really translate to a star rating. Definitely going to do some research on the text.
This is my fifth of Jane Austen's seven (depending on how you count) novels. This is considered one of her more "controversial" books and I can see why - it's not nearly as happy as her others are, it can be frustrating, and I think it's more subtle. And while Austen's works aren't known for being plot-driven, I did feel like this one had less plot than what I've read from her before. This is called "Mansfield Park" and not "Fanny Price" for a reason - although Fanny is undoubtedly our protagonist, she gets so little screen time. She has been so belittled and pushed aside by everyone around her that she doesn't feel like she's allowed to take up any space, and so she doesn't take up much space in the narrative. She's very similar to Jane Eyre - taken from her immediate family to live with her aunt/uncle, poorer than everyone around her, has higher moral standing than everyone else, determined to stay true to herself. But, we don't get to see into and through her nearly as much as we do with Jane, which is much of the reason the reader loves Jane. Most of the plot of this book is the everyday goings on around Mansfield with the people who try to get in with the family and how these people are corrupt and corrupting. Fanny sees through every single one of them, but her relatives never do. When Fanny is finally the center of attention - which is only because everyone else goes away - she still isn't considered anyone's equal. Then, when she's finally allowed to stay with her family, she can't fit in there either because everyone has grown up without her. She has nowhere to be, nobody that truly puts her first, and no control over her life; all she can do is watch people debase themselves. Even her love interest only treats her passably, and she gets no sweeping declaration of love. And there is no just deserts: the morally bankrupt stay as such, and get slaps on the wrist. So, yes, I was frustrated by this book. I don't know to what degree I was supposed to be frustrated. All I wanted was for something good to happen to Fanny, and in my opinion, nothing really does. I would've wished for more focus on Fanny and a few more events to happen, but this book did make me think a lot, especially about author intention.
Overall, this definitely feels different from every other Austen I've read. I'm feeling really complicated about it in a way that doesn't really translate to a star rating. Definitely going to do some research on the text.
Near the bottom of my ranking of Austen’s works, but still a delight. Probably the messiest of her novels, even with the most insipid heroine.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated