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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
challenging
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
In my continuing journey of reading Jane Austen, I come to her third, and the one I'm torn on the most so far.
It does not get very compelling until the end of volume I and the play; while certainly there is a lot of set-up (and in hindsight, some key subdued moments that linger huge later on) the opening 1/3 of the novel does not draw one in the way you may hope. Austen is a skilled writer of course, so I remained invested, but at least compared to P&P and S&S the one-dimensionality of the characters combined with the very low stakes had me impatiently waiting for a plot point to happen.
The book picks up considerably post-play, and wrestles with some very real and meaty themes of love and devotion and how one should approach their feelings, and the complexity ramps up considerably. If both Pride and Sense/Sensibility suffer a little from sudden deus ex machina revelations ("OMG here is a note arriving out of the blue explaining all the ways your boyfriend fucking sucks!") Mansfield is much more measured and nuanced. There's still the standard-Austenesque domestic plot twists, but they are icing on a much more substantive cake.
It will probably grow on me even more with a re-read, and I can imagine that with time it could be the sneaky choice for best Austen novel, but at least on first pass the stagnant first act left me thinking pretty darn good, but not great.
It does not get very compelling until the end of volume I and the play; while certainly there is a lot of set-up (and in hindsight, some key subdued moments that linger huge later on) the opening 1/3 of the novel does not draw one in the way you may hope. Austen is a skilled writer of course, so I remained invested, but at least compared to P&P and S&S the one-dimensionality of the characters combined with the very low stakes had me impatiently waiting for a plot point to happen.
The book picks up considerably post-play, and wrestles with some very real and meaty themes of love and devotion and how one should approach their feelings, and the complexity ramps up considerably. If both Pride and Sense/Sensibility suffer a little from sudden deus ex machina revelations ("OMG here is a note arriving out of the blue explaining all the ways your boyfriend fucking sucks!") Mansfield is much more measured and nuanced. There's still the standard-Austenesque domestic plot twists, but they are icing on a much more substantive cake.
It will probably grow on me even more with a re-read, and I can imagine that with time it could be the sneaky choice for best Austen novel, but at least on first pass the stagnant first act left me thinking pretty darn good, but not great.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
slow-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:
N/A
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
lighthearted
slow-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:
Yes
Very good. Possibly my favorite Austen. I love Fanny.