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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
23/8/20
3.5 stars
I love Fanny Price herself; although she is a very passive protagonist (mostly by necessity), despite all that is thrown at her she is strong and steadfast in her morals and in following her heart, and speaks out when it becomes necessary. I felt a lot of anger about the way Fanny was treated by her snobby relatives, and The other characters are not as distinctive and enjoyable to read about as those in her other books, although there are a couple of interesting character studies.
Where this one falls down most is in its plot and pacing. It slows down in a few places, rushes at others, and during times where there is theoretically suspense being built up, it's more of an infuriating, impatient kind than an intriguing, exciting kind.
Jane Austen is always a delight to read, though.
3.5 stars
I love Fanny Price herself; although she is a very passive protagonist (mostly by necessity), despite all that is thrown at her she is strong and steadfast in her morals and in following her heart, and speaks out when it becomes necessary. I felt a lot of anger about the way Fanny was treated by her snobby relatives, and
Spoiler
I'm glad she got her happy ending. ETA 25/8/20 - having read the chapter in Helena Kelly's 'The Secret Radical' about the book, I think I understand now why there is no romance in this novel between Fanny and Edmund, and why the ending feels rushed. It's not actually about the romance and in fact is quite a depressing ending in reality! I feel like Fanny has been brainwashed and it's a shame she didn't in fact escape Mansfield Park altogether and all it stood for.Where this one falls down most is in its plot and pacing. It slows down in a few places, rushes at others, and during times where there is theoretically suspense being built up, it's more of an infuriating, impatient kind than an intriguing, exciting kind.
Jane Austen is always a delight to read, though.
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
slow-paced
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
Out of all of Austen’s novels, this one has the most depth and (in my opinion) is the most profoundly written. I read this the slowest out of all her books and I think I’ll keep getting more out of it over time and with subsequent readings.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I'm not even going to rate this: It was, by far, the worst Austen book I've read up until today.
I don't really know what it is about Fanny, but she makes me never want to pick up a Jane Austen book ever again. She was so, so, so darn boring and she had no backbone (except for when she rejected Crowford, I'll have to give her that). Her infatuation with her cousin, simply because he regularly showed her some human decency and affection, was slightly disgusting as well.
Somehow she reminds me of Bella from Twilight: bland, boring, caught between two potential lovers and too indecisive to do anything by and for herself in her own life.
Hard, hard pass.
I don't really know what it is about Fanny, but she makes me never want to pick up a Jane Austen book ever again. She was so, so, so darn boring and she had no backbone (except for when she rejected Crowford, I'll have to give her that). Her infatuation with her cousin, simply because he regularly showed her some human decency and affection, was slightly disgusting as well.
Somehow she reminds me of Bella from Twilight: bland, boring, caught between two potential lovers and too indecisive to do anything by and for herself in her own life.
Hard, hard pass.
challenging
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
I read this for my Brit Lit class and wrote like 20+ pages on it, so I won't say it was my most enjoyed experience. There is a lot of character depth which is fun to analyze (having done so for the class). I honestly wasn't super happy with then ending, to try to avoid spoilers, I wish she had ended up the other option under the condition that he had more character growth. But Fanny got what she wanted, so there's that. Definitely not my favorite Austen, but I preferred it to Persuasion. I might enjoy it more as a revisit later on as a recreational read rather than a required reading for a class.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes