Reviews - Mansfield Park: A Novel. in Three Volumes; Volume 3

6.38k reviews for:

Mansfield Park: A Novel. in Three Volumes; Volume 3

Jane Austen

3.69 AVERAGE

yayareads13's review against another edition

4.0

lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

took a minute to get into it but I did end up enjoying it

read along to an audiobook I found and it was honestly fantastic

need to know are they really cousins or did I miss something!? 🧐

loved Henry until he proved he was just a man 🤦‍♀️

angelo_vossen's review against another edition

3.0

funny 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

Well… I read „Mansfield Park“. I finished it. I’m not entirely sure why.

This book follows Fanny Price, a timid and morally upright heroine who is sent to live with her wealthy relatives at Mansfield Park. And then… not much happens. People flirt, go to the theater (gasp), and talk about propriety. A lot. For hundreds of pages.

I usually appreciate Austen’s wit and social commentary, but here everything felt muted. The pace was glacial, the characters often insufferable (seriously, how am I supposed to care about Edmund?), and Fanny — bless her — was so passive I kept wanting to shake the book. Maybe that’s the point? Quiet endurance? Moral integrity in a world of shallow distractions? I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out.

There were moments of interest — mostly when Mary Crawford was around, because at least she stirred things up — but overall it was like watching wallpaper dry in a very polite drawing room. If this was supposed to be a slow burn, the spark never quite caught.

So yeah. „Mansfield Park“. I read it. I don’t regret it exactly, but I also couldn’t tell you why anyone would pick this up for fun unless they’re really into 19th-century ethics or genteel stifled longing.

Content Warnings

babsbelovedbooks's review against another edition

4.0

My expectations were very low before reading this book because I had heard that so many despise this Jane Austen novel. Because of this, I found it to be very good indeed! I guess it helps not to expect too much from a book? As usual, I felt frustrated at the parts where there could have been clear communication and the characters just chose not to elaborate or make any effort to make plans or words or intentions plain, but if I get past that, the story was actually very good. Fanny has a certain aspect about her that I found charming and likeable. All of the movie adaptations of this book are absolutely horrible and I don't recommend them. But, I do recommend the audio book version by Frances Barber. I'm actually looking forward to re-reading this book again next year so that I can see if I still enjoy it as much.