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A review by funnellegant
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
2.0
Austen had Mansfield Park published the year after Pride and Prejudice, which I found surprising. After reading this one, I thought it must have been one of Austen's earlier works, hailing from a time of less command and polish in her craft. But no! She had her masterpiece behind her, and chose to give us this.
I must be honest that I think I am experiencing some disillusionment with Austen's writing, and that probably colored my reception of this novel. While there was some worthwhile social commentary and a wonderful array of comic characters, I could not get over the heavy-handed moralism throughout.
The lessons put forward by this book include such hits as, "Your emotions have moral implications about your worthiness as a person," and "Stage acting corrupts the young women who participate." Let's not forget, "Modesty, submission, and literal trembling in the face of mild conflict are admirable traits in a woman."
I recognize that there are always some faults in a book to counterbalance its genius, but I felt this book was one painful slog of dubious moralism with glimpses of humor and truth to sustain you for the journey. Harsh, maybe? But I do not recommend.
I must be honest that I think I am experiencing some disillusionment with Austen's writing, and that probably colored my reception of this novel. While there was some worthwhile social commentary and a wonderful array of comic characters, I could not get over the heavy-handed moralism throughout.
The lessons put forward by this book include such hits as, "Your emotions have moral implications about your worthiness as a person," and "Stage acting corrupts the young women who participate." Let's not forget, "Modesty, submission, and literal trembling in the face of mild conflict are admirable traits in a woman."
I recognize that there are always some faults in a book to counterbalance its genius, but I felt this book was one painful slog of dubious moralism with glimpses of humor and truth to sustain you for the journey. Harsh, maybe? But I do not recommend.