A review by shrimpsharkk
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

An enjoyable read, but I seriously don't understand anybody who said there was strong character development in this novel.  Fanny, especially, is a static character, never making a mistake once in the whole book.  She never changes, only people's opinions of her.  They merely recognize her beauty, civility, manners, and claim to high society.  Not only this, but Austen emphasizes that these virtues come to Fanny entirely naturally, as emphasized by her younger sister Susan who stands out from her environment as having "inherited" the same gentility as her older sister without ever needing to be taught.  I disagree with anybody who calls Fanny weak, for she is strong in her dedication to her morals, but "strong" doesn't mean "good" and ultimately she is a very political character standing for the chivalry of the British upper class living in a fantastical meritocracy where everybody is ultimately given their due.

I also found the romantic element to be anticlimactic and sterile, but so is Fanny herself, so at least it's consistent.  Austen's novels are always a pleasure to read, but I have to say I enjoyed it more in the moment than once reflecting upon it.
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