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A review by emberysing
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
As many classics, it was almost overwhelmingly intricate and slow in the beginning, but was engrossing in the latter half, and paid it all off.
After finishing Pride and Prejudice, there is a different level of complexity in Mansfield Park that I loved all the more. The protagonist, while endeared to the reader, is not so likeable as she could be, and all the faults of the antagonists are almost balanced by their positive attributes. The level of greyness—and somewhat more realness of humanity—Austen gives her characters in this book is beautifully done.
I do think that it was a bit cruel though to leave some of the mc’s relations dwindle sadly off into the sunset at the end. However, my only complaint is that there isn’t enough of Susan to satisfy me, but that’s my own partiality for her speaking.
Now I think I can understand a bit better why my mom likes this sort of novel—but I will still carry my preference of fantasy until the day I die.
After finishing Pride and Prejudice, there is a different level of complexity in Mansfield Park that I loved all the more. The protagonist, while endeared to the reader, is not so likeable as she could be, and all the faults of the antagonists are almost balanced by their positive attributes. The level of greyness—and somewhat more realness of humanity—Austen gives her characters in this book is beautifully done.
I do think that it was a bit cruel though to leave some of the mc’s relations dwindle sadly off into the sunset at the end. However, my only complaint is that there isn’t enough of Susan to satisfy me, but that’s my own partiality for her speaking.
Now I think I can understand a bit better why my mom likes this sort of novel—but I will still carry my preference of fantasy until the day I die.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Social and economic classism is quite prevalent throughout; the main romantic couple are cousins, which was not considered incest back then, but is so now