Mansfield Park (1814)

3.5 stars since I can't rate a book higher when I simply did not like the main character. Of course the language is beautiful since this is Jane Austen. But it is different in a not so great way to me from P&P and Persuasion which are my two favorite Austen novels. What a difference a strong female protagonist makes. ( )

“Mansfield Park” is one of Austen’s less popular novels — probably due to the fact that the heroine is a shy, modest, retiring girl and the hero is a clergyman, neither of which is particularly appealing to the modern audience. This has long been my favourite of Austen’s novels, because frankly, not everyone can be the lively Elizabeth Bennet, bold Emma Watson, or romantic Marianne Dashwood. Many of us are the awkward, bookish Mary Bennet, reserved and careful Elinor Dashwood, or in this case, shy and modest Fanny Price. Fanny is born into a large, robust family, and at the age of ten, is sent to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt Bertram, and their four children, who are kind but impersonal. The two girls, Maria and Julia, are only happy to have another girl to serve as their foil; the youngest boy, Edmund, is the only one who shows any real kindness to Fanny as she grows up in this unsettling environment.

Another reason why this novel fails to engage modern audiences is that much of the plot hinges on ideas of propriety and conduct which are now considered obsolete. For example, the potential scandal to be found in the engaged daughter of the family acting in a play with a man not her fiancee seems almost laughable compared to any of the stories coming from Hollywood today. Many readers will side with Mary Crawford when she suggests that the scandal is not in the act itself, but rather in being caught. But despite cultural and societal differences, the story is still a sweet and charming novel. ( )

Typical Jane Austen themes of marriage for love, unrequited love, badly-behaved young people, sensible matches (according to the matriarch) and patriarchs being altogether more sensible than their wives are all present. The structure of the story plays out well, and the main character Fanny is very likeable, her struggle with where she should or should not belong is well described. ( )

160/2020. Too much telling and not enough showing. ( )

This was my second reading of Mansfield Park, and my feelings are so different this time around that an entirely new review is in order. My first reading was more than a decade ago. I found it a bit of a slog, with a slow-moving, interminable storyline and stereotypical characters. Well, I was wrong.

The Bertrams of Mansfield Park get the notion that taking in their 10-year-old niece, Fanny Price, would be a benefit both to Fanny and her parents, who are raising a large family on far less income. Fanny is intimidated by Mansfield Park, and largely ignored by her upper-class cousins except for Edmund, the second son. Her uncle, Sir Thomas, leaves to attend to “business interests” in Antigua, and Fanny falls into the role of companion to her aunt, Lady Bertram. Eight years pass, during which time Fanny is educated and adapts to the comforts of her new lifestyle, even as she is prevented from experiencing all of the social privileges enjoyed by her cousins Maria and Julia. Nevertheless, Fanny develops a very clear set of values, and is able to resist pressure to marry someone she believes completely wrong for her. When Fanny at long last has the opportunity to visit her family, she realizes how much Mansfield Park has changed her. During her time away, the Bertram family is rocked by two major events that have far-reaching consequences.

In many ways, this book is typical of Jane Austen’s novels in its exploration and satirization of English society, and its depiction of the rhythms of country life. But Fanny is a unique heroine, coming from a lower class and ultimately proving herself the best person in the bunch. I liked her much more on this re-read than I did the first time around. Fanny’s aunt, Mrs Norris, was also delightful as the character you love to hate. Having convinced Sir Thomas that taking in Fanny is their duty to the family, she continually avoids taking any responsibility for Fanny herself, and is most vocal in trying to keep Fanny in her place. Mrs Norris is awful, but Austen’s portrayal made me laugh out loud. The book ends with each character getting pretty much what they deserved, both good and bad -- a very satisfying conclusion. ( )