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    Mansfield Park: "Selfishness must always be forgive you know, because there is no hope of a cure."
    Mansfield Park: "Selfishness must always be forgive you know, because there is no hope of a cure."
    Mansfield Park: "Selfishness must always be forgive you know, because there is no hope of a cure."
    Ebook531 pages9 hours

    Mansfield Park: "Selfishness must always be forgive you know, because there is no hope of a cure."

    By Jane Austen

    4/5

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    The protagonist in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park is Fanny Price, a young girl who is raised in the house of her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas. She ultimately falls in love with her cousin Edmund, the only one in the household who does not look down on her for her inferior social class. When Edmund starts to develop a relationship with his other cousin Mary who is already engaged, Fanny is seriously worried. However, her worries soon vanish when she realizes Mary’s relationship with other men. In the absence of Sir Thomas, who has gone to visit his plantations in Antigua, the group of young cousins decide to perform a romantic play which enables Henry, Mary’s brother, to flirt with Maria, one of Sir Thomas’s daughters. Henry later tries to seduce Fanny in a playful way, yet he soon falls in love with her. When he proposes to her she rejects him for the multiple affairs that he often engages in. This disappoints Sir Thomas who thinks that Fanny should not miss the opportunity of such an advantageous match from a superior social class. Edmund eventually realizes Fanny’s unique kindness and decides to marry her. By and large, Mansfield Park  is an investigation of moral and social conventions of early nineteenth-century Britain. We’ve also included a concise and informative biography of Jane’s works and life at the end of the book. We hope it helps to give a little context and colour about how her life interacted with her art.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherA Word To The Wise
    Release dateAug 20, 2013
    ISBN9781780006215
    Mansfield Park: "Selfishness must always be forgive you know, because there is no hope of a cure."
    Author

    Jane Austen

    Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist whose works are among the most popular novels ever written. Her keen eye for social tension, and ear for taut, witty dialogue have delighted readers for centuries, while her novels have maintained historical importance through their analysis of the dependence of women on marriage to gain social standing and security. She has been widely adapted for both stage and screen, and continues to be among the most widely-read of late-18th-/early 19th-century writers.

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    Reviews for Mansfield Park

    4/5

    4,779 ratings153 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Delightful
    • 3/5
      As with the Northanger Abbey, Austen’s writing and humor are all that stands between this book and a two star review. Our heroine, Fanny, is the perfect shy, obedient young woman and for that reason alone, it seems we are supposed to prefer her to Miss Crawford, her competition for Edmund’s heart. Although Miss Crawford can be superficial and even cruel, it seems her main flaw is not behaving as women were expected to behave at the time. As a modern reader, I sometimes found her more sympathetic than Fanny. Likewise, Fanny’s alternate love interest seemed a better match for her than Edmund in manys, starting with the fact that Edmund is her cousin and is sometimes very thoughtless of her feelings. My lack of enthusiasm for Austen’s romantic pairings was offset by my dislike of one particularly nasty character and my enjoyment at seeing her thwarted. That was second only my to my enjoyment at seeing the nastier characters made fun of with Austen’s characteristic wit. Overall, this book was very slow and I felt little interest in the outcome. Again, enjoyable only if you love Austen’s writing.

      This review first published on Doing Dewey.
    • 4/5
      Some small spoilers lie below. As it turns out, I have never read (or listened to) Mansfield Park before, and somehow managed to know nothing about the characters or story – I don't know how I managed to remain completely unspoiled, but it was unexpected, and fun. The narration by Karen Savage lives up to the high standard she set with Persuasion: I like her work, very much. She creates a wide array of both male and female character voices which generally avoid being the least cartoonish but still manage to each be distinct and identifiable: the tone a little lighter and gentler than the narration is Fanny; Lady Bertram is breathy and indifferent; the slightly deeper, measured voice is Edmund; the pompous-sounding deeper voice is Tom. Mansfield is a leisurely tale following the Bertram family and its Price transplant through marital negotiations and trips to the country and financial threats no one seems to grasp the true dangers of. If the Antigua estates really had failed or been lost, it seems there would have been drastic repercussions; also, an ocean voyage in the 1800's was never anything to take lightly, much less travel in the third world. There was a strong underlying tone of menace to the Messrs. Bertram while they were away, but the at-home family seemed to continue perfectly sanguine. Except for Fanny, who is as gifted at Worrying as my mother, and that's pretty extraordinarily gifted. Fanny. Oh, Fanny. She's just so … nice. She's so nice I want to throw an expletival qualifier in there, and I can't; this is Jane Austen I'm talking about. She's timid and fragile and sweet, and obliging and not as delicate as she seems, and sweet. And meek, and … when I right-click on "meek", Word gives me synonyms: humble, submissive, gentle, docile, modest, compliant, and mild. And sweet. Far from a backbone, there isn't a vertebra in the girl's entire body. Her entire skeletal system seems to be made of cartilage. Jane Bennet is sweet and modest and docile too, but by golly she can stand up for herself or someone she loves if need be. I think in a confrontation Fanny might simply cry, and then faint. Not a character much admired in this day and age. But she's so sweet. I saw someone's Goodreads status update for P&P commenting on how much he appreciated the writing and the characters, but he was on such and such page and … nothing … was … happening. I have never found that with P&P. Mansfield Park, however … oh my. Fanny comes to Mansfield … nothing … Mr. Bertram and Tom go away … nothing … the Crawfords move in … nothing … Tom comes back … protracted space of nothing … Lovers' Vows and things happen for a few chapters and then Mr. Bertram comes home and everything comes to a screeching halt and … nothing … That, combined with the extreme meekness of Fanny, makes for a surprisingly leisurely and … well, dull story. For the most part we share no one's thoughts but Fanny's, and hers are so very athletically self-effacing and charitable – even to Mrs. Norris, one of the people least deserving of charity in this novel, if not ever – that events are not exactly moved along. It's a jolt when, briefly and rarely, we are made privy to conversations between Mary and Henry Crawford, laced with languorous malice.Perhaps the purpose of this day-to-day gentle unfolding of story is to focus the reader on the small things that do happen. In a modern setting, the concerns which beset Fanny would be almost nothing. Certainly the drama surrounding the play would be non-existent; it would trouble no one that a group of upper class young folk would do an amateur play, even if it was a bit racy. But given the placid pond that rock dropped into, there is a very real tension and concern about the morality of it all. And perhaps the intent in making Fanny so stunningly selfless was to make it so very ironic when Mr. Bertram berates her for selfishness. Her reasons for doing what she does are partly selfish, but only a very small part; she can't explain without telling him things he doesn't want to know, which she would consider a betrayal of others. From that moment on Fanny's life becomes a nightmare. The wrong interpretation is put on her actions, and every word she says to Edmund or her uncle is contradicted or ignored. Every. Single. Word. "I don't believe I can love him." "Certainly you can." "We are so very different." "No you're not." "I don't want to talk to you." "You say that, but what exactly do you mean? Tell me!""I don't want to talk about it." "Well, we must, and I must tell your aunts. Oh, and your cousin. His sister and their entire staff already knows. We won't talk to you about it if you wish, not above two or three times. A day.""I will never marry him!" "I wonder what we should give you as a wedding present …""No!" "You mean maybe!" It's horrifying. And, again, I've been there. You can say anything, and you might as well be speaking Aramaic from the response. Poor Fanny. My GR status update from Chapter 35: I'm 73% done with Mansfield Park: In the midst of Ch. 35; I don't know how this story ends. I've seen spoilers both ways: that she marries Edmund, and that she doesn't. And right now I can honestly say that if she marries him I ... shall be most provoked. I want to shoot him in this chapter. (Which makes a change from wanting to shake Fanny.)Oh well. A bit more is on my blog.
    • 5/5
      This girl does have a way with words.. Once you leave the 21st century and relax into the flow of of Fanny Price's world you are treated to a subtle and insightful view of the lives of the "rich and famous" albiet 200 years ago. Certainly not a fast paced story but the characters are interesting (if not always liked) and the good guys win.
    • 4/5
      A master storyteller at the height of her powers with Mansfield Park the superior textual quality of Austen's writing and her skill at distilling what possesses the heart & mind of each of her characters whilst exploring societal issues of the era alongside gracefully set out background is apparent on every page.My one reservation is this particular publication's really AWFUL Cover!
    • 5/5
      Mansfield Park is easily Austen's most controversial novel. It is a book that many people (Janeites included) actively dislike. The plot deals with morality and the main characters are polarizing. Personally, I find it fascinating. I don't think it's just about morality -- I am fascinated by the choice we are offered between substance and appearance and also fascinated by which choice readers make. Some choose Mary and Henry Crawford, the characters who, in my opinion, are all about "appearance," and others choose Fanny and Edmund, whom I believe to be about substance. Fanny and Edmund are, admittedly, rather dull, but they are good and decent people who try to live good and decent lives. They don't lead other people on. They don't try to "make a hole" in an innocent's heart. They don't think it's OK to commit adultery. Edmund wants to be a priest, and I think he'd be a good one. And Fanny would be a much better priest's wife than Mary, who openly disdains religion and its practitioners. Mary and Henry may be fun to hang out with, but they are not marriage material for a person who cares about character. Mansfield Park is not my favorite Austen novel, but it rises in my estimation every time I read it.
    • 4/5
      If I liked Fanny Price more, this would be my favorite Austen novel. As it is, I still think it is very very good and possibly the funniest of the bunch. But oh, Fanny, why didn't you marry Henry Crawford? You and Edmund bring out each other's worst and least attractive tendencies.
    • 2/5
      One of the few books I really, really hate.
    • 3/5
      Summary: When Fanny Price was a child, she was sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle Bertram, who were much better off than Fanny's own parents, and could better afford the care of an additional child. But Fanny is never truly part of the family; constantly reminded how fortunate she is to be taken in by her relations, and constantly compared to her cousins, and without the self-possession or self-confidence to change her position, her only ally is her cousin Edmund. But even as she falls for him, he falls for a friend of the family, and if Fanny can't bring herself to speak her mind, she is in danger of finding herself married to a man she cannot love as she loves Edmund.Review: This is the last of Austen's main books that I've read, and I'm afraid to say, it's by far my least favorite. Fanny is just such a wet rag, incapable of doing or saying anything to promote her own happiness, that I had a hard time caring about that happiness myself. I mean, not that I was rooting for her to be unhappy or anything, but if you're not doing anything to help yourself, I don't have much sympathy for the "circumstances are conspiring against me!" kind of argument. I want my protagonists to have a little more spirit (or at least a little spirit, period). The one time that Fanny does have an opinion that she's willing to express - namely, that she doesn't want to marry Mr. Crawford - we're treated to several chapters of what seems like every other character trying to convince her that she's wrong, that she does want to marry him, and that she owes it to him to love him just because he's decided he loves her. It's gross, and it soured me not only on Fanny, but on most of the other characters as well. Granted, most of them were not particularly likable to begin with, but even Edmund comes off as smug and willfully oblivious to the feelings of everyone around him, even Fanny who he's "molded" to think in a way that's acceptable to him. It made the inevitable ending, in which everyone gets their just desserts, including Edmund's extremely abrupt change of heart with regards to Fanny's suitability as a romantic partner, less than satisfying. I'm sure that, if I were reading Mansfield Park on a deeper, more critical level, there's plenty of sharp satire and social commentary going on in. But since I am just reading for fun, and the main plot could be boiled down to "poor cousin is taken in by rich family and is bullied and treated badly for almost the entire book, and is too weak-willed to say or do anything about it", it wasn't something that I particularly got into. 2.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Oooooh, I hate to say it for something that's as much of a classic as Austen, but: pass. Or at least pass until you've run out of Austen's better, more engaging books.
    • 4/5
      favorite austen novel
    • 1/5
      If I ever hear another word about the suitability of a particular person for marriage, it will be too soon. Yes, I know it is social commentary, but it could have been done in 100 pages. The plot was entirely predictable and the characters were completely two-dimentional.
    • 5/5
      This is Austen's version of the Cinderella story. A poor relation (Fanny Price) comes to live with rich relatives. She falls in love with her rich cousin. Meanwhile, several other romantic subplots develop between her cousins and the pair of Crawford siblings. Entertaining and classicly Austen.
    • 3/5
      A very good story, as expected from Jane Austen. But I have to say, it's not one of my favorites. I had a hard time finding any of the characters sympathetic - Fanny and Edmund came across as so virtuous as to be prudish, while the rest were just foolish - except for Mrs. Norris, of course, who was just plain stupid and nasty. I think had Susan been more in the story I'd have ended up liking her best. But still, I enjoyed the reading of the story and it will probably be one I revisit every few years or so.
    • 4/5
      I can't count how many times I've read, "People think Mansfield Park is Austen's best or they hate it." A bit of an overstatement there, I think. I enjoyed it but don't consider it my favorite of her works. I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice more and Sense and Sensibility less.I suspect that those kinds of reactions to this book occur because Fanny is so unlike Austen's other female main characters. She's shy, unassertive and a bit lacking in self-confidence; she doesn't burst out of the pages as does Elizabeth Bennet. I didn't find any of the prissiness or priggishness that some people ascribe to her—I perceived only that she had a set of principles to which she stuck quietly and, living as a poor relation with the Bertrams, a consciousness of not participating in activities that would offend the uncle whose charity pulled her out of poverty.One of the things I enjoyed about this story was that the characters seemed a bit more human and a bit less like Regency "Stepford" gentry. Edmund, normally perceptive, loses it over a pretty face and nice figure despite the warning signs. Fanny, normally dutiful, sticks to her guns on her perception of Henry's character despite all of society telling her what she "should" think and feel. I also like the language of this story. It had a bit more dry humor, moments of tongue-in-cheek poking through in each chapter.If you like Austen, I don't see any reason not to try this and make up your own mind.
    • 4/5
      Though arguably not one of Austen's most memorable novels, it does have its charm. The sticking point seems to be the novel's heroine Fanny Price - the reader either adores her or is annoyed by her. She has the goodness of other Austen characters like "Persuasion"'s Anne or "Sense and Sensibility"'s Elinore, but without their wit or likeability. She is, however, a sympathetic character: Born in a large, poor family, she is sent to be raised by her rich relations and is eternally an outsider. Her treatment there ranges from verbal abuse from her Aunt Norris, to a strong bond with her cousin Edmund. This bond develops into romantic love, initially just on Fanny's side, but the two are kept apart by interfering guests, the Crawfords. The beautiful Mary Crawford enchants Edmund despite her selfishness, and her playboy brother Henry has his eyes set on Fanny. Caught up in their foolishness is Edmund's sisters Julia and Maria, who disgrace themselves flirting with Henry. Though Fanny is correct in distrusting the Crawfords, she comes off (and is treated as) a Debbie Downer throughout the novel. She pines, she frowns, she warns of bad morals, there is little sunshine in her -- no wonder Edmund was so taken by Mary! In fact, when he finally turns his eye to Fanny after being disillusioned by his first love, the reader cannot wonder "Why?" Fanny is good and deserving, but the reader cannot but anticipate the dullest marriage in the world.Remarkably for a novel bent on rewarding the good and moral, it is the immoral characters who bring humor to the novel, and save it from being overbearing. Mrs. Norris is delightful in her hypocrisy, with a delicious comeuppance. The Crawfords bring life and excitement to Mansfield Park, enough to overcome Fanny's "bah, humbug"ness. Though these characters are one dimentional, they bring fresh air after Fanny's stuffiness. Austen shines when skewering the rich and foolish, and this novel is no exception. Though I may be wrong, I believe this may be the only Austen novel to bring up the subject of divorce and infidelity, or at least use it as a major plot point. I'm sure it must have been very daring of Austen to include it.
    • 4/5
      Mansfield Park opens with Austen reflecting on the virtues of marrying well, and the consequences of failing to do so. (I love a woman who knows how to get right to the point!) Fanny Price, a most unlikely heroine, is the product of one of these latter marriages; her mother, “Miss Frances married, in the common phrase, to disoblige her family, and by fixing on a Lieutenant of Marines, without education, fortune, or connections, did it very thoroughly.” (5) Said to have been one of Austen’s favourite heroines, Fanny is the “poor cousin,” charitably taken in by wealthy relatives. But while she may be inferior to her peers by birth, fortune, and education; she is undisputedly their superior by far, save Edmund, in modesty, morals, and behaviour. Beside Fanny, the appropriately condescending Miss Bertrams appear twittering, fickle, and silly. Tom Bertram is, in equal measures, outrageously wealthy and irresponsible. The Crawfords, questionably well meaning, are idle and misguided, “thoughtless and selfish from prosperity and bad example.” (108) Only Edmund, younger brother to Tom, and a parson of modest means but superior morals, is able to stand as Fanny’s equal. And so the stage of principal characters is set. But Austen also has great fun with the minor characters of Mansfield Park: the indolent Lady Bertram, example extraordinaire in the art of marrying well; her domineering but rich husband, Sir Thomas; the insufferable Mrs. Norris; Dr. and Mrs. Grant, the former best known for his ample appetite; and the unfortunate looking, but very wealthy, Mr. Rushforth – cuckolded in the end.I enjoyed this re-read of Mansfield Park much more than my original read some years ago. Austen is delightful in her shrewd satire of the upper crust. A sample passage, one of many, illustrating her exceptional command of her writing (a single sentence!):“The ensuing spring deprived her of her valued friend he old grey poney, and for some time she was in danger of feeling the loss in her health as well as in her affections, for in spite of the acknowledged importance of her riding on horseback, no measures were taken for mounting her again, ‘because,’ as it was observed by her aunts, ‘she might ride one of her cousins’ horses at any time when they did not want them,” and as the Miss Bertrams regularly wanted their horses every fine day, and had no idea of carrying their obliging manners to the sacrifice of any real pleasure, that time of course never came.” (34)
    • 5/5
      Mansfield Park is usually tied with Emma for least-loved of Austen's books, and though the heroines of each are very, very different, the two books' lower favor with Austenites is usually due to Fanny and Emma, respectively. While Emma is an interfering, independent young woman, Fanny is her exact opposite, and loves nothing better than to hide while others receive all the attention. Many modern readers find Fanny too passive, and call her "weak." But this misses the essential point of the story — strength is not in being feisty and independent, but holding firm to your convictions under pressure. This review will contain spoilers, so proceed with caution.Mansfield Park is the story of Fanny Price, the dependent niece of Sir Thomas Bertram who is taken into the Bertram family at a young age as a favor to her parents, who are not well-to-do. From the first, Fanny is taught her inferior place in the family by her officious Aunt Norris, who dotes on Fanny's cousins, Maria and Julia. At Mansfield Park, her cousin Edmund is the only one who sees Fanny's distress and tries to make things easier for her. He quickly becomes her only confidante and comfort in the Bertram home, and this continues into Fanny's adulthood. When the charming brother and sister Henry and Mary Crawford come into the neighborhood, things begin to change — and not, in Fanny's opinion, for the better.Austen's characterizations are excellent, as always. I think she achieved something special in Lady Bertram, even though my lady is quite a background sort of person. Indeed, it may be because of her minor-character status that the execution of the character is so striking to me. The word for Lady Bertram is "indolent," and rarely has anyone exemplified it better. She is not ill-meaning, and has a good heart, but she cannot be bothered to do anything for anyone. She is comfortable, pleasant, and in many ways only half-alive. And yet I like her very well, for some unaccountable reason. Austen achieves similar things with the character of Henry Crawford. Usually I'm able to disdain the bad guys in Austen's world as cads and weaklings, but Crawford is written so well that I think I feel some of his charm even through the pages of a book. The way Austen probes his motivations and feelings is really fascinating. His main vice is not deliberate deception or evil, but rather overweening vanity and selfishness. And he is capable of good things. The other characters are also well-drawn. Sir Thomas in all his dignity and yet truly good beliefs underneath the formality. Tom, with his thoughtless profligacy and unfixed principles. Maria with her haughty pride of beauty and money, and helpless love for someone who slights her. Edmund, with his kindness and, sometimes, blindness. Julia, with her jealousy of Maria and her selfishness. Aunt Norris, with her selfish officiousness and ruthless economy. Mr. Rushworth, with his money and his ridiculous two and forty speeches. Mary Crawford, with her unsound principles and disdain for anything unfashionable. We get a clear picture even of Dr. and Mrs. Grant, who have almost no dialogue whatsoever in the story. Many readers disparage Fanny, the principal character of the story, as weak and passive. Certainly she does not have the spunk and polite sauciness of an Elizabeth Bennett or Emma Woodhouse. Constantly belittled during her formative years and made to feel her inferiority by Aunt Norris, Fanny is terrified of being singled out for any kind of special notice. She was passive and retiring by nature, and her upbringing had the effect of exaggerating these qualities. Many modern readers can't stand this in a female character; modern conventions have taught us that heroines must be sassy and spunky. But I tend to fall into the small but determined camp that appreciates Fanny for who she is. Fanny is always ready to give way for the convenience of others — but this does not stop her from observing their behavior, and venturing private judgments on it. And she is not often wrong in her assessments of the people around her. Despite her pliable nature, Fanny stops short when asked to do something against her principles. She refuses to take part in the not-quite-respectable play that her cousins put on, even though her Aunt Norris makes her feel very guilty over refusing. This foreshadows a later refusal, when Fanny dares to defy the expectations of the Bertrams on the much more serious matter of a marriage proposal. These refusals cause Fanny a great deal of wretchedness, but she stands her ground.And this is why I love her. Not because she has a witty tongue or a keen eye for the foibles of others in the mode of the usual feisty heroine, but because she holds true to her beliefs even when under pressure from every quarter to compromise them. To me, this makes her much worthier of the adjective "strong" than many another heroine who talks back to the men and dares great things. Fanny is a strong woman because she, being weak, still stands firm on her convictions. Mansfield Park is the longest and probably most complex of Austen's novels, and though there is a fair bit of pointed humor in the observations about Lady Bertram and Aunt Norris, it has a bitter edge to it. I also think the great tragedy/transgression of this story is the darkest of all Austen's stories, even worse than Lizzy's actions in Pride & Prejudice. Because of the definite lack of lighthearted wit and the seriousness of the evils committed, this is not a bubbling romance of misunderstandings and genteel follies. The denouément gives quite a lot to think about, especially regarding Fanny's probable actions had things happened differently than they did. I do NOT recommend the 1999 movie starring Frances O'Connor. It changed Fanny's personality to something more acceptable to modern tastes, involved Sir Thomas in graphic, horrific barbarism in the slave plantations of Antigua, showed the illicit affair between Crawford and Maria, had Fanny actually accept Crawford at one point (!), and generally missed the whole point of the original story. Nor can I give the recent Masterpiece Theatre version starring Billie Piper much praise; Piper, though a good actress, is completely wrong for Fanny, and the whole production lacked panache. I'm not familiar with other film adaptations of the story, but in general I've heard they are all rather lacking. Pity.In some ways this is an "ugly duckling" story, before such things became popular in the realm of chick-lit. But Fanny does not transform herself in the course of the story; she remains in many ways what she always has been. Perhaps it's more that the people around her transform slowly until they are finally able to see the beauty of her character. With fantastic characters, deft writing, probing insight, and occasional wryness, Austen's Mansfield Park is a thought-provoking story with an unusual heroine who compels respect instead of mere amusement. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      This was the last of Jane Austen's novels for me to read. I wish I could say it gave me a high note to end on but, really, I found it less attractive than any of the other Austen novels. As well, Fanny Price was less appealing than many of Austen's other heroines. Fanny's mother married down and brought more children into the world than she and her husband could support. As a consequence Fanny was sent at a very young age to her mother's sister, Lady Bertram, who lives at Mansfield Park. The term "poor cousin" might have been invented for Fanny. Her girl cousins have been indulged from birth and show little interest in meek, withdrawn Fanny. Their brother (and heir) is much more interested in carousing with his friends. Only the younger son, Edmund, shows any interest in Fanny and Fanny falls in love with him. When the vicar's wife's sister and brother, the Crawfords, come for an extended stay vivacious Mary Crawford attracts Edmund's notice immediately. Edmund is destined to become the vicar in a neighbouring area and it is patently obvious that Mary Crawford could not make a vicar's wife but, nevertheless, Edmund falls in love with her. In the meantime Henry Crawford has been flirting with both Bertram sisters. Love triangles abound.Much of the book is taken up with developing these relationships and it was hard going for me. The last part of the book, when Fanny returns to her family in Portsmouth, and scandals and troubles envelop the Bertrams, was much more interesting. Still I found the conclusion unconvincing and still couldn't warm up to Fanny.I gather from some online reviews that other people find Mansfield Park to be lacking but true Janeites find much to admire. I guess I'll never be considered a Janeite.
    • 4/5
      Lots of reviews already here, so I won't go into details.I liked it, quite a bit. I kept wondering how things would turn out, as there were many twists and turns in the plot.Mansfield Park was, imo, a bit 'deeper' than Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma. It was more 'work' to read it, but well worth the effort!It is now my second favorite Jane Austen book, behind P&P.
    • 2/5
      Not one of Jane Austen's finer works. Saw the movie. Book was too boring to finish. It kept dragging on and on and on...
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed it and the ending is great. A nice read and my second favourite of Jane Austen's books. The main character is realli ordinary and suffers unknowingly through injustices. Good display of the social hierarchy in britain at that time, and another good insight into a different kind of love story.
    • 5/5
      Mansfield Park is Jane Austen’s third novel. Dr Ian Littlewood describes it in his introduction as her first “fully mature work”. The novel centres around Fanny Price, who, from the age of nine, is raised by her aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, in the company of her cousins Tom, Edmund, Maria and Julia, and her aunt Norris. Austen’s prose gives us a clear snapshot of what life was like for the well-to-do and also the less well-off in Regency England. In this novel, Austen deals, as usual, with morality and, in this case, also with adultry. Austen’s characters are well portrayed and it is easy to see why her novels are still popular today.
    • 3/5
      You can tell this novel was written by a woman because the flashy, supposedly charismatic, superficial suitor who represents the shallow, "worldly" option is short and the stolid, boring suitor who demonstrates our heroine's good sense and solid values in choosing a man for his moral character, just coincidentally happens to be tall.Once you get over that though it's actually pretty good. I could have done with even more of the author talking shit about her characters (who are mostly realistically shallow and self-absorbed in the way that bad people actually are in real life) but what's there is frequently funny, and the protagonist is a very charming and likable figure (which is fortunate since we spend so much of the book in her head).
    • 4/5
      Poor Fanny Price! Jane really puts her through the mill in this book! But I guess "all's well that ends well." ;)IMO, there were lots of details about everyone's feelings, conversations, and correspondence through the first 47 chapters. Then, it seemed to me like, Jane just got tired and decided to sum up the story in one final chapter. And "Bob's your uncle" the book's finished! Oh well, I enjoyed it overall. A traditional Jane Austen novel :)Also, I listened on my LibriVox app and the reader, Karen Savage, did a fantastic job!
    • 5/5
      I've read this many times, but I'm still struck every time by the ambivalence of its message. We know we're supposed to latch on to the evangelical, proto-Victorian, path of Fanny and Edmund, but the case for the Crawfords' pragmatic, enlightenment morality is made surprisingly attractive. The real puzzle - for the author as much as for us, I suspect - is why a clever man like Henry Crawford should ever waste time on someone as patently vain and silly as Maria.Another thing that struck me this time is the cunning way Austen sets up the very un-Victorian idea that people live in mutual incomprehension in separate moral worlds: Mary Crawford's complete failure to understand that the duties of a clergyman might be expected to go beyond preaching in fashionable churches and attending smart tea-parties; Mr Yates's similar failure to understand why his amateur theatricals have to be scrapped on two occasions. These scenes always remind me of going to stay with my rather puritanical grandparents as a small child and discovering that all sorts of things that were perfectly legitimate at home (buying ice cream or listening to the radio on a Sunday, for instance) were regarded as shockingly depraved behaviour here.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure I was going to like Mansfield Park again at first. I read it some years ago and I remember liking it, but that was about all I remembered besides the name Fanny Price. Now that I've completed it I have to say I did enjoy it in the overall. I think it has most to do with Jane Austen's writing than anything, but after the first section, the story was quite absorbing.
    • 3/5
      I know that I am not alone in considering Mansfield Park Jane Austen's weakest novel, and Fanny Price her least likable heroine. This tale of a young girl who is the "poor relation" among wealthy people, always seems longer than it needs to be, with entire sections that just drag along. I recall frequently thinking that the novel would have benefited from a quicker pace.As for the heroine, I have heard it said that Fanny's moralizing is obnoxious to the reader because it is so alien - that her disapproval of the play-acting seems ridiculous to the modern eye. For my part, I was less disturbed by the seeming absurdity of Fanny's moral objections than I was by her overall lack of strength. Of all of Austen's heroines, she seems singularly lacking in a real sense of self, and even her moment of "triumph," in which she refuses to be bullied into marriage, is tinged with shades of anxiety.Ironically, it is the less-likable minor secondary characters who provide the real enjoyment in Mansfield Park, whether it be the delightfully malicious Mrs. Norris, or the charming and wicked Crawford siblings. I understand that some scholars have read this as an oblique criticism of slave-holding, while others (Edward Said among them) maintain that Austen justifies the practice by ignoring it. I myself was able to observe little social commentary of value...
    • 4/5
      I was greatly surprised by the ending!
    • 4/5
      I must give much respect to this book, as it is rather a courageous effort by Ms Austen. However, there is one problem - depending on your perspective of course. The most interesting characters are the ones who Ms Austen suggests are behaving reprehensibly, and the heroes of the title are exceedingly dull for the most part. That said, they all show far more real character development than one might ordinarily see in an Austen title.
    • 4/5
      Die Übersetzung von Angelika Beck ist nicht die beste, noch dazu wurde schlampig lektoriert.Ansonsten nette Geschichte mit vorhersehbarem Ende.

    Book preview

    Mansfield Park - Jane Austen

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