Why You (and your friends) Should Read Mansfield Park
Mansfield Park, despite being amazing is often on the , allow me a sales pitch. Mansfield Park: Something for Everyone...
Are you an extrovert who wants to understand the other side, have you ever experienced: "pausing a moment for what she knew would not come, for a courage which the outside of no door had ever supplied to her"? Try Mansfield Park and live inside the head of an introvert!
Are you tired of everyone loving the highly extroverted and witty Elizabeth Bennet, Fanny Price is your heroine! Watch her go from unappreciated to, "the daughter that he wanted," by being quietly helpful, moral, and kind, not bright and sparkling.
Do you enjoy watching university-aged people creating drama, being selfish, and having elaborate love triangles? TV ratings seems to indicate yes. Look no further than Mansfield Park! Sisters who love the same guy, unrequited love, hidden jealousy, and can the bad boy finally go good?
Not into drama? How about intelligent critiques of the Church of England, a good deal of it still relevant today? Mary Crawford has you covered!
Into Poetry? Fanny Price thinks in poetry! Check out her monologue on tyranic memory or her reflections on sunlight when she's staying with her family in Portsmouth. Mary Crawford didn't pay attention, but you will love it!
Do you love free stuff? Who doesn't love free stuff? Watch the master of mooching, Mrs. Norris, abscond with all the extra jellies after the ball and sponge a heath, some eggs, AND a cream cheese from Southerton. Have you ever made someone feel better by stealing green baize?
Want romance? Only read Ch 30 and forget everything else that happens!
Mansfield Park, give it another chance. And remember, neither movie follows the book, unfortunately, the 1983 mini is the only one true to canon and it is a little old.
Are you an extrovert who wants to understand the other side, have you ever experienced: "pausing a moment for what she knew would not come, for a courage which the outside of no door had ever supplied to her"? Try Mansfield Park and live inside the head of an introvert!
Are you tired of everyone loving the highly extroverted and witty Elizabeth Bennet, Fanny Price is your heroine! Watch her go from unappreciated to, "the daughter that he wanted," by being quietly helpful, moral, and kind, not bright and sparkling.
Do you enjoy watching university-aged people creating drama, being selfish, and having elaborate love triangles? TV ratings seems to indicate yes. Look no further than Mansfield Park! Sisters who love the same guy, unrequited love, hidden jealousy, and can the bad boy finally go good?
Not into drama? How about intelligent critiques of the Church of England, a good deal of it still relevant today? Mary Crawford has you covered!
Into Poetry? Fanny Price thinks in poetry! Check out her monologue on tyranic memory or her reflections on sunlight when she's staying with her family in Portsmouth. Mary Crawford didn't pay attention, but you will love it!
Do you love free stuff? Who doesn't love free stuff? Watch the master of mooching, Mrs. Norris, abscond with all the extra jellies after the ball and sponge a heath, some eggs, AND a cream cheese from Southerton. Have you ever made someone feel better by stealing green baize?
Want romance? Only read Ch 30 and forget everything else that happens!
Mansfield Park, give it another chance. And remember, neither movie follows the book, unfortunately, the 1983 mini is the only one true to canon and it is a little old.
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Abigail
(new)
Mar 22, 2022 10:00AM
I’m right there with you on Mansfield Park! I love how Fanny is in a constant struggle between her lesser and greater selves—fighting off anger, jealousy, and resentment in her battle to become a better person, even though nobody notices. And I love the structure of the book and its ideas, some of which you highlighted.
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Abigail wrote: "I’m right there with you on Mansfield Park! I love how Fanny is in a constant struggle between her lesser and greater selves—fighting off anger, jealousy, and resentment in her battle to become a b..."For me the best thing about Mansfield Park is how well drawn all the characters are. The insight into everyone's psychology is amazing.
Mrs wrote: "It is the one Ire-read most often"Me too! There is so much about it I love. But I will confess to sometimes stopping before everything goes wrong.
I love your review but Mansfield Park and Fanny Price not so much. And yes, I do want to be Elizabeth Bennet. I am an introvert though. I would prefer to be the wise and capable Anne but I am probably an Elinor. I do love Mrs Norris as a character. She is such a fabulous villian. She is evil, and a taker. She is a well crafted character.
I the end is too rushed and everything happens off stage.
I do not care for either Edmund or Fanny but I guess they deserve each other. They can sit around and judge all around them and cast their stones as they assume their air of superiority . And Edmund can forget all about Love thy neighbor" because clearly neither thinks it applies to their own family members.
Jan wrote: "I love your review but Mansfield Park and Fanny Price not so much. And yes, I do want to be Elizabeth Bennet. I am an introvert though. I would prefer to be the wise and capable Anne but I am proba..."Yeah, I do not like Edmund either. I really like to stop and Ch 42 (I think) and then read Fanny, A Mansfield Park Story because I prefer Fanny with Henry
Bravo, Bethany! To my mind, this is one of the two truly great Austen romances. The title should tell you something.And to all you Edmund critics, who was the dude who sat down next to that little girl, when she was near tears, on the steps?
It’s about being true to yourself and having the courage to do the right thing when doing the right thing is hard and everyone is against you. In that context, it would be totally wrong for Fanny to end up with Henry and for Edmund to end up with Mary. It would be a denial of their true selves, and for what? Attraction? Lifelong misery for short-term happiness.
Abigail,Edmund was fascinated by Mary's looks. Her liveliness. Perhaps even her dowry. But he never once thought to leave his calling.
One suspects that the author honored her own father's calling with this character.
Martin wrote: "Bravo, Bethany! To my mind, this is one of the two truly great Austen romances. The title should tell you something.And to all you Edmund critics, who was the dude who sat down next to that littl..."
I don't like the guy who insisted that Fanny have a horse and then gave it to the girl he had the hots for instead, who tried to get Fanny to approve of the play against her better judgement, and who let Henry harass her while he "read the newspaper". Edmund just has some real issues. And the avenue! He knows Fanny wants to see the avenue but he takes Mary instead and totally forgets Fanny. I like him less every time I read the book.
Martin wrote: "Abigail,Edmund was fascinated by Mary's looks. Her liveliness. Perhaps even her dowry. But he never once thought to leave his calling.
One suspects that the author honored her own father's calli..."
To be honest, I see Edmund as kind of an addict. He keeps coming back to Mary over and over. I think if the affair hadn't made it impossible for him to see her, they would have gotten married.
The theory is that Mary is based on Jane's cousin, Eliza. And her brother Henry did actually marry Eliza.
I find Fanny’s particular combination of being both cringingly humble and extremely judgemental peculiarly unappealing. But the book is worth reading for the Crawfords, who are a delight. I wish Mary could have married Edmund, they have such stimulating conversations. Edmund and Fanny - oh dear, I can just imagine them growing ever more pompous over the years. They will fit in well in the Victorian era though.
Totally agree with you Louise though Fanny apologists are in the majority here.
Jan wrote: "Totally agree with you Louise though Fanny apologists are in the majority here."Thanks - glad to know I’m not the only one!
