Mansfield Park in Never too Late to Read Classics

Oct 26, 2012 midnightfaerie rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics

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Mansfield Park by Jane Austen was the last of the Austen tomes I had to read. All that are left are the smaller, more obscure reads. I really enjoyed this one. Fanny was a delightful character who I could really relate to. I loved how she said more by not saying anything a good portion of the time. I didn't agree with the critics who called Fanny "annoying" or "always right". I thought that she was infinitely more complex than that. Just the fact that she co Click here for Jane Austen Disclaimer

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen was the last of the Austen tomes I had to read. All that are left are the smaller, more obscure reads. I really enjoyed this one. Fanny was a delightful character who I could really relate to. I loved how she said more by not saying anything a good portion of the time. I didn't agree with the critics who called Fanny "annoying" or "always right". I thought that she was infinitely more complex than that. Just the fact that she considered marrying for the "wrong reasons" shows the human side of her and that she was mature enough to see how "marrying for love" like her parents did, could not be the wonderfully happy experience that most fairy tales buy into, without money. We see that she notices more of the dingy aspects of being poor when she comes back to visit her family than she did before and it was more like a statement of fact than a snobbish judgment. It just was what it was. To me, those that are grown, and have seen a little more of life, know that the world is run by money and not love. (I wonder how many criticisms I'll get to that comment?) And although in happy fairy tales such as these, love tends to win out, no one ever seems to mention that, "Oh yeah, by the way, did you notice that she also inherited the house that was as big as an apartment complex?" Makes love a little easier to handle after the "infatuation period" wears off.

Fanny was independent, educated, and well written. She had a quiet spark, but a spark nonetheless, and it was a spark that Edmund noticed from the beginning, so we can give him credit as well. I also found the theme of slavery to be interesting. She brings it up just enough to show that it's appalling, yet not enough to bring down the happy tone of the story. What was she trying to say? Was she against it? Was she trying to just give some realism to the current trends of that time period? Did she want to show some different sides to her characters? In any case, I found this novel to be refreshingly different from Austen's other books and after finishing all her novels, most likely, my favorite. Fanny's enchanting persona and how she sees through those around her, to the subtle various themes Austen has underlying the story, makes this (possibly) my favorite Austen novel. It's only other contender is Persuasion, where I see a similar heroine in Anne, soft spoken in voice, yet strong in character. In the end, Austen is talented, no matter which one you read, and I look forward to reading some of her smaller, more intimate works.

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Oct 24, 2019 Zuzana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, classics, re-read, jane-austen

Re-read

I liked it less than the first time. Fanny is terribly dull. Edmund is even worse. There's no chemistry between the two. 97% of the book Edmund's in love with another woman. Fanny gets him in the end simply because she's there.

The only Jane Austen's book I dislike. ...more

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