Mansfield Park in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jun 22, 2016 Wendy rated it really liked it

Shelves: infp, audiobooks, 1001-books, classics, blooms-western-canon

It is official--I've now read all the Austen novels!

Apparently I prefer the more mature, bittersweet Austen to the young romantically-minded Austen. While I enjoy a spirited heroine as much as the next girl, I appreciate that Austen's heroines all have markedly different personalities, and Fanny Price strikes me as one of the more difficult types from which to craft a heroine. Perhaps unfortunately, I see a lot of my teenaged self (and my current self--who am I kidding?) in Fanny--highly introve It is official--I've now read all the Austen novels!

Apparently I prefer the more mature, bittersweet Austen to the young romantically-minded Austen. While I enjoy a spirited heroine as much as the next girl, I appreciate that Austen's heroines all have markedly different personalities, and Fanny Price strikes me as one of the more difficult types from which to craft a heroine. Perhaps unfortunately, I see a lot of my teenaged self (and my current self--who am I kidding?) in Fanny--highly introverted, non-confrontational, perhaps a tad too moralistic, and what many people will dismiss as passive. After all, we like our modern heroines extroverted (but bookish, always bookish), confrontational, feisty, opinionated, and willing to rock the boat. Fanny is none of these things, but I can still identify her strengths--strengths that are not celebrated nearly enough, and which I wish I'd see more of. She is actually quite smart and opinionated, but she keeps these things to herself. Because she is an introvert and fairly easy-going, other people assume that she's a doormat and try to treat her like one. But she has a firm idea of where her values lie, and surprises people when she digs in her heels when they insult her intelligence.

Remember in Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth initially fell for Wickham? Fanny Price sees through the Mansfield Park equivalent of the Wickham character in an instant. Everyone else thinks she's an idiot for not marrying the guy on the spot, coming from poverty (or "poverty" since they still have multiple servants) as she does. But guess what--shy little Fanny doesn't actually give a scallion's width for what other people think. She sticks to her guns...and guess what, she's right. That right there is inner strength.

Fanny also gets a bad rap for not actively pursuing what/who she wants, but I get where she's coming from. Fanny knows from the first chapter of the book who she wants to marry, but that person needs to come to realize it for himself. Filtered through her eyes, if she actively tries to get between the man she loves and the woman that man thinks he loves, she's doing him a disservice. Because if he finds happiness with someone else, then Fanny wasn't right for him. What can she do anyway, flirt? Flirting and pursuing a man is so inauthentic to who Fanny is, she would be betraying the very sense of herself if she did so, and drive the guy away. That probably doesn't make sense to anyone else but me.

Honestly, Mansfield Park probably has the most "downer" ending of all the Austens. Not being a hopeless romantic myself, I liked it for the honesty. Because coupling isn't a happily ever after. There's another 50+ years of ups and downs to get through as best we can, and I could tell from the vibe here that this is a mature Jane writing with a longer view of life and what marriage really is worth in the long scheme of things. Sigh. I'll miss you, Jane Austen. Thanks for the journey.
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Oct 05, 2014 Sheryl rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-own-this, make-believe, all-about-love, classique, 2014

I admire Austen's characterization of Fanny Price: constant, ordinary, plain yet unyielding.

I also thought the conclusion of the book to be done in haste; cramping all in the last 2 chapters. Would have been more enjoyable to have had the thoughts of the main characters shelled out rather than having it just narrated. ...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Joanne rated it liked it

This is definitely my least favourite of the 5 Jane Austen books I've read so far. I found the story only slightly interesting and it seemed to take forever to get through, never the sign of a good read. I also found the ending a bit ridiculous and dumb.
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