Austen, Jane: Mansfield Park. New York: Barnes and Nobles Inc., 2007. Print. Pages 407-656.
(I read the novel out of my Barnes and Nobles compilation edition of all seven of Austen's major works.)
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SETTING: Mansfield Park, a country estate in England.
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SUMMARY: Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park decides to take in Fanny Price, his wife's poor niece, as an act of favor to the Price family, who are never able to make ends meet. The story chronicles Fanny's life growing up in Mansfield Park and how her development is affected by the fact that she is always meant to feel in second place to the Bertram children, especially by her other maternal aunt, Aunt Norris.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "But there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve them." - Chapter 1, page 409.
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I finally have a lot of free time and, as I am often prone to do when I'm feeling stressed or burned out (currently burned out and ready for the school year to be over!), I looked to a Jane Austen novel to provide me with the relaxation and distraction I desired. I've only ever read Mansfield Park once before, but I have watched the 1999 film multiple times and the 2007 TV adaptation one time. I actually re-watched the 1999 version again last week, and I enjoy re-watching it so much that I decided to read the novel for a second time.
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Things I liked about this book:I finally have a lot of free time and, as I am often prone to do when I'm feeling stressed or burned out (currently burned out and ready for the school year to be over!), I looked to a Jane Austen novel to provide me with the relaxation and distraction I desired. I've only ever read Mansfield Park once before, but I have watched the 1999 film multiple times and the 2007 TV adaptation one time. I actually re-watched the 1999 version again last week, and I enjoy re-watching it so much that I decided to read the novel for a second time.
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- The writing. As you've already come to realize, I LOVE Austen's writing style.
- Fanny's happily ever after. Regardless of what I write about Fanny (see point #1 below), I'm glad she's happy at the end. She suffers quite a bit of emotional abuse at the hands of Aunt Norris, and deserves something good to happen.
- Tom Bertram. He's the "bad boy" of the family because he loves all things sinful, but he's my favorite of the four Bertram siblings, followed distantly in second place by Julia. He's the most genuine character and speaks his mind 100% of the time, and its something I grew to really appreciate once I realized how fickle the other characters are.
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Things/characters I didn't like about/in this book:
- Fanny's character is so weak. I understand she's supposed to be young and naive, and that's the appeal of her character in the book, but it became annoying very quickly. She absolutely has no backbone and no opinion on anything, and is shocked when she's treated well. I understand this is to emphasize her mistreatment by her Aunt Norris while growing up at Mansfield, but come on! It's a little much. She's starts off immature, and the amazing transformation that she has in the book doesn't really change her character all that much. Her personality and traits are quite opposite to the strong female protagonists seen in P&P and Emma. Her character is lacking in many areas, in my opinion.
- Mrs. Norris. A terrible, spiteful woman. My dislike for her only increased as the book progressed. She's manipulative and cunning to a disturbing capacity. She's the perfect example of a person who talks too much while actually saying very little.
- Henry and Mary Crawford. An awful pair of siblings and I wish they had an awful ending too.
- Edmund Bertram. He's such a... boy. The stereotypical, becomes an idiot for a pretty face, boy.
- Maria Bertram. She deserves what she gets in the end. She thought she could have her cake and eat it too. Silly girl.
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After writing this list, I've realized there isn't a whole lot I like about this book. I've decided it probably lands last on my Austen list. I've read about how the main theme of this book is morality, and I appreciate the effort and get the points Austen is trying to make, etc.. But the core purpose of a fiction novel, in my opinion, is to entertain, either through the fun of the story line or through appreciation of the point the novel is making. For me, this story did not do a great job of achieving either point.
After writing this list, I've realized there isn't a whole lot I like about this book. I've decided it probably lands last on my Austen list. I've read about how the main theme of this book is morality, and I appreciate the effort and get the points Austen is trying to make, etc.. But the core purpose of a fiction novel, in my opinion, is to entertain, either through the fun of the story line or through appreciation of the point the novel is making. For me, this story did not do a great job of achieving either point.
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Recommend? Yes, because it's very well written! But if you haven't read her other novels already, especially P&P, go to those first.
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