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tkh's review against another edition
I called the cousins getting married so googled to see of it was worth reading. The answer was NO
rebeccavpark's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mxmelistrying's review against another edition
5.0
If you only read one Jane Austen book, read this one. Her masterpiece.
annaem's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
authorcagray's review against another edition
Second review:
I tried to read this one for the second time, and finally managed to make it all the way through, but I definitely see why I struggled the first time though. Since I was listening to the audio version (and I'm usually multitasking at the time) I actually had to stop about an hour or so in, and read a summary of what I'd listened to thus far: it was that boring. The summary definitely helped, though.
This was the gist: Fanny is taken in by her aunt and uncle, who don't think very much of her. She falls in love with her cousin Edmund, but he thinks of her as a sister. She is (like all Austin's heroines) quiet and serious, and with the help of a contrived play in which Edmund and a flashy, flighty neighbor named Mary are cast as lovers, Edmund decides that Mary is the woman of his dreams and proceeds to ascribe to her all the wonderful qualities that she in truth lacks, and Fanny really possesses. Meanwhile, Mary's brother Henry, equally dashing and vapid, at first decides he will make a game of getting Fanny to fall for him, but then he actually does seem to fall in love with her himself. Everyone pressure Fanny to accept him, but even though it appears for all the world that Edmund is already lost to her forever, she cannot betray her own heart--and besides, despite appearances, she doesn't trust Henry.
Almost the entire novel is wrapped up in Edmund's romance with Mary and final discovery of her true nature, while Fanny is ultimately proved right about Henry as he finds himself embroiled in a scandal. I was stunned when I reached the last few minutes of the book, and (spoiler alert) Edmund still had not fallen in love with Fanny. In fact, the event occurs in the span of one sentence, pretty much. The entire book sets us up for an event we never get to see at all! Definitely Jane Austen's worst book in my opinion.
____
First review:
I'm cutting my losses on this one -- I feel like this isn't the first time I've tried to read this book. But an hour or so in, I'm bored and don't care about any of the characters. Too bad, because as a general rule I love Jane Austen!
I tried to read this one for the second time, and finally managed to make it all the way through, but I definitely see why I struggled the first time though. Since I was listening to the audio version (and I'm usually multitasking at the time) I actually had to stop about an hour or so in, and read a summary of what I'd listened to thus far: it was that boring. The summary definitely helped, though.
This was the gist: Fanny is taken in by her aunt and uncle, who don't think very much of her. She falls in love with her cousin Edmund, but he thinks of her as a sister. She is (like all Austin's heroines) quiet and serious, and with the help of a contrived play in which Edmund and a flashy, flighty neighbor named Mary are cast as lovers, Edmund decides that Mary is the woman of his dreams and proceeds to ascribe to her all the wonderful qualities that she in truth lacks, and Fanny really possesses. Meanwhile, Mary's brother Henry, equally dashing and vapid, at first decides he will make a game of getting Fanny to fall for him, but then he actually does seem to fall in love with her himself. Everyone pressure Fanny to accept him, but even though it appears for all the world that Edmund is already lost to her forever, she cannot betray her own heart--and besides, despite appearances, she doesn't trust Henry.
Almost the entire novel is wrapped up in Edmund's romance with Mary and final discovery of her true nature, while Fanny is ultimately proved right about Henry as he finds himself embroiled in a scandal. I was stunned when I reached the last few minutes of the book, and (spoiler alert) Edmund still had not fallen in love with Fanny. In fact, the event occurs in the span of one sentence, pretty much. The entire book sets us up for an event we never get to see at all! Definitely Jane Austen's worst book in my opinion.
____
First review:
I'm cutting my losses on this one -- I feel like this isn't the first time I've tried to read this book. But an hour or so in, I'm bored and don't care about any of the characters. Too bad, because as a general rule I love Jane Austen!
squid_vicious's review against another edition
4.0
After a frustrating and badly-written historical novel, I needed a serious dose of enjoyable and soothing quality writing: I had been meaning to re-read "Mansfield Park" for some time and it was just what the doctor ordered; after merely twenty pages, I was already smiling from ear to ear. As I enjoyed the witty prose and complicated characters, I found myself wondering why this lovely book is as underrated as it is. I love my Austen novels, but one thing I noticed about them was that with a little bit of time, they all revealed themselves to be a lot more deep and clever than I had originally given them credit for. Fanny certainly wasn't my favorite when I first read this book, but now I'll take her over Emma "Bird Brain" Woodhouse any day. Just like "Persuasion", "Mansfield Park" is a grown-up Austen novel that I feel can be better appreciated after life has knocked you around a little.
"Mansfield Park" has a lot to say about morals, but more specifically about thoughtfulness and empathy, with Fanny being the only character who doesn't suffer from terminal narcissism. I have to wonder if the people who hate this book dislike it because they recognize themselves in one of the Bertrams or Crawfords and feel uncomfortable about it. It can be hard for some people to root for the introvert, but I have grown to appreciate her: she was never shown how to let her colors shine, and if she is meek, it really is because she has been dismissed over and over again but her aunts and cousins. It is hard to feel like you have any value when the people who are supposed to encourage you make you feel like garbage.
If there is anything I loathe in "Mansfield Park", it's the Bertrams' and Aunt Norris' complete lack of family values. Empathy and kindness seems alien to those people, and between Lady Bertram's indolent negligence and Mrs. Norris' penny-pinching, it's no wonder Maria and Julia would be insensitive and oblivious of the consequences of their actions. But as usual with Austen, even the worse characters cannot be completely evil: she gives her readers a detailed portrait of where their behavior comes from, and while she doesn't necessarily want you to forgive them, she nevertheless encourages compassion for them. As she puts it herself, their characters are their own punishments, at the end of the story.
A charming, quiet classic that gets better with time.
"Mansfield Park" has a lot to say about morals, but more specifically about thoughtfulness and empathy, with Fanny being the only character who doesn't suffer from terminal narcissism. I have to wonder if the people who hate this book dislike it because they recognize themselves in one of the Bertrams or Crawfords and feel uncomfortable about it. It can be hard for some people to root for the introvert, but I have grown to appreciate her: she was never shown how to let her colors shine, and if she is meek, it really is because she has been dismissed over and over again but her aunts and cousins. It is hard to feel like you have any value when the people who are supposed to encourage you make you feel like garbage.
If there is anything I loathe in "Mansfield Park", it's the Bertrams' and Aunt Norris' complete lack of family values. Empathy and kindness seems alien to those people, and between Lady Bertram's indolent negligence and Mrs. Norris' penny-pinching, it's no wonder Maria and Julia would be insensitive and oblivious of the consequences of their actions. But as usual with Austen, even the worse characters cannot be completely evil: she gives her readers a detailed portrait of where their behavior comes from, and while she doesn't necessarily want you to forgive them, she nevertheless encourages compassion for them. As she puts it herself, their characters are their own punishments, at the end of the story.
A charming, quiet classic that gets better with time.
annette98's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.75
neredhead's review against another edition
4.0
engaging read. I was a little disappointed in the ending. specifically in how quickly it was wrapped up, and from a more detached view point.
annaforthebooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
raenoel's review against another edition
2.0
2 ⭐️
Pity the only two likable characters also happened to be the “villains” of the story. I, too, would have pawned Fanny off to literally anyone else to avoid raising such a wet carpet of a child.
If you’re looking to read about the most boring courtship in history, look no further. I’m talkin’ there was more chemistry between Charlotte and Mr. Collins at dinner with Lady Catherine than in this whole book combined.
Pity the only two likable characters also happened to be the “villains” of the story. I, too, would have pawned Fanny off to literally anyone else to avoid raising such a wet carpet of a child.
If you’re looking to read about the most boring courtship in history, look no further. I’m talkin’ there was more chemistry between Charlotte and Mr. Collins at dinner with Lady Catherine than in this whole book combined.