A review by _maia3_
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

dark lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is my least favourite of Austen's books and I'm only giving it such a high score because I think it's genuinely very interesting to have an Austen book where almost everyone sucks. I find Fanny a rather insipid heroine, and whilst I understand that she is very much a victim of abuse, I don't find her explored to a satisfactory level. The hero, Edmund, is Austen's most unlikeable hero by far. The villians are the most entertaining part of the book, as they (in particular Mary Crawford) give voice to interesting contemporary opinions surrounding religion especially. Even if this was not likely Austen's weird little religious moment as some scholars have said, it really does come off that way sometimes. 
Please don't skip out on this book however- it is worth the read if you want more Austen, it was just a personal miss. 
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