Author: Jane Austen
Narrator (from AnyPlay): Juliet Stevenson
Playtime: 16 hrs 50m
Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction
Publication date: July 1, 1814
Book description (from AnyPlay): When timid, ten-year-old Fanny Price is plucked from her large, raucous and somewhat impoverished family in Portsmouth to live with wealthy relatives in Mansfield Park her life is changed for ever. Immediately forming a strong attraction for her cousin Edmund, she develops into a genteel and mature young woman, whose love for him remains undimmed despite the diversion brought into both their lives by the attractive but morally bankrupt Crawfords. With its suggestion of adultery, and written with all the wit and style of the mature Jane Austen, this is the work of a writer at the peak of her powers. It was published in 1814, and unlike its predecessors, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility which were revisions of her juvenile writing, Mansfield Park was completely original. Like its heroine Fanny Price, who develops during the course of the story to reach maturity, Jane Austen’s third published novel was a much more mature work from a writer of increasing experience.
Review:
This is the second time I read this and I still find it greatly enjoyable. I still get very annoyed but the characters- should give you a great example of how they are so realistically portrayed. This book is focused more on the social commentary of its time, but it can definitely translate for our times as well. Most of the characters have no other ambition than their pursuit of wealth, status, and personal enjoyment/pleasure. It gives it a comedic hint, mainly because we are experiencing it through Fanny's eyes.
Fanny's passive and proper nature makes her an ideal medium through which to observe all the frivolous and shallow people around her. Aside from being funny, the book also raises the issue of a girl's "duty" to marry well - should personal happiness be sacrificed for money and connections? It also touches a bit on the family and the rights they feel to impose on women on behalf of the benefits the husband can provide in an imaginary future.
Warning: This is not a romance novel, you will not find an independent woman who defies the rules of society to be happy with her one true love. I'm sure you can find other authors who provide that style, but this one is not one of them. Do not expect a picture-perfect happily ever after ending, the main focus on this story is the social commentary and for that I loved it!
Some of the issues I had with this, not with the writing of it I understand why it was included but it made my blood boil it's how Fanny is described and her well-being dismissed by the people who are meant to take care of her.
Fanny is described several times as physically weak, this unfortunately would have been a common feature for most of the people living in the era. Fanny's physical state is an observant portrait of a sensitive child who was never given the warmth of a fire in winter, who wore cast-off clothing, and probably was fed last in the nursery, maybe even the leavings that the bigger cousins didn't want. She is treated like a beggar and expected to help out in everything the aunt and cousins might fancy for no other reason than that she is being allowed to live with them. They continue to go out of their way to mention she is receiving stuff "for free" and especially "out of the kindness of their heart". When in reality they have an unpaid servant that they can abuse and pull her strings to make themselves feel better at any time, and she is never allowed to even think out of line, she is expected to be grateful in spite of the abuse.
She gets a headache being cooped up indoors, suggesting allergies, or an undernourished diet that makes her more susceptible to weak spells. Aunt Norris made it her business to see that giving Fanny as much as her cousins got was "unnecessary waste" and Lady Bertram was too indolent to notice. Sir Thomas had little to do with the children's upbringing, so he didn't see it either--we discover this when he comes to the nursery for the first time, and discovers that Fanny has never had a fire in winter. He is so surprised and when he is informed that this is the norm for her, he's like oh no. Your aunt would never allow this to happen, and he goes on to diminish and minimize the abuse she has been living since arriving to live in Mansfield. He of course tried to behave with normal courtesy, but as Fanny has always been left so unnoticed she sees it as a great act of kindness, that only speaks of her low self-esteem and how she has been mistreated for so long that she feels that's what she deserves and having someone allow her a more humane treatment- she is over the moon with happiness.
There is plenty of corroborative detail of this sort of treatment of poor relations raised as charity cases by wealthier relatives if one reads period memoirs, letters, even sermons. Aunt Norris says later in the book to Fanny Remember wherever you go you are always least and lowest, this made my blood boil.
This example of a family is realistic, and worse it can still be found in today's society. Harry Potter anyone? I'm sure there are many other literary references, but people are not commenting enough on it!
Fanny's character is retiring, but that's understandable considering the way she's been raised. Austen (who had a brother adopted into a wealthy relation's family) seems to understand what it would be like for a young person to be taken from her home, crowded and humble as it was, to be raised in a completely different manner--and manor. Fanny is an acute observer, at least as acute as Mary Crawford is, and far more charitable. Probably more so, for Fanny was able to descry emotional changes in both Mary and Edmund as well as her more readable cousins, and Mary--while seeing Julia's plight, and shrugging it off--did not see Fanny's adoration for her Cousin Edmund. Mary was also able to talk herself into believing Fanny's unswerving politeness to Henry, and her occasional flushes of anger, as expressions of love. Fanny sees into everyone's heart, and feels for them all, deserving or not--except only Henry. She sees his love, but she does not trust it, or him. Though Austen does say later she might have married him, after time--if Edmund had married first.
Another detail I found very intriguing the first time I read through was the play. At least the second time I had a better idea of the issue. t is made a huge deal how against the gathered party to partake on a play, and even with her demure and her eagerness to please everyone around her Fanny is totally set against the play. Let's not overlook that in the time the story is set on, it was a sign of disrespect to carry on as if unconcerned when the head of the house was away, and in danger of his life.
Edmund is a dull hero. He exhibits about as much of a sense of humor as does Mr. Darcy, which is to say very little. When he's with Fanny he is, at best, the kindly, well-meaning, but rather patronizing older brother. It rubbed me the wrong way and I was constantly rolling my eyes as I listened to it.
In fact, Edmund is at his worst in his scenes with Fanny. He's insensitive and condescending--he's a typical teenage boy in the early scene when he tries to talk Fanny into being glad to live with Aunt Norris. Even his being a teenager is no excuse for such insensitivity, for he has to have observed her unsubtle cruelties. Unless he believed that Fanny really was a second-class member of the family--which observation does not make him look any better. I never understood why Fanny was so invested in him. Again, this is her insecurities and low esteem talking, he is condescending but he appears to care about her in the most minimal way- she is not used to being cared for so she makes her ideal image of him and falls for him and his "kind heart"; when we all see he's not worth it. Again he is on of my least-liked characters of the book. Need more reason? Here we go:
He's unfailingly kind (except when he permits Mary to monopolize Fanny's horse, which is prompted by his crush on Mary), and when he tries first to bully Fanny into participating in the play, and then he tries to bully her into marrying Henry-despite his vaunted principles, which he knows Henry doesn't share, his motive being that giving Fanny to Henry will bring Mary closer to himself. Notice my sarcasm there?
Edmund also comes off poorly when he discusses Mary Crawford with Fanny, metaphorically wrinkling his nose over her rather free speech and attributing her frankly expressed opinions to bad upbringing. He proves himself a first-class hypocrite when he denounces the acting scheme, but then gives in because Mary wants to act--and then he's so involved with Mary that he totally overlooks the more serious trouble going on between his sisters over Henry. The evidence is there--Fanny sees it--but Edmund doesn't.
I should probably stop, or I will spoil this whole thing in the most boring way possible.
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