Mansfield Park

Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected
Review: Mansfield Park got better as I read on...

The characterizations are typical of Jane Austen: alive, distinct and vivid. Sir Thomas Bertram as Fanny Price's father is vindicated especially when compared to Mr. Price (Mansfield vs. Portsmouth is a part of this distinction). Mrs. Norris's treatment of Fanny is deplorable; her move to the morally banckrupt permanently cements her personality. Fanny herself is not my ideal heroine. Her timidity and repression could use a good dose of Elizabeth Bennet's wit and Emma Woodhouse's confidence. Then again, she would not be Fanny anymore. ..

Rating:
Summary: It's Austen but....
Review: Recently I've been on an Austen kick to read everything of hers that I can get my hands on. After eagerly devouring "Emma," "Sense and Sensibility", "Persuasion" and many of her other novels, I started "Mansfield Park" with equal eagerness. I enjoyed every part of the book up to the very end. The characters were well drawn, each a distinct and unique personality that I've come to expect in Jane Austen's works. **Some spoilers following** Henry Crawford seemed to really be in love with Fanny and I believe that Fanny was softening much towards him. Given a little more time, perhaps, I think Crawford could have easily won her over. I know that it was the culture and not at all squeamish to marry a relative as close as a cousin. That didn't prevent my distaste for the ending. Edmund and Fanny grew up as brother and sister... Their marriage is bordering on the incestual and therefore I found that I could not enjoy this Jane Austen novel like I have so many others.