Noras Bokblogg

Title: Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen

Pages: 516

Published: 2011 (my edition), 1814 (original)

Publisher: Collins classics

Genre: Classic, romance, family drama

ISBN: 9780007420292

Cover: Marcus Stone

My rating: 6/6

Fanny Price comes from a poor family but is sent to live with her rich uncle and aunt at Mansfield Park at the age of ten. In the beginning, she feels alone and left out, but eventually finds a friend in her cousin Edmund.

Edmund Bertram is the second eldest son of Sir Bertram, Fanny’s uncle, and he is to become Fanny’s closest friend. When Fanny is stressed or anxious, Edmund always finds the right words to calm her down.

Fanny grows into a fair young woman, but she is always in the shadow of her two older cousins, Maria and Julia. Her aunt, Lady Bertram, is quite fond of Fanny, as Fanny tends to her as much as she can. Mrs. Norris, Fanny’s other aunt, on the other hand, cannot stand Fanny. This aunt neglects her niece and reminds her that she is a no-one. Fanny finds comfort in Edmund, but he is to become a clergyman and is oftener away from home.

One day their neighbors, the Grants, receive visitors. Mrs. Grant’s brother and sister, Henry and Mary Crawford, are to stay for a period and are acquainted with the family at Mansfield. Henry’s flirtatious and wicked nature is early addressed to the reader, but Fanny’s cousins do not seem to notice. Maria and Julia both catch feelings for this Mr. Crawford, while Edmund takes a liking to Miss Mary Crawford. Fanny does not like either.

This addition to the family’s circle of friends brings plenty of drama, for better and worse. Fanny, with her anxious and gentle nature, is tested when Mr. Crawford’s attentions are directed at her.

It was hard to pick out the most important parts of this story for the summary above – there is so much to this book that I could talk about it for hours and hours! This book is mainly about the lives of the people at Mansfield, and therefore does not have simply one storyline. “Mansfield Park” is a combination of several events taking place at Mansfield in the course of several months.

Much of the plot and dealings throughout the book happen within Fanny’s head. Fanny is a nervous girl with many worries, thoughts, and hopes. She is what we would call an ‘overthinker’, and if I could diagnose her, I would say she has social anxiety. By reading her thoughts we get a huge understanding of her character, and I genuinely love how well-written she is.

All the characters in this book are amazingly written. Their actions reflect their personality and are quite realistic. I cannot even start to express how much I loved how Austen presented Mr. Crawford throughout the book – I believe I have never had such a strong love-hate relationship with a character ever.

I absolutely adore this book – it is one of my favorite Jane Austen books. I see myself a lot in Fanny, so when I read it, it felt as if I was present in the story. Unlike a variety of Jane Austen’s more famous stories, this book focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and worries of the characters, allowing the reader to understand the characters in depth. Fanny is also somewhat different from the typical female characters of Jane Austen (in my opinion) because she is not as outspoken as for example Elizabeth Bennet. Instead, Fanny overthinks and worries a lot, and is more introverted. She as well has strong opinions, but she more often thinks them to herself than to say it out loud – unless it is necessary. Still, she is a strong character, because she stands for what she believes, even though she does not speak the loudest.

I could write pages upon pages about this book, but I suggest you read it yourself to see what I mean. This book is truly amazing! (But quite long – I used almost two months to read it). If you are a lover of classics, “Mansfield Park” is definitely a book worth reading.