Mansfield Park (Naxos Edition)

Edition Review: The Chiltern classics are classy, collectible, and most definitely giftable. Each copy is a work of art in the gorgeous raised cover art, gilt-edged pages, thick paper stock, ribbon bookmark, and well formatted pages and font. Just above the size of a paperback and comfort-cushioned hardbound feel in hand. Readers will love this edition.Book Thoughts:Most people would turn their heads and stare to know that I love this second when I rank the six Jane Austen novels. I felt an urge to pick up this well-narrated audio version and listen in once again. I will share a ramble of thoughts on what jumped out at me this go around rather than a well-constructed review.As a teen, I think I related to Fanny's shyness, awkwardness, and I knew an underdog when I saw one. None of those early reactions of changed. Oh, granted, I've noticed her youthful immaturity come into play with her jealous condemnation or quick repudiation of some of those around her without the softer way an adult can hold to conviction with compassion and understanding (note I say 'can' because even as adults, we are quick to pounce on other people's mistakes or missteps at times).It's easy to forget Fanny is but eighteen here and she is the youngest of all the principal characters. She possesses a poise and gravity that her fickle, vain female cousins and even her aunts do not. Mary Crawford is the only of the female characters who can come close to rivaling her in intellect when she makes an effort while at Mansfield, but once back in the bosom of her shallow London friends, she shelves her brains to conform (and no, I'm not grudging people some frivolity and entertainment now and then) that it's okay to detest one's spouse and the only serious consideration when choosing said spouse is advancement or money. One can gripe to their friends about their misery and have their fun afterward even if it means sporting with or shattering another marriage.And, that sporting with other people's affections and lives is what struck me so hard this time about Henry Crawford and Mrs. Norris. Gasp, I know. I put two such people in the same sentence. He's rakish and she's parsimonious so they don't appear to have a lot in common. But, in their own ways, they share a liking for twisting people to do their will and take pleasure in it.And, that segues me nicely into why I appreciate this one. Austen is both poking fun at the all too serious folks with conviction while also giving them the grave nod that one should have discernment. The movie adaptions make most of the characters shine so they appeal while the book paints them all with a darker shade so their unappealing sides are more visible. Mary Crawford's character is where I see that most and, I do not blame the filmmakers for this choice. Someone has to be likeable, right? We wink with her over her flaws, but the book presents her with more mercenary designs that Fanny sees because her partiality shields her from the dazzle and attraction of the Crawfords. And, to give due credit, Fanny's educated and thought-filled mind help her parse out what her Bertram cousins can't and won't see particularly in Henry Crawford.Wanda McCaddon did well with the range of voices from old to young, gender, class, and personality so that I had no trouble delving into the story each time I clicked it on.The fact is I enjoy this book because I see it as part cautionary tale, part entertainment as Austen rolls out so many disparaging characters and brings them together at MP, but also part subtle complexity in that things are not only one faceted from the characters to the plot. Timid Fanny doesn't sparkle or have great appeal, but she has an inner strength that stands pat when she hits a pivotal moment of decision with everything and everyone ranged against her.

When Mansfield Park first appeared in print in 1814, it was thought of as the least romantic novel by Jane Austen.In the story, as the result of her aunt Norris’s guiles, Fanny Prices comes to live with her Aunt Lady Bertram and Uncle Sir Thomas Bertram at Mansfield Park at a young age. Fanny Price’s own family has nine children and the father is an old sailor who drinks, as Fanny’s mother, unlike her two sisters Lady Bertram and Aunt Norris, has married beneath her.The Bertrams have four children--two boys, Tom and Edmund and two girls, Maria and Julia. Of all the four children Edmund is the one who befriends and helps Fanny. Although Fanny’s situation in Mansfield Park is much better than what it would have been in the home that she was born, she is nevertheless beneath the family’s own children and often is the receiver of Aunt Norris’s contempt.Still, Fanny becomes an indispensable companion to Aunt Bertram, and although she is shy and deferential, she is better accepted once all the children reach young adult status. At this time, both Maria and Julia have come out (as debutantes) in the society, but nobody has thought of Fanny, and Fanny has never been to a ball. Edmund still is a best friend to Fanny and is becoming ready to be ordained.In the meantime, Sir Thomas leaves for Antigua to take care of his plantations. About the same time, the Crawford siblings Henry and Mary arrive in the neighborhood, Henry begins flirting with Maria, who falls for him, and Edmund goes after Mary while Fanny has secretly fallen in love with Edmund. Then all the young people get involved in the production of the play.Up to here in the story, I had to force myself to read on because the social class distinctions and the fake politeness of speech and manner got to me, which I am sure, an author of Austen’s caliber correctly portrayed the English society of early nineteenth century. With the production of the play and the events that followed it, the story finally captured me and I read it to its end.As to its end, nearly everyone gets married and is not all that happy, except for Edmund and Fanny. Although I am not all that much in favor of first cousins marrying, it has been done in most societies and the twists and turns just before that have made the reading of this novel quite interesting.The writing style of the author is insightful not only where the characters are concerned but also with the social structure, scenery and settings, and civility and ethics requirements of the times. One thing that separates Austen’s style from that of today’s understanding of style is that author information as to Austen’s judgment is inserted quite often and especially during denouement; however, the writing is detailed and empathetic specifically where Fanny is concerned. Also, the author begins by showing a setting or an event, and then she zeroes into the characters. As such, most of the internal story is told by the author and not shown by the dialogue or other tools of fiction.Characterization is exquisite with most of the primary characters’ behaviors differing from one another.The ending is told not shown and it ends abruptly with the author saying, she is purposely not showing the details of events or the realization of the change in Edmund. “ I purposely abstain from dates on this occasion, that every one may be at liberty to fix their own, aware that the cure of unconquerable passions, and the transfer of unchanging attachments, must vary much as to time in different people. I only entreat everybody to believe that exactly at the time when it was quite natural that it should be so, and not a week earlier, Edmund did cease to care about Miss Crawford, and became as anxious to marry Fanny as Fanny herself could desire.”Unlike most readers who love Victorian or Georgian Romance Novels, I had always stayed away from them because of what I deemed as pretentiousness that turned me off. After reading Mansfield Park, however, I am getting warmed up to reading another such novel.

I've been a Jane Austen fan for a while now. My favorite of her works was Persuasion until I read this book. I absolutely loved Mansfield Park! Like all her other works, there is romance throughout, but not the near erotica of today's romance. There's no sex, no innuendo, no open sexual flirtation, just a little hand-holding (rare) or a kiss (very rare), but primarily just the interesting conversation and lively interactions between ladies and gentlemen.Mansfield Park is the story of Fanny Price. Fanny was born to a rather poor family with a load of children. When her mother's older sister offers to raise Fanny, she is sent to live at Mansfield Park at the age of 10, far away from her family and closest sibling, her older brother William. However, she takes of residence with her aunt and uncle Mr. and Mrs. Bertram and their four children - Tom, Edmund, Maria, and Julia. While growing up, she becomes close friends with Edmund and a personal helper to Mrs. Bertram. She is quite content with her second-place role to the rest of the children in the family. Also, there was Mrs. Norris, Fanny's other aunt and Mrs. Bertram's sister who is a continual busy-body in their life and reminding Fanny of how grateful she should be for the wonderful life she had been given.The meat of the story falls just after Fanny turns 18. The elder sister of the Bertram family, Maria, lands a fiance and eventually a husband in the wealthy, but boring Mr. Rushworth. A new preacher moves into the area and his wife brings her younger sister and brother for an extended visit. The sister, Mary Crawford, begins to court Edmund and the brother, Henry, is a player who plays with the emotions between Maria and Julia. Eventually, there is a big kerfuffle at which point Maria's husband decides to remove himself and his wife to his estate to the north, away from Henry Crawford, Henry Crawford is essentially banned, and both Crawfords retire to town. Edmund is heart-broken, Fanny is heart-broken for Edmund, Julia is heart-broken, and Maria finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage. Later, Henry Crawford pops back up when Fanny is visiting family and begins to court her. Fanny attempts to shake off the courtship but cannot seem to manage it. Eventually, Henry returns to town to wait for her he says while Fanny tries to convince Edmund that Mary Crawford doesn't really love him.It is a highly emotionally charged book. I loved Fanny and felt a strong connection with her. You felt each one of her emotions as she dealt with her growing emotions and love for different people. Her emotions are so pure and real you cannot help but relate to her. I found myself often yelling at the other characters because you could see what should happen but everyone was messing around. It was a fabulous book that I will be reading again.

Re-reading Jane Austen is one of the most rewarding things in life. I thought I knew Mansfield Park, having read it years ago. But the novel surprised and enthralled me all over again.In Mansfield Park, first published in 1814, everyone pretty much gets what he or she deserves. And there's something tremendously satisfying about that.The timid heroine, Fanny Price, is brought to Mansfield Park at age ten to relieve her struggling parents of a mouth to feed. She's destined to be the invisible, insignificant, useful, poor relation living by charity in the grand household of her uncle Sir Thomas Bertram, his wife and their two sons and two daughters.As the lowest and least among them, Fanny becomes a keen observer of human nature. And while her own feelings are constantly getting trampled upon or ignored, she develops tremendous compassion for everyone, even those who despise her.All the wrong people fall in love with each other, and Fanny is no exception. Mansfield Park is a feast of love tangles, power struggles and shocking behavior over money and position.I won't say anything about the plot, except that it's complex and utterly engrossing - or the characters, except that they're a wonderful mix of witty, worldly, naïve, infuriating, endearing and absurd.The introduction (best read last) more than fulfilled my desire for scholarly insights. Among other things, June Sturrock draws a compelling parallel between Sir Thomas's domestic tyranny and his slave plantation, uncovers depths of character in Fanny beneath her quiet exterior - and cleverly analyzes the curious prose style of the novel's ending.Whether you're reading this novel for the first time or replacing a tattered old copy, I'd definitely recommend the Broadview edition of Mansfield Park.

I must preface my review by admitting that I am hardly an Austen aficionado (this being my second read from her), although I have watched many film adaptations of her works. It appears through looking at criticisms and reviews that many are divided on this novel because of the novel’s protagonist, Fanny Price.I have criticisms of the novel, but they were not because of Fanny, who I felt was a redeeming figure in the novel in a sea of rather unpleasant characters. While not exactly the most engaging character, at least she was a character could readily root for, has some substance, and does have moments where she sticks to her convictions. I understand, however, that Austen was purposeful in how we as readers respond to her characters.I tended to sympathize with Fanny because I looked at the book through the lens of her background and situation vs. what she experiences when she arrives at Mansfield Park and how others treat her. Austen does an apt job examining and comparing the different class structures and stations through her characters and their situations and conflicts. (Although I will readily admit some of the intricacies probably went over my head). Fanny, from the point she arrives, must work through these differences both internally and externally.So, there is a good deal of complexity within the novel in terms of prevalent themes of the day (class, marriage, gender roles, social constructs), and criticizing and putting these social conventions under a microscope. And yet, I still cannot say this is novel I found very enjoyable.This is because of the other issue I had with the novel, and that is its structure and length. The novel is structured into three volumes, and it is only in the final volume that events move at a decent pace, and we see how things will pan out, conflicts resolved. The two volumes felt extremely overwritten, and we are hit with a preponderance of characters who are not very memorable. I just felt like the first two volumes could have been condensed, but I realized that Austen was writing in serial format.There is, curiously enough, a chunk of the book dedicated to many of the characters trying to cast and put on an extravagant play (“Lover’s Vows”). Some complain about this section and wonder where it comes from or why it is in the book. I didn't mind this section at all, and the failed aspects of the play seem to signify and parallel the failed aspects and dynamics of so many romantic ideals and relationships contained within the plot.Overall, I felt divided, as some parts were just difficult to wade through in the first volumes. However, I am always impressed how Jane Austen boldly criticizes the social issues and conventions of her day through her themes, characters, and plot, and see seems to accomplish this here in Mansfield Park.

It took me a whole month to read this book. I started enjoying the book about halfway through it, which improved my reading progress. I'm spite of not enjoying the early part of the plot, I still love many of the passages due to Austen's clever writing. I would have better enjoyed rushing through the theatrical section and dragging out the resolution. But for some reason Jane opted to write it the other way.

“Be honest and poor, by all means — but I shall not envy you; I do not much think I shall even respect you. I have a much greater respect for those that are honest and rich.” (loc 3070)The first half of this iconic novel fascinated me. It examines the forces that shape the person we become – the early experiences, hardships, and setbacks that form our character and worldview, and the cumulative effect of seemingly small matters. It does so through a story of a well-to-do family that voluntarily and enthusiastically adopts a niece from a decidedly less privileged home. The surrogate caregivers are largely well-intentioned, but they are painfully blind, sometimes willfully so. Their generosity has limits – “come this far but no further”. They insist on maintaining distance and distinction: we love you, but you are not one of us. Austen tells the story with penetrating insight and dry humor. She employs extended set pieces (especially a brilliant, convoluted, multi-chapter saga of the preparation for a family theatrical production) that serve to highlight relationships, character flaws, conflicts, and changing allegiances.The second half of the novel frustrated me a bit: I expected a nuanced account of the niece’s adult life, but I encountered instead a series of lengthy slogs involving little more than romantic machinations: genteel triangles; heavy-handed flirting; jealousies; marriage intentions, offers, acceptances, refusals, and consequences. But Austen eventually comes through: one extended storyline thoughtfully contrasts life in a chaotic, lower-class household with that in a calmer but overly structured, privileged one. More importantly, a series of late-breaking surprises opens the story to a somewhat larger agenda. Austen meets the moment: a subtle, easy-to-miss twist on the opening page of the final chapter (tantalizing and not entirely explained; fulfilling an isolated throwaway line earlier in the book) sets the tone for a fitting if not entirely satisfying finishing stretch.Early nineteenth century prose can be hard on modern readers, and Austen is sometimes opaque even by the norms of the day. I often had trouble keeping the characters straight, and I occasionally struggled to figure out who was speaking. I especially found difficult the challenge of keeping track of who was romantically attracted to whom. But the prize is worth the effort.The digital text in this Kindle edition (ClassicBooks by KTHTK 2025) is clean, but the text is all you get – there are no supplementary essays, commentary, or footnotes.

This whole set are beautiful books. THIS IS ONLY ONE BOOK FROM THE MATCHING SET. Each book matches and they are adorable. My daughter absolutely loves them!

Reviews call this the darkest of Austen's novels. It has a psychological dept that her other books, lighter and more satyrical, lack. A good insight on trauma, love and honor.

Ich habe dieses Buch gewählt (in Englisch - meine zweite Muttersprache), weil ich ein großer Fan von Jane Austen bin. Da ich es zuletzt in meiner Jugend gelesen hatte, wollte ich es einfach gern noch einmal lesen und war wieder angetan über die Art und Weise, wie uns Jane Austen die Menschen der damaligen "höheren" Schicht und ihre Doppelmoral darbringt. Die Sprache natürlich vom Feinsten, wenn man das alte noch sehr elegante Englisch mag. Sicherlich aber mehr ein Buch für Frauen, die gern über Liebe und Leiden lesen mögen.H. Redington-Narewski

On retrouve des thématiques chères à Austen, entre une vieille tante méchante avaricieuse qui rappellera (en encore plus mesquin) la Fanny de Raison et Sentiments; une pauvre mère (celle de l'héroïne) qui donne littéralement sa fille pour qu'elle ait un futur; un amour entre deux personnes de rang inégal (quoique) et enfin, un beau mariage pour une jeune fille méritante, au caractère trempé, à la morale inflexible, mais à la timidité bien d'époque.Admirable dans la manière dont le récit est cadré, et ambiance délicieuse.Enfin, excellente édition pas chère et de qualité, permettant d'acheter et de racheter les volumes, dans le cadre de voyages.

ジュリエット・スティーブンソンによる『マンスフィールド・パーク』の朗読ＣＤ（完全版：Unabridged）について。ＣＤ14枚で約16時間50分。ジュリエット・スティーブンソンの声はクリアでとても聞きやすいです。また皮肉っているところなどは、くすっと笑わずにはいられないほど、です。登場人物毎に声や話し方を変えるので、聞いているうちに情景が目に浮かぶようです。さらにそれぞれの人のやさしさやずるさなど、色々なものが聞いているうちに、すっと心に入ってきます。声の強弱や力の入れ方などが巧みで、はらはらどきどきしながら「この先、どうなるのだろう？」と聞いています。朗読者の声や話し方、スピードなどが不安であれば、版元のNaxos AudioBooksで試聴できるので、そちらでまずはお試し下さい。なお、硬い紙箱の中に、厚紙で１枚ずつ包装されています。ジュリエット・スティーブンソンの朗読はとても聞きやすいので、オススメします。

Mansfield Park is Jane Austen's third novel, regarded by most critics as her most mature and complex work. However, given the unpopularity surrounding the novel, it is easy to relegate this work to the margins in favour of her other, more celebrated works. The one puzzling aspect of this is what exactly contributes to the widespread apathy towards this work. Lionel Trilling, the celebrated Austen critic and scholar, once famously wrote of Mansfield: "For those who admire her it is likely to make an occasion of embarrassment. By the same token it is the novel which the depreciators of Jane Austen may cite most tellingly in justification of their antagonism."In popular discourse, Austen figures as the creator of fiery, intelligent women who deliver scathingly witty repartees and refuse to bow down to societal norms and pressures of what a 'good girl' is supposed to do. Austen is seen, and not incorrectly, as the subverter and critique of the stifling expectations laid down on Victorian women, as exemplified through women like Lizzie Bennet, Emma Woodhouse and Elinor Dashwood. When you keep that in mind while reading Mansfield Park, the character of Fanny Price feels almost like a betrayal: here is a girl who is poor, lacking in health, vitality and beauty, and apparently seems to have none of that feistiness or pizzazz that her literary predecessors had. Rightly so. Fanny Price comes across meek, timid, submissive, and seems to uphold rigid ideas of feminine virtues (recall especially the episode of the private theatricals, where she is shocked by the fact that her cousins are enacting women blatantly lacking in modesty).However, as a literature student, it falls to my happy lot to scratch below the surface. Fanny, by virtue of her modesty and meekness, becomes the moral compass of the novel, quietly but insistently guiding the characters at Mansfield. She is also the perfect embodiment of what Locke calls the 'modern self', able to choose wisely for herself and possessing the discerning ability to pick long-term happiness over short-term gratification, unlike her Bertram cousins.Mansfield Park is a complex, multilayered work which, initially can come across as boring and tedious. However, it is in this novel that Austen's true literary genius shines.The Penguin Edition, annotated with an introduction by Kathryn Sutherland, is as wonderful as one could expect Penguin to be. The book was delivered promptly in one day.