Review: Mansfield Park (novel)

Anyone who thinks Jane Austen wrote only light, comical novels has clearly never read this book.

Mansfield Park is Jane Austen's third novel, published in 1814. It's one of her less-popular and less-adapted novels. The main plot revolves around Fanny Price, a girl taken to live with her aunt and uncle who falls in love with her cousin. (Historical note: cousin marriages were not only acceptable but encouraged for most of history, and only became frowned upon in the 20th century. Even now they can legally take place in many countries, including the UK.) But if you're expecting a Pride and Prejudice-style romance, you're wrong. So wrong.

First and foremost, Mansfield Park deals with much darker subjects than either of Austen's first two novels. (Yes, Miss Austen wrote something darker than Willoughby's and Wickham's behaviour!) Our heroine is shy and timid, nothing like Elinor or Elizabeth. Fanny has been the victim of neglect from her aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, and emotional abuse from her other aunt, Mrs. Norris. The only person in the family (except for her siblings) who's kind to her is her cousin Edmund, the cousin she falls in love with. Edmund's brother Tom is a spendthrift imbecile, and his sisters Maria and Julia completely ignore Fanny. So it's obvious from the start that this book is about a pretty dysfunctional family.

Mansfield Park has some of Jane Austen's least-likeable characters. Tom and his sisters drive me up the wall, Mr. Rushworth is pitiable but not particularly memorable, Mary Crawford is an ill-mannered brat, Mrs. Norris is a cruel miser, and Henry Crawford and Maria are scumbags. The only decent people in the whole book are Fanny, Edmund, and maybe some of Fanny's siblings (who barely appear at all).

It's a testament to Austen's writing skills that as irritating as most of these characters are, they're still realistic and believable. And the good characters in the novel are just good enough to make up for everyone else's selfishness or wickedness. Fanny is probably my favourite Austen heroine precisely because she's such a shrinking violet; I can recognise myself in her much more than in the witty, not-at-all-shy Elizabeth or Emma.

Miss Austen also does something that many modern-day authors would do well to imitate: no matter how depressing the subject-matter, there's always some levity to keep the reader from giving up in despair. Even this, her darkest novel, has the humour she was so good at writing. The scene where Sir Thomas walks into the make-shift theatre and witnesses a rehearsal is Austen's funniest writing since Mr. Collins' proposal.

From the minute Maria gets engaged to Mr. Rushworth I knew this marriage would be a disaster. When Henry Crawford appeared he might as well have held up a neon sign saying "TROUBLEMAKER". So it was really no surprise when they were ran off together. I wish Austen had given them both their just desserts. But instead only Maria gets any comeuppance, while Crawford escapes without any real repercussions. Is that accurate? Yes. Is it disappointing? Yes.

It wouldn't be a Jane Austen book without a happy ending and at least one wedding, so in spite of all the depressing things that happen, Fanny marries Edmund and they get a happily ever after. Aww 😍

Overall this is probably Jane Austen's least Austenish book, but it's a very good book in spite of that.

Is it available online?: Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 8/10.