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Jazmin Byrum

Did not receive a penguin clothbound classic edition

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2019

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This is a rating based on the copy of the book itself. NOT the actual story itself, which is absolutely amazing and a great classic. That being said;
I ordered a used copy of the Mansfield Park Penguin Clothboud Classics, and what I received was a copy published by Modern Library. I don’t plan to return it because I live overseas and it takes forever for items to make it to our FPO address.
But it is unfortunate that the book I ordered did not arrive from the publisher advertised. It doesn’t match the rest of my Jane Austen books from Penguin, which is a bit upsetting. I recommend ordering from thrift books or better world books. Hawking Books missed the mark on this one, and I don’t believe I will be placing an order through them again.

Kindle Customer

A meat and potatoes read

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2020

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Phew! This is a bit heavy. Suffocating, and tense, MANSFIELD PARK is experienced theough the eyes of Fanny Price, the poor relation who goes to live there at age 10. She grows up there with her sleepy aunt, strict uncle, and four cousins. By the time the Crawford brother and sister come to visit the neighbourhood, we can almost predict the course of the young people's lives...this is the least popular and most controversial of Austen's novels. Fanny is either hated or loved, and Mary Crawford inspires the same feelings. I love Fanny, though she irritates me. Nobody is going to tell her who to marry. She has a secret love, who is in love with somebody else.

In the novel, we're taken on a tour of Sotherton Court, a fine old country house. It's the setting for some important scenes.
The minor characters jump off the page. Fanny's other aunt, Mrs. Norris, is a nasty woman. But her dialogues are highly entertaining.

Antoinette Aubert

Well done Dramatization of a great book

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2019

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Audio books are expensive. I've bought inexpensive audio books before and been terribly disappointed in the quality of the performance. But The Classic Collection is very well done. Frances Barber does a terrific job of bringing Jane Austen's characters to life and giving each their own voice. I am truly amazed at such a quality performance at such a low price.

I've read all of Jane Austen books, countless times. But a great audio book can bring out nuances in the books that even through many readings can be missed. France Barber's reading of Mansfield Park is just such a great audio book.

I got some gift cards for my birthday and I am going to use them to buy some more of The Classic Collection audiobooks.

Nimbuzz

Jane Austin Rocks but This edition doesn't!!

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2018

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I've heard it said that Jane Austin's novels are only about a bunch of prissy aristocratic debutantes gossiping about men. Myself as more of a rough and tough cowboy hippie than an aristocrat think that Jane is one of the best writers ever and if you follow the above-referred to conversations you will realize that nearly every sentence is developing a character. These characters are classic = the type one will run into in life so you get an invaluable real education about people.
However, this particular edition is OVERSIZED = it's NOT a normal paperback but is 8x11" so it doesn't fit on bedstands, desks in daypacks & etc. It is printed in the US on clear white paper but the print is tiny. I returned it :-(

Joan Ashley

I doubt I'll ever love any of Jane Austen's novels as much as I ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2016

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I doubt I'll ever love any of Jane Austen's novels as much as I love Pride and Prejudice, but I'm nevertheless bemused by why any reader would give this entertaining journey into the past less than a four-star ranking. Perhaps it's because it's viewed as historical fiction. But Jane Austen didn't write historical fiction. She wrote about the times she lived in and has provided us with invaluable insight into the way the English upper crust thought, behaved, and spoke in the Regency era. Entering one of her novels is like entering a time capsule in which nothing has been changed to facilitate our modern point of view. Perhaps Jane Austen is not for those who aren't adventurous time travelers who want a taste of the real thing. As L.P. Hartley so aptly put it, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."

M. H. S.

What a Bore!

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2018

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This well known and well respected classic was one of the most disappointing books I ever read. l It went on and on with no resolution until the very last chapter which was a synopsis of everyone's circumstances which had been set up by the barrel-full in page after page, chapter after chapter. Why did I stay with it, I thought surely there'd be some sort of plot/character resolution - not! Just a review.

A classic edition of Mansfield Park

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2020

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Mansfield Park is Miss Austen's least romantic tale (I believe) but a great character study. A controversial book, rife with adultery, betrayal, social ruin and broken friendships, spiced with Austen's gentle satire. It proves that strength and bravery can come wrapped in quietude and grace as opposed to loud and forward behaviour in the heroine of a book.
Fanny Price is sort of a Cinderella coming from a poor family to live with her wealthy cousins but not in any way as their equal.
I struggle more with our hero, Edmund Bertram but I guess he will grow on me by my next reread of this book.

MP is perhaps reflection-heavy but I do not mind when the reflections are beautifully written.
Another advantage to this particular edition is that it is in Jane Austen's original spelling, it has not been altered...

Heartily recommend!

Rated: Chaste

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Reading Books Fan Debs

Beautiful to see and read!!! A keepsake!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2020

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Chiltern Publishing
****Thank you******
The book itself is so....beautiful, the cover, the pages, the weight, an absolute pleasure.
The story is about, Love , wealth, society and marriage.
I can't believe the story is still relevant in today's world as it was back then.
The writing is 'wordy ' but wonderful descriptive, a joy to read.
This is my 2nd book from Chiltern Publishing, Pride and Prejudice was my first, both beauties inside and out!!!!

Consumer

Thoroughly enjoyable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2019

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I love Jane Austen and although this is perhaps not as neatly plotted as Pride and Prejudice, and slightly wordy in places, it is still an absolute delight. One that I will reread and reread again, with real pleasure. If you need to relax, read Jane Austen.

Aletheuon

Beautifully written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 11, 2014

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Fanny Price is the niece of Lady Bertram, who lives at Mansfield Park with her kindly but rather remote husband, Sir Thomas Bertram and their four children, Tom, Edmund, Julia and Maria. Nearby lives mean-spirited Mrs Norris, Lady Bertram's widowed sister. At the tender age of ten, Fanny is brought to Mansfield Park because her mother, their other sister, has nine children and little money. Lonely and insecure, Fanny learns that her status in the family is low and she is not much more than an unpaid servant. She learns early that she cannot expect much attention or consideration; this turns out to be much better for her character than the privileged upbringing and expensive education of her four cousins. Edmund is the only one who shows real consideration for her and before long she falls hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him. Sir Thomas goes abroad for a time and, revelling in their freedom from his strictness, his children decide to act in a play. It is just for themselves and their friends, but the consequences turn out to be disastrous...
This is Jane Austen's third novel, published in 1814. Most of her novels feature lively heroines with a sense of independence and humour, but Fanny Price is timid and gentle, physically delicate and emotionally vulnerable. She has strong sense of duty, a strong religious faith and is humble and self-effacing. Many people have called her boring and I did find her submissiveness and extreme sensitivity irritating at times. Jane Austen presents her as having a deep sense of propriety and of true moral values. The idea of it being rather shocking to act in a 'worldly' play seems strange today, when we don't set the same value on proper behaviour and moral purity or require young women to be sexually innocent until marriage. However, it becomes clear as the book progresses that the play was not a good idea and exposed young people to follies and temptations for which they were not prepared.
This isn't (in my opinion) such an entertaining story as 'Emma' or 'Pride and Prejudice', but in its own delicate way it is quite a powerful commentary on moral and social standards in eighteenth century society - and in ours.
I enjoyed this novel, both as a love story and as a picture of upper-class society and its values at that time. On the whole, the younger people in it are frivolous, shallow and pleasure-seeking; Fanny is a better person at least partially because she has been denied access to these pleasures. The older folk don't appear in much better light - Lady Bertram is lazy, unthinking and has no depth of feeling; Mrs Norris is spiteful, mean and small-minded; Mrs Price is like Lady Bertram without the money, running a disorganised, grubby home and neglecting the educational and moral needs of her children. Women have status and security only through marriage and so quite often sell themselves on the marriage market to men they do not love or respect. People often behave in a flawed and selfish manner. I'm told all this is meant to be funny; I didn't laugh, but I did appreciate the satire and biting social commentary.
There's no doubt that Jane Austen was a perceptive and intelligent writer, deserving her place in the list of great British novelists. This is the kind of novel that can be read and re-read with profit, gaining new pleasures from it each time.

Ceri at Babblings of a Bookworm

Nature v Nurture explored, and a heroine that takes a while to like

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2013

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Mansfield Park.

I first read this book back when I was a teenager and I wasn't that fussed on it. I didn't take to Fanny Price, the heroine of this tale, thinking that she was a bit of a drip, and I didn't find the story romantic enough. I decided to read the book again wondering how differently I'd see it being that much older. I am so glad I decided to re-read it, as I felt I appreciated it so much more than I did before.

Fanny Price's mother suffers from a surplus of children compared to income. As was fairly common at the time, Fanny is taken in, at age 10 by another relative, her aunt (Lady Bertram) who is married to Sir Thomas Bertram, the owner of Mansfield Park. The Bertrams have 4 children, two boys, Tom and Edmund, and two younger girls, Maria and Julia, the youngest of which is about 2 years older than Fanny. Also heavily involved over at Mansfield Park is Lady Bertram's sister, Mrs Norris. There is no real expectation that Fanny will be brought up as one of them as her prospects would always have been less; she is brought up instead as a poor relation. The children aren't especially all that interested in her, aside from Edmund, 6 years Fanny's senior who takes pity on her and looks after her. Indolent Lady B finds her useful for being at her beck and call and Mrs Norris (who is a truly horrible woman) really dislikes Fanny. Mrs Norris seems to feel that any kindness she shows towards Fanny will somehow be disrespectful towards her other nieces, who she very much spoils. Although taught good manners the Bertram children are not encouraged to learn good principles - they aren't compassionate, thoughtful or self-denying. Edmund is the only Bertram child who has much in the way of principles, and they must have been innate to him.

The main events of the book begin when the Crawfords come into the area. Mr Henry Crawford is a very vain man, who thoughtlessly enjoys making young ladies fall in love with him, and he succeeds with both Maria (who is engaged to an empty-headed man of fortune, Mr Rushworth) and Julia Bertram. Henry's sister Miss Mary Crawford, is attractive and charming, but neither of them necessarily have good principles either.

This book took a while to get into, as most of the characters are pretty unlikeable. Fanny herself, although a good person, is so timid and shy that it takes a while to like her rather than merely feel sympathy for her. For a modern reader some of the things which I presume would have been obvious to a contemporary reader weren't immediately understandable. For example, in Sir Thomas's absence to visit his plantation in Antigua a decision is made to put together a play and both Fanny and Edmund are vehemently opposed to this scheme as being improper. For a modern reader it's hard to understand why this would be the case - the play they choose is obviously inappropriate, but it seems as though the principle of putting any play on is improper. Another thing that doesn't necessarily translate to a modern reader is Fanny's distrust of the Crawfords. In many ways they are quite likeable, even though he is quite rakish and his sister sees no problem with this. I can understand why Fanny didn't like them but I DID like them.

Fanny herself I grew to like, but she is not as easy to like as other Austen heroines. She is a good person, and very unloved, and put upon. She is quite intolerant of weakness of character in others, although she is careful not to let this show inappropriately. She is quite a clear-sighted and shrewd judge of character but she is quite unforgiving in her judgements. I was beginning to despair in her, but she shows a bit of growth in her tolerance levels when she gets to know her sister and realises how principled she is despite the environment that she has grown up in.

A strong theme in this book, and one which gave me a lot of food for thought, is nature v nurture. How the Bertram siblings turned out with an indolent mother, a harsh father, and brought up mostly by an interfering old busybody aunt who spoilt them and encouraged them to think well of themselves and what they were due and denied them nothing. How the Crawford siblings turned out, brought up in a home with a very unhappy marriage, clear 'sides' and no principles. How alike in nature Mrs Price and her sister Lady Bertram are, and how differently they now are due to the big difference in their financial situations. A visit to her mother's home in Portsmouth (where Fanny is even more unloved than in Mansfield Park) teaches Fanny a lot and she realises how much being at Mansfield Park has shaped her character. A crisis calls her 'home' to Mansfield Park - finally Fanny is appreciated more truly there, and her family there have also begun to know themselves and each other more truly too.

Once I got into this book I really enjoyed it. I won't leave it so long until the next re-read! I'd like to find a good DVD adaptation of it too; I've seen a couple which I wasn't that impressed with, but I don't suppose that this is the easiest book to translate to the screen.

Kindle Customer

Another Austen gem

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2020

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Have to admit I am a huge fan of Jane Austen so I rather buased. This novel is "meatier" than her others as it mentions the profits of slavery just changed by law at the time, as well as touching upon poverty in a large family. It is less coy on the matter of Georgian courtship and an amazing psychological understanding of her crwation, Henry Crawford .?
Like all her novels the clever gentle irony is superbly written.

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