Mansfield Park

By: Jane Austen

Narrated by: Johanna Ward

Fanny Price, a poor relation of the rich Bertrams, is reluctantly adopted into the family, to be brought up at Mansfield Park, where she is condescendingly treated. Only her cousin, Edmund, a young clergyman, appreciates her fine qualities.

Fanny soon falls in love with him, but Edmund is, unfortunately, drawn to the shallow and worldly Mary Crawford. Fanny's quiet humility, steadfast loyalty, and natural goodness are matched against the wit and brilliance of her lovely rival. The tension is heightened when Henry Crawford, Mary's equally sophisticated and flirtatious brother, takes an interest in Fanny.

Jane Austen's subtle, satiric novel skillfully uses her characters' emotional relationships to explore the social and moral values by which they attempt to order their lives.

Public Domain (P)1994 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Listeners...will be rewarded with Austen's brilliant commentary on the society of her day and by Johanna Ward's solid reading....this is a lively and interesting choice for admirers of Jane Austen." (AudioFile)

Huge Austen fan, this is my new favorite

I’ve been A fan of Jane Austen since I was a child, mostly from watching BBC masterpiece interpretations, movies and modern takes on the stories like Clueless. I’ve been working my way through the books recently, starting with the better titles.
Mansfield Park is my new favorite Jane Austen book. I’ll probably dive in to listen to this book again within a twelve month.

Love all her books

Narrator is very good. Love the story. Excellent listening. I keep revisiting it as I so enjoy the story/reading

A good book, but not up to Austen's usual standard

Well written with good narration, but not Austen's best work. Does show that character matters more than station in life.

Very good narrator and solid writing

This book is entertaining, if a little cliched and expected. The narrator is great. The story is, well, Austen. The plot revolves around marriage, money, manners, and morality. One character in the book serves as an unwitting moral compass around which the other characters revolve and, quite frankly, it is easy to get tired of this character's prudence while all the while rooting for her success. Much of the moral musings--while true to the time--are outdated and oppressive. Still, the book is enjoyable. Austen is not, however, at the literary level of a Wharton or Eliot, two others whom I have been reading so much of that perhaps this review is a little unfair in its comparison.

Perhaps not her favorite, but still vintage Austen

Miss Ward had a delightful repertoire of voices for the cast, and it was very easy to distinguish the speaker.