I recently completed my first reading of Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park." My copy was included with a gorgeous Jane Austen book set that I got from Easton Press some time back. It includes a couple dozen full color illustrations and the spines of the series present a nice party scene when next to each other on the bookshelf.
I adored this book and Fanny Price, the main character of the novel. She is sent off to live with her aunt and uncle at Mansfield Park early in the novel. Her traditional home had been a lower-class house with lower class sophistication. Not a bad thing at all, mind you, but a stark difference from the environment at Mansfield Park, which was wealthy and sophisticated.
That sophistication only went so far, though, as one of her cousins ends up in a disgraceful situation late in the novel. People, no matter their class, certainly are subject to human shortcomings and can experience failures. In Julia's case, she had fallen in love with one of Fanny's suitors, Mr. Henry Crawford. Mr. Crawford had been patiently imploring Fanny to accept him; however, she resisted seemingly presciently understanding that his character would fall short of his promise. Mr. Crawford was a wealthy man, and a good match, but was prone to short-sightedness.
In the first half of the novel, there is an adorable scene where cousins and local friends endeavor to do a play in Mansfield Park during Sir Thomas Bertram's absence, Fanny's uncle and the head-of-household at Mansfield Park. He ends up arriving home unexpectedly early yet late in the group's preparations for the play. Sir Thomas is decidedly unappreciative of their efforts, but actually, to me, seemed rather cordial about it all considering how much disruption to the household had been caused. The group had painted walls, moved furniture, invested in clothing for costumes, and so forth.
"Mansfield Park" wasn't my favorite Jane Austen, but it was an outstanding book, and I had a lot of fun reading it. My favorite is probably "Pride and Prejudice," but I have not yet read the whole set of Jane Austen books. I highly recommend "Mansfield Park" for anyone who loves period pieces related to the early 1800's in Great Britain. Fantastic book and I am now one volume short of finishing the collection!
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