Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park is usually the least loved novel with the Jane Austen fans. It is probably because the Fanny of MP is so unlike the other heroines. She is timid to a degree of fault. So much so that she even frustrates the reader unlike the others protagonists who are ‘faultless despite all their faults’. What this novel brings out is the importance of principles. Principles strong and unerring that don’t change in the face of temptation. The characters are well brought out. The villains are very interesting and likeable. They haven’t been portrayed in black and white.
Edmund has often been reviled as soft and indecisive. But I found him more humane and loving than Fanny. Fanny was stubborn in her own ways. But Edmund, sweet Edmund, stood-up for what was right and always protected Fanny. His fault may have been of simple naïveté . He saw the charms of London breeding in a country setting and fell for it. His conduct appeared more natural than that of Fanny.
All in all I enjoyed the book even though it drags sometimes. Especially the musings of Fanny. The drama is provided by the Crawfords.

Austen gives a feministic approach to this novel. Fanny’s judgements seem to never err while other’s in her family circle does on certain subjects. A thoroughly enjoyable book with only the lengthy descriptions as the drawbacks.