After having read (and loved) Jane Austens more famous novels EMMA and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, you will find MANSFIELD PARK a true delight. Fanny Price is taken in by her wealthy aunt and uncle as charity to her more lowly-married mother, and is raised with her cousins with the idea she needs refinement and education to become as good a woman as her lesser social standing will allow. Fanny is nervous and self-effacing, struggling with her new situation until her cousin Edmund makes her feel more at home. Gradually, she feels like a part of the family, although the nagging sense of unworthiness always asserts itself. As cousins marry and suitors appear, as scandals arise and emotions become known, Fanny finds herself in the equivalent of a Victorian soap opera. <p> Fanny is undoubtedly one of Austens less assertive characters, although she does mature into a woman who knows what she wants and will accept no less. Youll love Fanny and her honesty, the little girl who fears the stars in her eyes and still manages to grow up into a respectable – and respected – woman. Her complexities are subtle and understated, making the reader work at times to understand her motivation, although anyone who has felt like an outcast even once, or anyone who respects honesty, will identify with her. In true Austen fashion, the observations are witty, with pointed social analysis and cynicism dressed up in sly humor. Fannys aunts in particular are skewered, but no one, not even Fanny, is spared. <p> Readers picking up this novel for the sheer delight of it will find it difficult to put down, as its language is accessible and free-flowing. Students and book club members who must pay closer attention to themes and other literary issues may want to consider the role social standing and money play; the evolution of Fannys character (and whether she is sympathetic); the techniques Austen uses to evoke humor; and the courtship protocol for Victorian England and how the characters both work within, and violate, the social rules. <p> This book is highly recommended for teenagers and adults alike, especially those whose literary tastes run toward the classics.
