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Mansfield Park Audiobook
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(4.03) - 30 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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 treated condescendingly. 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.
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"I was shocked when I found out that Fanny Price was the most controversial/disliked of all the Austen heroines, and I frankly do not understand the backlash. She is actually quite an interesting character: she is convinced that she herself is worthless, yet her conscience is incredibly valuable. Jane Bennett would be exactly like Fanny Price if she had been brought up in similar circumstances. If any Cinderella ever deserved her prince (or at least country parson) it has got to be Fanny Price!"
— Jojo (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Lots of people (including Austen’s mother) find the heroine Fanny ‘insipid,’ but as a shy person I identify with her and love how she learns to speak up for herself.”
— Alison Bechdel, New York Times bestselling author -
“The technique of the novels is beyond praise, and has been praised. Her mastery of the art she chose, or that chose her, is complete: how she achieved it no one will ever know.”
— Elizabeth Bowen, New York Times bestselling author -
“Jane Austen paints some witty and perceptive studies of character.”
— School Library Journal -
“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 -
“Never did any novelist make more use of an impeccable sense of human values.”
— Virginia Woolf, praise for the author -
“There’s no one to touch Jane [Austen] when you’re in a tight place.”
— Rudyard Kipling, praise for the author
Awards
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O Magazine Pick of 25 Books Every Woman Should Read in Her Lifetime
Mansfield Park Listener Reviews
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" excellent but not my favourite. "
— Lynn, 2/5/2014 -
" I had to force myself to finish this novel. Fanny is representative of her time, place, and social status, and her relatives do a great job of reminding her how much she owes to their generosity and benevolence. But she is maddeningly meek for some of us modern readers. Can't say that I'll ever re-read this one from the Austen canon. "
— Donna, 2/5/2014 -
" More delicious characters and situations from my favorite author. "
— Elizabeth, 2/2/2014 -
" Please let this be the last Austen I have to read. 400+ pages of characters that seem interchangeable with characters from her other novels, and all the action in the book occurs in the last 50 pages and is barely described at all. Some good topics for discussion posts but I am still mystified by her seemed importance as a novelist. "
— Richard, 1/23/2014 -
" This book left me feeling cheated. Slow to gain momentum, I trudged slowly through the first half. Once all of the characters were fully realized, things got interesting. Then at the end, all of the loose ends were tied together, packaged up, and cinched up with a bow of a happy ending in the last 12 pages. Though I respect Jane Austen as an author, this novel was a disappointment. "
— Amy, 1/6/2014 -
" This is one of my all time favorite books ever! "
— Kendra, 12/24/2013 -
" Pretty good, but not my favorite Jane Austen book. "
— VeeDawn, 12/14/2013 -
" Not my favourite Austen novel. Main character too meek for belief. "
— Lynnekfisher, 10/17/2013 -
" A nice twist on an Austen book - this one is more complex, not as easily figured out. I appreciate that. It seems like Austen was challenging herself to write outside of what she knew and was accustomed to, and that's always an admirable quality in a writer. "
— Sarah, 10/11/2013 -
" What was with the rushed ending? The main character's name being Fanny and her reserved character and constant reluctance to say to most things reminded me a lot of Evelina by Fanny Burney. I'm wondering if she did that on purpose. I'm sure she was familiar with the work. "
— Nipuna, 9/10/2013 -
" Blah... Definitely not my favorite Austen. How was this even made into a movie? "
— Sarah, 4/17/2013 -
" I adore every novel Austen penned, but this one is definitely among my favorites. It doesn't matter how many times I read it, I fall in love with it anew every time! "
— Kiri, 3/6/2013 -
" One of my favorite of her novels "
— Alana, 1/31/2013 -
" An enjoyable read, but not my favorite work by Jane Austen. "
— Ashley, 9/26/2012 -
" This is actually my favourite Jane Austen book, I love it and read it about once a year. "
— Roberta, 8/10/2012 -
" Meh...character development was excellent, of course, but the plot was too drawn out for my taste. "
— Rosanne, 5/23/2012 -
" Can't stand Fanny - I understand the book has many themes, blah, blah, blah. Not an entertaining read - not a lot happened. P&P, S&S, Emma all so much better. "
— Susan, 10/27/2011 -
" may be this book wasn't good as the other Austen novels but I enjoy reading it... "
— Mariam, 9/1/2011 -
" This is the ultimate collection for any Jane Austin fan. It is gorgeous and look amazing on the shelf!! "
— Shellie, 4/2/2011 -
" Love the novels, but this collection of Austen's works was so big and heavy that I found it awkward to read. I donated it to the library. "
— Cristiana, 3/8/2011 -
" Amazing book set, beautiful and well bound. Love having them all together in one compilation and what a set! <br/>Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors of all time! "
— Telisha, 3/5/2011 -
" An excellent collection, though lacking Austen's unfinished and unpublished work, it nevertheless beautifully presents all of her novels in a nice form. For details on individual novels, please see their respective reviews. 5/5 "
— Kereesa, 3/2/2011 -
" I've read Pride & Prejudice and am now reading Sense & Sensibility. Along with reading these books, I am also collecting 2 versions each of the films. I enjoy them that much. "
— Ryver, 2/25/2011 -
" I absolutely adore Jane Austen, I have read this entire book at least 20 times. "
— Elle, 2/20/2011 -
" Highly impractical pocket for seven must-reads that deserve nice linen bindings.. At the time of publishing, e-books were not yet available. Nowadays, choose those to save on your holiday luggage.. "
— David, 2/15/2011 -
" bought it at a Spiritualist fete for £1. For all of her books, not a bad price. Unfortunately, it's also about a bazillion pages which makes it difficult to hold, and the font is awfully tiny. "
— Megan, 2/4/2011 -
" The best collection of books! Whatever mood you are in,t here is an Austen novel to compliment! "
— Rosie, 1/16/2011 -
" Jane Austen's works all in one edition. It can't get much better than this. "
— Esther, 1/12/2011 -
" I love Jane Austen. This is one of the few I keep on my shelf to re-read when I'm in the mood "
— Frances, 1/8/2011
About Jane Austen
Jane Austen (1775–1817) is considered by many scholars to be the first great woman novelist. Born in Steventon, England, she later moved to Bath and began to write for her own and her family’s amusement. Her novels, set in her own English countryside, depict the daily lives of provincial middle-class families with wry observation, a delicate irony, and a good-humored wit.
About Johanna Ward
Johanna Ward (a.k.a. Kate Reading) is an Audie Award–winning narrator and has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine. She is also a theater actor in the Washington, DC, area and has been a member of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company since 1987. Her work onstage has been recognized by the Helen Hayes Awards Society, among others. She and her husband live in Hyattsville, Maryland, with their two children.