Two stars. There were moments during the reading process when I was more inclined to assigning three stars, but some other moments definitely would be overpraised if granted one star. Generally what I admire in Austen's work are her acute literary style at the portrayal of her characters and her elegant depiction of lifestyle back on the 19th century. I like the language and figures of speech that she use and I like the chance to see how the English language was 200 years ago and I like to read how life in England was back then, narrated by a person from that period. That is something that fascinates me from classical books: it's the best shot you have at listening to stories told by people from the past.
That being said, I didn't enjoy Austen's language exquisiteness. The book is, all in all, by no means a great piece of art. The characters are too shallow; I didn't get the feeling I was "getting" their personality. The story line seems too unnatural, too forced, too predictable. After reading the first 30 pages I had already figured out a possible ending for the novel and, yes, I was right! That is a way too straightforward a story!!! Some passages are okay, but in very many you just wonder why so much time is spent in non-crucial events; why is the time flowing so slowly.
Books have to be evaluated taking into account what was happening in the world in that point in time. Mansfield Park is pioneer in discussing women's choice on marriage. Back then it was totally unheard-of for women to decline or question men's decisions. I can imagine the amount of discussions and criticism the novel might have raised upon its release. Evidently, reading the book nowadays, we are no longer stunned by this subject; enough material on it is already out.
So, yes, the book is not the cleverest choice. I was also left wondering what ever happened to the horse Fanny was supposed to get. Did she ever get one for herself? Why did she or Ms. Crawford suddenly stop riding horses or how did it stop being an issue? I guess we'll never know.
That being said, I didn't enjoy Austen's language exquisiteness. The book is, all in all, by no means a great piece of art. The characters are too shallow; I didn't get the feeling I was "getting" their personality. The story line seems too unnatural, too forced, too predictable. After reading the first 30 pages I had already figured out a possible ending for the novel and, yes, I was right! That is a way too straightforward a story!!! Some passages are okay, but in very many you just wonder why so much time is spent in non-crucial events; why is the time flowing so slowly.
Books have to be evaluated taking into account what was happening in the world in that point in time. Mansfield Park is pioneer in discussing women's choice on marriage. Back then it was totally unheard-of for women to decline or question men's decisions. I can imagine the amount of discussions and criticism the novel might have raised upon its release. Evidently, reading the book nowadays, we are no longer stunned by this subject; enough material on it is already out.
So, yes, the book is not the cleverest choice. I was also left wondering what ever happened to the horse Fanny was supposed to get. Did she ever get one for herself? Why did she or Ms. Crawford suddenly stop riding horses or how did it stop being an issue? I guess we'll never know.
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