Mansfield Park - Changes to the Character? Good or Bad?

Welcome to another post where I talk myself in circles :)

No doubt like most Austen, Dickens and Bronte etc fans I do a happy dance round my living room whenever I hear about a new adaptation being made. (admit it, you guys do that to don't you? And I bet you get that  look from your family too. You know that one? The one that says they have no idea why you are so into that kind of thing anyway).

But the one book to TV adaption that I am always dubious about is Mansfiled park, because - in my humble opinion - it is something that has not been pulled off properly since 1983. 

What do I think makes it all go wrong?

They can never seem to get Fanny's characters right. They always seem to try and change her and maker her more...more...well just MORE that what I think she is. The think about Fanny - in my mind anyway - is that she possess a silent strength and she is the kind of person that can be in a room and chances are that no you would not notice her. She is not the kind of person to draw attention to herself. 

I do not know if it is the actresses that have played the part since or if it is the way that they have gone about portraying Fanny but they seem to have too much (to quote the Mad Hatter) muchness when in the presence of others. 

I would really recommend watching the 1983 TV adaption guys. By far one of my favourite adaptions not just of Mansfield Park but of all the Austen books. 

Mansfield Park - Mansfield Park and Murder...

Shout out Time! (again)

 Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd

In this ingenious new twist on Mansfield Park, the famously meek Fanny Price--whom Jane Austen's own mother called "insipid"--has been utterly transformed; she is now a rich heiress who is spoiled, condescending, and generally hated throughout the county. Mary Crawford, on the other hand, is now as good as Fanny is bad, and suffers great indignities at the hands of her vindictive neighbor. It's only after Fanny is murdered on the grounds of Mansfield Park that Mary comes into her own, teaming-up with a thief-taker from London to solve the crime. 

Featuring genuine Austen characters--the same characters, and the same episodes, but each with a new twist--MURDER AT MANSFIELD PARK is a brilliantly entertaining novel that offers Jane Austen fans an engaging new heroine and story to read again and again.

Mansfield Park - Mansfield Park with Mummies. Oh My

Shout out time!

Mansfield Park and Mummies by Vera Nazarian

Ancient Egypt infiltrates Regency England in this elegant, hilarious, witty, insane, and unexpectedly romantic monster parody of Jane Austen's classic novel.

Mansfield Park - Cousin Edmund is an Idiot

WARNING – in this post I am going to be all over the shop and I will no doubt contradict myself too.

*flings book across the room*

*thud*

Mansfield Park is one of the few books that I have read where I wanted with all of my heart for the leading lady to end up with someone other than who she ended up with.

Yip, Cousin Edmund BUGS THE LIFE OUT OF ME! I cannot help but see him as weak willed and more than a little dim, and, well…milksop(ish) . Nope I really don’t like him and every adaptation that I have seen only backs this up. I want to grab him and shake him for being so stupid.

And that is why I wanted Fanny to end up with Henry Crawford.

Picking the bad boy is always portrayed as being bad – and even when the bad boy is chosen he is often the best of the bad boys and not as bad as the baddest bad boy (OK are you dizzy yet?)

Personally I think that Henry is the better man. There is of course the argument that he would have not remained faithful to Fanny had they married but I think that he did love her. But then there is also the argument that Edmund always loved Fanny and was too stupid blind to see this until it hit him like the proverbial bolt from the blue…

See, I told you this post was going to be confusing and all over the place.

But I think that what I am trying to say is that I did not feel that Edmund was worthy of Fanny.

What do you guys think?

Agree?

Disagree?

Mansfield Park - Who Are You? I am Fanny Price

Sylvestra Le Touzel as Fanny Price in Mansfield Park (1983)

Ah yes, that question that I bet every Austen fan asks themselves. Guys who ask themselves what fictional heart throb in a top hat they are and ladies, do you pour over the pages trying to figure out who you see yourself in the most.

Now I, like many of you have no doubt done, have squinted at my own character trying to warp what I know of myself to fit into the box of my favourite character.

Yip, you know all about what I am talking about don’t you?

Anyhoo, moving on.

Out of all of the main Austen heroines I see myself as Fanny Price.

I am left till last, have been since I was a child. If my grandmother was going on a trip somewhere she would always take my cousins (who are both the same age as me) and leave me behind *gets out the violins*.

I have been trodden on and passed over – but I suppose that is my fault as I do not like to cause issues – I always have a bit of a fear that I would be causing a fuss over something that didn’t warrant one.

But I would like to think that despite liking to avoid confrontation I still hold fast to what I believe is right.

But then again knowing my luck I would end up with a dim wit like Cousin Edmund – one of my least favourite Austen ‘heroes’ (I use that term very lightly in this case). More on Cousin Edmund later.

So, who do you see yourself in?

Mansfield Park - Thoughts on Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Wow, is it just me or is time just flying by?

Welcome to Mansfield Park Week!

From my various friends who are into the classics I have gathered that Mansfield Park seems to be one of the least liked books of the Austen bunch.

But, as I have never been one to go with the flow, I am going to have to admit that next to Persuasion (which goes on and off the like list depending on my mood) Mansfield Park is my favourite of them all.

Why?

Well my reason for liking it seems to be the same reason that most don't.

Fanny Price.

She is just a normal person. She is not looking for adventure or out to be a heroine - in her own life or anyone elses. She is a genuinely nice person who tries to make the best of her situation without kicking up a fuss or drawing more attention to herself than needed.

But - and I know some will disagree here - she was not a pushover and when she firmly believed in something she was not swayed from her own personal belief.

And in the end this is very much a Cinderella story.