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Revisit Mansfield Park: How Fanny Married Henry
It seems everyone at Mansfield Park is blind to Fanny Price's great potential except Henry Crawford, who falls in love with Fanny and wishes to marry her. Despite her uncle's disapproval, Fanny declines Henry's proposal, and her uncle sends Fanny to stay with her own family, in much reduced circumstances at Portsmouth. Henry visits Fanny there, and asks her advice - should he go to Everingham and work, or to London and play - and Fanny, in this reimagining of Jane Austen's classic, gives her advice and changes everything.
108 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2014
6 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Ozcandarli
1 book11 followersSarah Ozcandarli is a voracious reader. Since the day she ran home from school to tell her Mom she had learned to read, her nose has been stuck in a book. Deep in the archives of the local newspaper is a picture of Sarah at the library, reading one of the 13 books she'd borrowed. She goes nowhere without a book; Kindle makes this habit more manageable.
Sarah graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with a BS in Physics and English, and came back for a MS from the business school. She was the first woman engineer to ride the N&W railroad, but generally found that work cut into her reading time. She married a lovely man who wanted to see her more than work permitted, so she quit working and started reading again. Now she writes as well.
Sarah graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with a BS in Physics and English, and came back for a MS from the business school. She was the first woman engineer to ride the N&W railroad, but generally found that work cut into her reading time. She married a lovely man who wanted to see her more than work permitted, so she quit working and started reading again. Now she writes as well.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 17, 2022
We've all had those books where when we finish that we wished for a different outcome or if not wished it, at least imagined it. I have personally been one of those who always wondered about Fanny Price and Henry Crawford from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park along with a certain other couple in Sense & Sensibility. It appears that someone else did more than wonder about it.
I was delighted to be directed toward this tale of 'what if' for a Mansfield Park variation story that imagines Fanny Price having a change of heart and Henry Crawford heeding her advice. What is so impressive is that in the reading of this story, it felt as if that were the only alteration made. That is to say that the surrounding stories and characters and the main characters themselves didn't go through any significant changes to achieve this.
The story's beginning is the awkward part told in a summary style that gets the reader up to speed with the current situation by summarizing much of the bulk of the Mansfield Park tale. This story really beings at the point of Henry Crawford's visit to Fanny while she is staying with her Price family in Portsmouth and he requests the opportunity to correspond together so that he might have a second chance. Fanny is a compassionate and fair-minded girl so she grants him this second chance to know him. Thus begins a story that is parts narrative and parts epistolary in nature. The two characters grow closer in feelings and understanding through their letters and the rest of the Mansfield Park story plays out with Fanny and Henry as the focal characters and Fanny exchanging news and letters with her aunt, her cousin Edmund and Henry's sister Mary along with conversation with her own sister Susan and the rest of the Price family.
It's a gentle story and subtle in the way it is told though there isn't doubt as to what Fanny and Henry are thinking and feeling. I did enjoy the special time that Fanny and her sister Susan had together and to even observe Fanny's own personal growth as she sought to help Henry grow and improve. I know this is going to sound shocking and horrid to some, but after reading this story, I'm convinced that I like Henry and Fanny much more than the original pairing of Edmund and Fanny. That always felt like a consolation prize sort of affair whereas in this one, I felt both were gaining love and a worthy partner.
All in all, I was very satisfied with this story and would recommend it to lovers of Austenesque and classical retellings.
I was delighted to be directed toward this tale of 'what if' for a Mansfield Park variation story that imagines Fanny Price having a change of heart and Henry Crawford heeding her advice. What is so impressive is that in the reading of this story, it felt as if that were the only alteration made. That is to say that the surrounding stories and characters and the main characters themselves didn't go through any significant changes to achieve this.
The story's beginning is the awkward part told in a summary style that gets the reader up to speed with the current situation by summarizing much of the bulk of the Mansfield Park tale. This story really beings at the point of Henry Crawford's visit to Fanny while she is staying with her Price family in Portsmouth and he requests the opportunity to correspond together so that he might have a second chance. Fanny is a compassionate and fair-minded girl so she grants him this second chance to know him. Thus begins a story that is parts narrative and parts epistolary in nature. The two characters grow closer in feelings and understanding through their letters and the rest of the Mansfield Park story plays out with Fanny and Henry as the focal characters and Fanny exchanging news and letters with her aunt, her cousin Edmund and Henry's sister Mary along with conversation with her own sister Susan and the rest of the Price family.
It's a gentle story and subtle in the way it is told though there isn't doubt as to what Fanny and Henry are thinking and feeling. I did enjoy the special time that Fanny and her sister Susan had together and to even observe Fanny's own personal growth as she sought to help Henry grow and improve. I know this is going to sound shocking and horrid to some, but after reading this story, I'm convinced that I like Henry and Fanny much more than the original pairing of Edmund and Fanny. That always felt like a consolation prize sort of affair whereas in this one, I felt both were gaining love and a worthy partner.
All in all, I was very satisfied with this story and would recommend it to lovers of Austenesque and classical retellings.
November 16, 2015
I am so glad that I found this variation on Mansfield Park. I have no trouble confessing that MP is my least favorite Austen novel. I remember first reading MP and thinking that Fanny would end up marrying Henry Crawford or even Tom Bertram (after his illness and complete reversal of character, of course). Austen likes to teach a lesson, or reward personal growth/change in her other novels and it seems that more good would have been done the characters if Mary Crawford had been allowed to change and marry Edmund and if Fanny finally got the love and respect she deserved from someone other than her cousin and confidant, Edmund. It almost seems that in the original, Fanny and Edmund were a consolation prize for one another. In this retelling, I liked that we get to know Henry and Fanny better through their correspondence. There is also a nod to the melodramatic in the storyline for Maria (how gothic, indeed) and Julia (another nod to scandal barely averted) though there is no resolution for poor Edmund. In a proper Austen-esque novel, all must end in love and marriage for everyone. If I have any other complaint, it is only that the novel was too short. But we know what Miss Jane had to say about that, a compliment to be sure.
May 9, 2015
Mansfield Park has never been my favorite of Jane Austen's books. Fanny is at the bottom of my list for favorite heroines. She has always been too sugary sweet and "holy", with few faults and severe judgments towards others. Although many will argue that she was justified. I have always preferred Elizabeth with her misguided opinions and outspoken quips.
But in this book I was soon taken up with Fanny's thoughts and various letters (written and received) in learning of how she changed her opinions: with comparisons between her family members and acquaintances and considerations of overall behaviors, etc. I considered Henry Crawford's changes to be similar to Fitzwilliam Darcy's: made to gain not only the approval of the woman he loved but also due to a sense of now realizing the justice of the reproofs as a needed overall character change. The first change was dramatic even though not told in that sense. Henry takes command of his position as owner of his estate in Everingham. He asks for and acts on advice to consider the positions and men suited to those positions in managing his estate. He meets with his tenants and looks for ways to improve their lot and their income. He joins in washing the sheep and laughs at the resulting experience. When Fanny worries that events might affect his affection for her he is quick to reassure her.
When Fanny writes to warn him of changes in herself and questions if this would alter how he looks at and feels about her he answers..."But neither the good nor the beauty makes the man fall in love, it is the essence of you, Fanny, that calls out to my heart, and I must answer it. This essence will not alter, as you walk in grace through the changes of a woman's life, as you grow from girl into woman, or maiden into wife, or wife into mother and even grandmother: you will remain in essence the same sweet Fanny, and I shall love you." Sigh!
There are several reviews on Amazon which delve into the details of this variation with more depth. I will not go over this story line, except to say that I did notice a need for more delineation between paragraphs which were letters and paragraphs which were inside Fanny’s head or even just the storyteller relating the ongoing tale. These changes were abrupt and took a moment or two to realize whose voice we were now hearing.
A mention was made in one review on Amazon of a rather nasty end for several characters. True, but these events added to a change of circumstances for Fanny. I was not bothered by the fate of such. I did enjoy reading of how the Bertrams came to realize, value and voice Fanny’s role in their family; how she was much more a true daughter than anything else.
This book is free of sex scenes and has little spoken even of sexual chemistry or angst between characters. Indeed, there is little time spent together by Fanny and Henry. We do have our happy ending and I do plan to read the sequel, of which we are given a preview at the end of this book.
But in this book I was soon taken up with Fanny's thoughts and various letters (written and received) in learning of how she changed her opinions: with comparisons between her family members and acquaintances and considerations of overall behaviors, etc. I considered Henry Crawford's changes to be similar to Fitzwilliam Darcy's: made to gain not only the approval of the woman he loved but also due to a sense of now realizing the justice of the reproofs as a needed overall character change. The first change was dramatic even though not told in that sense. Henry takes command of his position as owner of his estate in Everingham. He asks for and acts on advice to consider the positions and men suited to those positions in managing his estate. He meets with his tenants and looks for ways to improve their lot and their income. He joins in washing the sheep and laughs at the resulting experience. When Fanny worries that events might affect his affection for her he is quick to reassure her.
When Fanny writes to warn him of changes in herself and questions if this would alter how he looks at and feels about her he answers..."But neither the good nor the beauty makes the man fall in love, it is the essence of you, Fanny, that calls out to my heart, and I must answer it. This essence will not alter, as you walk in grace through the changes of a woman's life, as you grow from girl into woman, or maiden into wife, or wife into mother and even grandmother: you will remain in essence the same sweet Fanny, and I shall love you." Sigh!
There are several reviews on Amazon which delve into the details of this variation with more depth. I will not go over this story line, except to say that I did notice a need for more delineation between paragraphs which were letters and paragraphs which were inside Fanny’s head or even just the storyteller relating the ongoing tale. These changes were abrupt and took a moment or two to realize whose voice we were now hearing.
A mention was made in one review on Amazon of a rather nasty end for several characters. True, but these events added to a change of circumstances for Fanny. I was not bothered by the fate of such. I did enjoy reading of how the Bertrams came to realize, value and voice Fanny’s role in their family; how she was much more a true daughter than anything else.
This book is free of sex scenes and has little spoken even of sexual chemistry or angst between characters. Indeed, there is little time spent together by Fanny and Henry. We do have our happy ending and I do plan to read the sequel, of which we are given a preview at the end of this book.
October 12, 2014
This review was first published on Babblings of a Bookworm: http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot....
It’s no spoiler to say what happens in this book, as it’s right there in the title! This is a variation based on Mansfield Park, exploring what could have happened if Fanny had given Henry Crawford more encouragement. This is a plot bunny for a variation that Austen herself set up within the text of Mansfield Park, Chapter 48:
‘Would he have persevered, and uprightly, Fanny must have been his reward, and a reward very voluntarily bestowed, within a reasonable period from Edmund’s marrying Mary.’
Revisit Mansfield Park's opening three chapters sum up the happenings of Mansfield Park as a reminder, or for those who haven’t read it, which is a bit dry, but we then get into the substance of this variation. If you’ve read Mansfield Park you may well remember that when Fanny Price goes to Portsmouth Henry Crawford visits her there. When he leaves he asks her to advise him as to whether he should return to his estate or go to London. Fanny declines to advise him and instead replies with one of the most famous quotes of the novel:
‘We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.’
Crawford goes to London, and Fanny doesn’t see him again. However, in this book, when Crawford asks for her advice Fanny decides to give him a chance. To test Crawford’s regard for her, she will give her opinion. If he follows her advice then it could be that what he says is true, his interest in her is genuine and she has judged him unfairly. She advises him to return to his estate to settle the matters of business he has outstanding there. Given this encouragement Crawford requests that he might be allowed to correspond with Fanny, and she agrees, subject to her uncle’s consent. Obviously Sir Thomas is happy to agree with this, as the reason he sent Fanny to Portsmouth was to try and change her mind about Crawford’s proposal.
In this book, Fanny is more introspective. She wonders whether she is too guarded, comparing herself against the warmer Miss Crawford, and reflecting that she has opened her heart to her sister Susan, and has been rewarded by a growing sisterly relationship with her. Perhaps she could be less guarded in relation to Mr Crawford too? She decides to try and get to know him and give him a chance to see if she could care for him. As they correspond Fanny and Henry get to know each other better and she comes to see his good qualities – he’s intelligent, successful at things when he applies himself, and he is able to talk sensibly and interestingly with people ranging from William Price, to Sir Thomas to his daughters. Henry is also taken to task on his flirting and writes to Fanny:
‘I assure you that henceforth I will flirt with no one unless I fully intend to make her my wife, or she is already my wife. Therefore, I may flirt with you, Miss Price, when or if you allow it, though it may be that your honest heart knows not how to play that game.’
Henry Crawford is a very charming man and I found myself charmed by him in this variation. He says such lovely things, and is very thoughtful towards Fanny. So much so, that she begins to be won over. You may wonder, what of Edmund? Well, Fanny is so much more introspective here that she questions whether she was mistaken in thinking that she loved Edmund romantically. In fact, when Fanny receives a long-awaited letter from Edmund, who is staying in London, she receives a letter from Henry the same day which eclipses Edmund’s epistle:
‘She had meant to write to Edmund that evening, but her thoughts were less of her cousin than of Mr. Crawford, and she deferred Edmund’s letter until the next morning.’
I was wondering at this point what effect this might have on other people in Fanny’s family, most notably her cousin Maria, when you consider what happened in Mansfield Park! We catch up with what happened in London while Henry was at his Norfolk estate, and some questions here were raised that I didn’t feel were resolved by the end of the novel in relation to Maria and also Edmund and Mary. Also, the fates given to some of the characters seemed unnecessarily harsh to me and not very Austenesque!
On the whole I enjoyed this novel, however, in parts I felt it fell a little flat. I enjoyed the general tone of the writing, which was quite witty in parts but sometimes it seemed to be lacking in sparkle, with a bit too much telling the reader things rather than showing. This wasn’t helped by the three summary chapters at the beginning. I appreciate why they were in the book, but as they were summaries they were dry reading and sometimes I felt the other parts of the book reverted to this style. I thought the author brought Henry Crawford to life nicely but Fanny was a little too insipid for my liking and she was critical of her relations in some of her letters to Crawford, which seemed out of character to me. Also, when scandal affects Fanny’s family, it seemed unlikely that she wouldn’t worry that it might affect Henry’s plans towards her. However, I was very pleased to see a Mansfield Park variation as most books based on Mansfield Park seem either to be sequels or modern retellings. I also found it interesting to see a scenario exploring a possible variation proposed by Jane Austen herself! I’d rate this book at 3½ stars.
It’s no spoiler to say what happens in this book, as it’s right there in the title! This is a variation based on Mansfield Park, exploring what could have happened if Fanny had given Henry Crawford more encouragement. This is a plot bunny for a variation that Austen herself set up within the text of Mansfield Park, Chapter 48:
‘Would he have persevered, and uprightly, Fanny must have been his reward, and a reward very voluntarily bestowed, within a reasonable period from Edmund’s marrying Mary.’
Revisit Mansfield Park's opening three chapters sum up the happenings of Mansfield Park as a reminder, or for those who haven’t read it, which is a bit dry, but we then get into the substance of this variation. If you’ve read Mansfield Park you may well remember that when Fanny Price goes to Portsmouth Henry Crawford visits her there. When he leaves he asks her to advise him as to whether he should return to his estate or go to London. Fanny declines to advise him and instead replies with one of the most famous quotes of the novel:
‘We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.’
Crawford goes to London, and Fanny doesn’t see him again. However, in this book, when Crawford asks for her advice Fanny decides to give him a chance. To test Crawford’s regard for her, she will give her opinion. If he follows her advice then it could be that what he says is true, his interest in her is genuine and she has judged him unfairly. She advises him to return to his estate to settle the matters of business he has outstanding there. Given this encouragement Crawford requests that he might be allowed to correspond with Fanny, and she agrees, subject to her uncle’s consent. Obviously Sir Thomas is happy to agree with this, as the reason he sent Fanny to Portsmouth was to try and change her mind about Crawford’s proposal.
In this book, Fanny is more introspective. She wonders whether she is too guarded, comparing herself against the warmer Miss Crawford, and reflecting that she has opened her heart to her sister Susan, and has been rewarded by a growing sisterly relationship with her. Perhaps she could be less guarded in relation to Mr Crawford too? She decides to try and get to know him and give him a chance to see if she could care for him. As they correspond Fanny and Henry get to know each other better and she comes to see his good qualities – he’s intelligent, successful at things when he applies himself, and he is able to talk sensibly and interestingly with people ranging from William Price, to Sir Thomas to his daughters. Henry is also taken to task on his flirting and writes to Fanny:
‘I assure you that henceforth I will flirt with no one unless I fully intend to make her my wife, or she is already my wife. Therefore, I may flirt with you, Miss Price, when or if you allow it, though it may be that your honest heart knows not how to play that game.’
Henry Crawford is a very charming man and I found myself charmed by him in this variation. He says such lovely things, and is very thoughtful towards Fanny. So much so, that she begins to be won over. You may wonder, what of Edmund? Well, Fanny is so much more introspective here that she questions whether she was mistaken in thinking that she loved Edmund romantically. In fact, when Fanny receives a long-awaited letter from Edmund, who is staying in London, she receives a letter from Henry the same day which eclipses Edmund’s epistle:
‘She had meant to write to Edmund that evening, but her thoughts were less of her cousin than of Mr. Crawford, and she deferred Edmund’s letter until the next morning.’
I was wondering at this point what effect this might have on other people in Fanny’s family, most notably her cousin Maria, when you consider what happened in Mansfield Park! We catch up with what happened in London while Henry was at his Norfolk estate, and some questions here were raised that I didn’t feel were resolved by the end of the novel in relation to Maria and also Edmund and Mary. Also, the fates given to some of the characters seemed unnecessarily harsh to me and not very Austenesque!
On the whole I enjoyed this novel, however, in parts I felt it fell a little flat. I enjoyed the general tone of the writing, which was quite witty in parts but sometimes it seemed to be lacking in sparkle, with a bit too much telling the reader things rather than showing. This wasn’t helped by the three summary chapters at the beginning. I appreciate why they were in the book, but as they were summaries they were dry reading and sometimes I felt the other parts of the book reverted to this style. I thought the author brought Henry Crawford to life nicely but Fanny was a little too insipid for my liking and she was critical of her relations in some of her letters to Crawford, which seemed out of character to me. Also, when scandal affects Fanny’s family, it seemed unlikely that she wouldn’t worry that it might affect Henry’s plans towards her. However, I was very pleased to see a Mansfield Park variation as most books based on Mansfield Park seem either to be sequels or modern retellings. I also found it interesting to see a scenario exploring a possible variation proposed by Jane Austen herself! I’d rate this book at 3½ stars.
July 7, 2023
Yes, this was a mistake and I thought it was a mistake even as I started this, but you know... I can't help myself. To start this up, I don't mind this is a fanfiction, I love fanfiction, I often even love bad fanfiction - you can't prove your love for a piece of fiction in much better way than write a fanfiction to it or draw a fanart. My qualms with this weren't even about the characters not being very much in character. I could deal with that. My problem was that... this was simply boring and not much interesting. I skipped the first three chapters since they were only MP re-cap, which... you know, okay, I don't think people unfamiliar with MP will read this, but a refresher is sometimes nice, so... fine. But even later in the story I started to skim a lot, because most of this is told in letters, which I'm not a fan of, with hefty piles of infodump in between. (I don't care how you altered the fates of side characters! Especially if you take paragraphs and paragraphs to tell me!) I skimmed a lot toward the end, hoping at least for some smut to reward me for sticking to it to the end, but there was none! So... yeah... (not that a good fanfic needs smut, but... you know it might have redeemed this a bit).
To sum it up, this fanfic had a few good insights which I highlighted and saved for later, but it was overly poorly written, not entertaining with lacking character work... I really should have picked up Fanny, A Mansfield Park Story written by an acquaintance of mine, which I'm sure will be excellent, but it's a longer book that can only be purchased through Amazon, so... I decided against it in the moment (because my tbr for this moth is stacked & I don't want to support Amazon), but really... you know, if I wanted to do this I should have done it properly...
To sum it up, this fanfic had a few good insights which I highlighted and saved for later, but it was overly poorly written, not entertaining with lacking character work... I really should have picked up Fanny, A Mansfield Park Story written by an acquaintance of mine, which I'm sure will be excellent, but it's a longer book that can only be purchased through Amazon, so... I decided against it in the moment (because my tbr for this moth is stacked & I don't want to support Amazon), but really... you know, if I wanted to do this I should have done it properly...
April 18, 2024
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I expected when I read Mansfield Park and was so disappointed to find such a bad ending for two characters who deserved MORE. Way more than it was given to them, unfortunately.
Fanny deserved to be happy and recognized, as well as did Henry deserve to get another chance, a chance to become better for himself and for Fanny. So, I'm so glad I found this book and that the author managed to give them such a beautiful ending in which they both grow as characters without leaving behind their essence.
Fanny deserved to be happy and recognized, as well as did Henry deserve to get another chance, a chance to become better for himself and for Fanny. So, I'm so glad I found this book and that the author managed to give them such a beautiful ending in which they both grow as characters without leaving behind their essence.
June 28, 2023
Either Mansfield Park is a general favorite among Jane Austen fans, or... at the very bottom of the list. I am certainly the latter; that is, until I read Sarah's version. I will get to that in a moment. Well, what I mean to say is that I will get to my raving review for Ozcandarli AFTER I criticize Jane Austen's original Mansfield Park (it almost feels sacrilegious to say such a thing against one of my favorite authors, but tough love is real, too).
Jane Austen Mansfield Park RANT:
I've read Jane Austen's works, over and over and over-need I say, OVER- and again and again and again, because Austen just knows how to write witty and inspiring stories, attached with life lessons that I never tire of applying to my own life. HOWEVER, if I had to sum up the way I see and experienced Mansfield Park with one word, it is this: cringeworthy. And not for the normal reasons of being attracted to one's cousin (err, I mean, of course that is cringeworthy, as well), but because all across the board with the original story, from beginning to end, I sincerely found myself cringing more often than not. I would murmur to myself, "when is this story going to end?" whereas with most of her other work, I say, "I don't want this to end" and it was not even as if I was rewarded with a happy ending in this case, as we do not get a marriage proposal after all that grief of just trying to get through the novel (at least give us a decent ending).
We only hear about it at the end, and it made the reader feel as though Edmund merely settled with what was "comfortable" in choosing Fanny as a wife. How flat, boring and unromantic. Fanny could do so much better; she was a diamond in the rough who was wasted on Edmund (I simply cannot stand Edmund in case you were wondering or could not tell). "But wait!" people will say, "he was so nice to her when the other family members were not". Folks, we should not settle for the bare minimum. Would it be normal to want to marry every person simply because they were "nice"? Imagine someone asking you, "why did you marry so-and-so?" and you say, "oh, he was nice to me." A normal person would look at you, and say, "are you alright? Have you been hurt?"
I recently heard how if children are told by their parents, "be grateful, at least I provided a roof over your head" (which, is the kind of language good old cold Aunt Norris used toward our heroine), that being a parent should not be seen as a sacrifice, but a privilege and thus, "orphanages also provide a roof over heads of children", and so this ties perfectly back into WE SHOULD NOT SETTLE FOR THE BARE MINIMUM, which is exactly how I viewed Fanny with her love toward Edmund. Fanny's family dynamic and environment, aside from leaving a poor household to live with rich relatives, was anything BUT rich in love and most if not all her rich family members (even back in the Price household besides William and Susan), including Edmund, devalued the brilliant mind, gentleness and female excellence of Fanny Price. Fanny's family environment shaped her. In short, Fanny grew up with a family load of narcissists and because she overtime learned to "cope" with her treatment and appear grateful for receiving the bare minimum, I guess it does not surprise me that she would settle for Edmund, because when all you are surrounded with is blindness, ingratitude and greed, I too would be thankful to have someone show a little extra kindness; it might be the best I ever get, right? ("he was nice").
I know she received ample love from her brother William, and we would often see Fanny holding Edmund and William up on the same shelf of affection, but from the readers point of view I held Fanny's love for Edmund as blind, and TOTALLY different from that of the love she RECEIVED from William. I know many will say that Fanny got what she wanted in the end, and that was Edmund, so that is all that matters etc. etc. etc. but I was waiting for someone to replace the garbage from her hands (cough Edmund) and fill them with pearls (cough Henry). That was the other MAIN reason I found myself cringing. I was cringing for poor Henry Crawford, who, was also another potential diamond in the rough who could have been made to shine through Fanny's love. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to see the real and rare value of Fanny and did not hesitate to act (unlike lame brain Edmund). Though his actions began as selfish, they ended in authenticity. I am not saying Henry was a saint, but character redemption can happen, happens in other Austen novels and also happens every day in real life. Edmund's love for Fanny was centered on comfort, while Henry's love was centered on loving Fanny... for Fanny!
FINALLY, my Revisit Mansfield Park: How Fanny Married Henry RAVE Review:
I quite frankly do not understand how this version does not have more five stars. I purchased this book almost two weeks ago and have already read it three or four times (I have lost count). I need those reading this to understand that I only re-read, or "re-listen" (for those of us who use audible) to books multiple times straight, in a row, IF I absolutely LOVED the story. The only book of Jane Austen's that I read three or four times IN A ROW (that's right, as soon as I finish, I immediately start over) was Persuasion. I did not even do that with Pride and Prejudice, her most known and beloved favored novel. Which, Sarah's book just proved to me, as she even wrote in the style of Jane Austen, that if Austen instead had the ending of Sarah's: Fanny marrying Henry, I would have labeled Mansfield Park as my SECOND FAVORITE book. Jane Austen should have listened to her sister with having Fanny marry Henry, because I also believe the original Mansfield Park would have been a favorite of so many if the outcome was different. Sarah brings the love story to life of Fanny and Henry with the same Austen spirit, and I was delighted. Instead of saying, "when is this story going to end?", I was saying, "awwwww", because I finally got to see those two diamonds in the rough (Fanny and Henry), become diamonds! Sarah, if you're reading this, I hope you write that sequel to this story you began, because the only flaw I found in your book was that it was too short. But you know what they say about speeches and homilies; Fulton J Sheen once said that it's the best compliment to hear that someone said their homily was too short; it is the same with books. And it was certainly the case with yours!
Jane Austen Mansfield Park RANT:
I've read Jane Austen's works, over and over and over-need I say, OVER- and again and again and again, because Austen just knows how to write witty and inspiring stories, attached with life lessons that I never tire of applying to my own life. HOWEVER, if I had to sum up the way I see and experienced Mansfield Park with one word, it is this: cringeworthy. And not for the normal reasons of being attracted to one's cousin (err, I mean, of course that is cringeworthy, as well), but because all across the board with the original story, from beginning to end, I sincerely found myself cringing more often than not. I would murmur to myself, "when is this story going to end?" whereas with most of her other work, I say, "I don't want this to end" and it was not even as if I was rewarded with a happy ending in this case, as we do not get a marriage proposal after all that grief of just trying to get through the novel (at least give us a decent ending).
We only hear about it at the end, and it made the reader feel as though Edmund merely settled with what was "comfortable" in choosing Fanny as a wife. How flat, boring and unromantic. Fanny could do so much better; she was a diamond in the rough who was wasted on Edmund (I simply cannot stand Edmund in case you were wondering or could not tell). "But wait!" people will say, "he was so nice to her when the other family members were not". Folks, we should not settle for the bare minimum. Would it be normal to want to marry every person simply because they were "nice"? Imagine someone asking you, "why did you marry so-and-so?" and you say, "oh, he was nice to me." A normal person would look at you, and say, "are you alright? Have you been hurt?"
I recently heard how if children are told by their parents, "be grateful, at least I provided a roof over your head" (which, is the kind of language good old cold Aunt Norris used toward our heroine), that being a parent should not be seen as a sacrifice, but a privilege and thus, "orphanages also provide a roof over heads of children", and so this ties perfectly back into WE SHOULD NOT SETTLE FOR THE BARE MINIMUM, which is exactly how I viewed Fanny with her love toward Edmund. Fanny's family dynamic and environment, aside from leaving a poor household to live with rich relatives, was anything BUT rich in love and most if not all her rich family members (even back in the Price household besides William and Susan), including Edmund, devalued the brilliant mind, gentleness and female excellence of Fanny Price. Fanny's family environment shaped her. In short, Fanny grew up with a family load of narcissists and because she overtime learned to "cope" with her treatment and appear grateful for receiving the bare minimum, I guess it does not surprise me that she would settle for Edmund, because when all you are surrounded with is blindness, ingratitude and greed, I too would be thankful to have someone show a little extra kindness; it might be the best I ever get, right? ("he was nice").
I know she received ample love from her brother William, and we would often see Fanny holding Edmund and William up on the same shelf of affection, but from the readers point of view I held Fanny's love for Edmund as blind, and TOTALLY different from that of the love she RECEIVED from William. I know many will say that Fanny got what she wanted in the end, and that was Edmund, so that is all that matters etc. etc. etc. but I was waiting for someone to replace the garbage from her hands (cough Edmund) and fill them with pearls (cough Henry). That was the other MAIN reason I found myself cringing. I was cringing for poor Henry Crawford, who, was also another potential diamond in the rough who could have been made to shine through Fanny's love. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to see the real and rare value of Fanny and did not hesitate to act (unlike lame brain Edmund). Though his actions began as selfish, they ended in authenticity. I am not saying Henry was a saint, but character redemption can happen, happens in other Austen novels and also happens every day in real life. Edmund's love for Fanny was centered on comfort, while Henry's love was centered on loving Fanny... for Fanny!
FINALLY, my Revisit Mansfield Park: How Fanny Married Henry RAVE Review:
I quite frankly do not understand how this version does not have more five stars. I purchased this book almost two weeks ago and have already read it three or four times (I have lost count). I need those reading this to understand that I only re-read, or "re-listen" (for those of us who use audible) to books multiple times straight, in a row, IF I absolutely LOVED the story. The only book of Jane Austen's that I read three or four times IN A ROW (that's right, as soon as I finish, I immediately start over) was Persuasion. I did not even do that with Pride and Prejudice, her most known and beloved favored novel. Which, Sarah's book just proved to me, as she even wrote in the style of Jane Austen, that if Austen instead had the ending of Sarah's: Fanny marrying Henry, I would have labeled Mansfield Park as my SECOND FAVORITE book. Jane Austen should have listened to her sister with having Fanny marry Henry, because I also believe the original Mansfield Park would have been a favorite of so many if the outcome was different. Sarah brings the love story to life of Fanny and Henry with the same Austen spirit, and I was delighted. Instead of saying, "when is this story going to end?", I was saying, "awwwww", because I finally got to see those two diamonds in the rough (Fanny and Henry), become diamonds! Sarah, if you're reading this, I hope you write that sequel to this story you began, because the only flaw I found in your book was that it was too short. But you know what they say about speeches and homilies; Fulton J Sheen once said that it's the best compliment to hear that someone said their homily was too short; it is the same with books. And it was certainly the case with yours!
October 26, 2022
Dov'è il fascino di Henry Crawford?
Quando ho letto il sottotitolo di questo breve romanzo ho applaudito subito Sara Ozcandarli per l'idea.
Infatti una delle cose che mi convincono poco in Mansfield Park è l'improvviso voltafaccia di Henry Crawford che, a un certo punto della storia, sembra davvero tutto preso da Fanny: è andato persino a trovarla a Portsmouth e non ha neanche arricciato il naso nel vedere la sua famiglia e la casa dei suoi genitori, anzi.
Sembra, in effetti, che i propositi di conquistare Fanny gli siano sfuggiti di mano e si sia innamorato della giovane e modesta Miss Price, suo malgrado.
A quel punto la sua fuga con Mrs. Maria Rushworth sembra un po' improbabile, una forzatura che Jane Austen sembra inserire a fatica nel romanzo, a dimostrazione che il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio, che il lettore digerisce forzatamente, con la sensazione di essere stato ingannato come Elizabeth Bennet da George Wickham.
E non è una sensazione personale, dal momento che persino Joan Aiken, che ha realizzato sei tra sequel e spin-off dei romanzi di Jane Austen, ha scelto di giustificare Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park Revisited, riversando tutta la colpa su Maria, che lo ha costretto all'elopement. Del resto, lo stesso Henry Austen si auspicava un lieto fine per il suo omonimo e Fanny!
Cosa sarebbe successo, dunque, se Henry non fosse tornato a Londra e non avesse incontrato Maria; se l'innamoramento per Fanny fosse stato reale e tutto si fosse protratto fino a quando l'eroina di Mansfield Park avesse ceduto?
Non lo sapremo certo grazie a questo romanzo!
Dopo i primi tre o quattro capitoli in cui il romanzo di Jane Austen viene riassunto sino alla visita di Henry Crawford a Portsmouth, inizia la storia originale di Sara Ozcandarli, una storia che non convince per più di un motivo.
Innanzi tutto, l'autrice, decisa a far finire l'eroina di Mansfield Park con quello che viene considerato il villain nel romanzo austeniano, sminuisce sensibilmente il suo rapporto col cugino Edmund. La Fanny della Ozcandarli ha un rapporto freddo, fraterno con Edmund e il suo cuore è libero di innamorarsi di un altro. Invece, sebbene in Mansfield Park l'eroina sia piuttosto ritrosa nel manifestare i propri sentimenti, si capisce che ci sono e che siano molto profondi e difficili da scardinare con appena un po' di corteggiamento da parte di una persona che, tra l'altro, Fanny disprezza.
Ma non è solo questo a lasciare il lettore interdetto. Ci viene detto da Jane Austen che Henry Crawford non è molto bello, ma talmente affascinante da conquistare tutti. Nel romanzo della Ozcandarli, invece, Henry ha lo stesso fascino da pesce lesso di Edmund, tanto da arrivare a pensare che, a questo punto, Fanny non stia cambiando certo per il meglio!
Nei capitoli successivi, infatti, Henry chiede e ottiene da Sir Thomas il permesso di scrivere a Fanny. Le sue lettere d'amore sono totalmente carenti, quasi anonime: impossibile che una giovane sensibile come la vera Fanny Price possa innamorarsi dell'uomo che le ha scritte!
Henry diventa remissivo nell'accettare docilmente le critiche di Fanny, cambiando diametralmente il proprio comportamento, o sostenendo di farlo.
D'altronde Fanny, che ha visto Henry Crawford in azione a Mansfield Park con le due cugine, crede subito al suo cambiamento - per lettera e senza delle dimostrazioni pratiche - come una povera ingenua, cosa che non si può certo dire della "vera" Fanny!
Poco credibile, dunque, questo scambio epistolare, che prende buona parte del romanzo e dà al lettore le stesse emozioni che darebbe la lettura di una lista della spesa!
Come ci ha detto Elisabetta nel corso del Gruppo di Lettura:
[Le lettere] mi sembrano piuttosto insulse nel loro contenuto... sicuramente non così profonde da rendere noto il carattere di Henry... [...] Fanny con leggerezza perdona Henry e gli assicura di non essere arrabbiata neanche quando lui confessa di aver scommesso che sarebbe riuscito a conquistarla...
La stessa sensazione è stata provata da un'altra nostra lettrice, Chiara:
Insomma le lettere di Henry non sembrano mostrare chissà quali sue qualità o cambiamenti. Il fatto che, poi Fanny gli confessi quali siano e suoi difetti e lui li riconosca senza fare una piega mi sembra quasi assurdo per il personaggio che interpreta. Concordo con voi nel ritenere assurdo far ricadere tutte le colpe su Julia e Maria. Fanny era presente quando Henry giocava con entrambe, lo aveva condannato per la sua condotta e ora, invece, lo ha redento in un batter d’occhio. Non so, tutta la storia mi sembra un po’ forzata.
Non è stata dunque una mia sensazione personale, ma un'interpretazione comune a buona parte delle lettrici che hanno partecipato al Gruppo di Lettura.
Più avanti, inoltre, la Ozcandarli decide di far intervenire il personaggio proveniente da un altro romanzo austeniano (che non sveliamo) per smuovere la situazione di Maria, che altrimenti sarebbe rimasta bloccata a causa delle defezione di Henry Crawford. Non ho trovato questa soluzione malvagia, al contrario della discutibile decisione di agire falciando molti dei personaggi scomodi dal libro, con una sorta di epurazione che Jane Austen avrebbe preso in considerazione forse solo nelle pagine più immature e sensazionalistiche degli Juvenilia.
Una brutta delusione, insomma. Di quelle che mi fanno innervosire per via delle aspettative inappagate. Perché l'idea di partenza era ottima e sarebbe bastato così poco per realizzarla in modo brillante... Invece il lettore si ritrova a valutare la soluzione-Edmund nettamente superiore, tanto, pesce lesso per pesce lesso meglio restare sulla strada vecchia, no?
Tra l'altro, questo libro è il primo di una serie (una trilogia, credo); ma con Herry Crawford così remissivo, i personaggi scomodi usciti di scena e il quadretto familiare di Everingham tutto rose e fiori, non credo di aver voglia di sapere cosa accadrà ai cari Mr. e Mrs. Crawford!
Potete leggere la recensione completa QUI:
http://ildiariodellelizzies.blogspot....
Quando ho letto il sottotitolo di questo breve romanzo ho applaudito subito Sara Ozcandarli per l'idea.
Infatti una delle cose che mi convincono poco in Mansfield Park è l'improvviso voltafaccia di Henry Crawford che, a un certo punto della storia, sembra davvero tutto preso da Fanny: è andato persino a trovarla a Portsmouth e non ha neanche arricciato il naso nel vedere la sua famiglia e la casa dei suoi genitori, anzi.
Sembra, in effetti, che i propositi di conquistare Fanny gli siano sfuggiti di mano e si sia innamorato della giovane e modesta Miss Price, suo malgrado.
A quel punto la sua fuga con Mrs. Maria Rushworth sembra un po' improbabile, una forzatura che Jane Austen sembra inserire a fatica nel romanzo, a dimostrazione che il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio, che il lettore digerisce forzatamente, con la sensazione di essere stato ingannato come Elizabeth Bennet da George Wickham.
E non è una sensazione personale, dal momento che persino Joan Aiken, che ha realizzato sei tra sequel e spin-off dei romanzi di Jane Austen, ha scelto di giustificare Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park Revisited, riversando tutta la colpa su Maria, che lo ha costretto all'elopement. Del resto, lo stesso Henry Austen si auspicava un lieto fine per il suo omonimo e Fanny!
Cosa sarebbe successo, dunque, se Henry non fosse tornato a Londra e non avesse incontrato Maria; se l'innamoramento per Fanny fosse stato reale e tutto si fosse protratto fino a quando l'eroina di Mansfield Park avesse ceduto?
Non lo sapremo certo grazie a questo romanzo!
Dopo i primi tre o quattro capitoli in cui il romanzo di Jane Austen viene riassunto sino alla visita di Henry Crawford a Portsmouth, inizia la storia originale di Sara Ozcandarli, una storia che non convince per più di un motivo.
Innanzi tutto, l'autrice, decisa a far finire l'eroina di Mansfield Park con quello che viene considerato il villain nel romanzo austeniano, sminuisce sensibilmente il suo rapporto col cugino Edmund. La Fanny della Ozcandarli ha un rapporto freddo, fraterno con Edmund e il suo cuore è libero di innamorarsi di un altro. Invece, sebbene in Mansfield Park l'eroina sia piuttosto ritrosa nel manifestare i propri sentimenti, si capisce che ci sono e che siano molto profondi e difficili da scardinare con appena un po' di corteggiamento da parte di una persona che, tra l'altro, Fanny disprezza.
Ma non è solo questo a lasciare il lettore interdetto. Ci viene detto da Jane Austen che Henry Crawford non è molto bello, ma talmente affascinante da conquistare tutti. Nel romanzo della Ozcandarli, invece, Henry ha lo stesso fascino da pesce lesso di Edmund, tanto da arrivare a pensare che, a questo punto, Fanny non stia cambiando certo per il meglio!
Nei capitoli successivi, infatti, Henry chiede e ottiene da Sir Thomas il permesso di scrivere a Fanny. Le sue lettere d'amore sono totalmente carenti, quasi anonime: impossibile che una giovane sensibile come la vera Fanny Price possa innamorarsi dell'uomo che le ha scritte!
Henry diventa remissivo nell'accettare docilmente le critiche di Fanny, cambiando diametralmente il proprio comportamento, o sostenendo di farlo.
D'altronde Fanny, che ha visto Henry Crawford in azione a Mansfield Park con le due cugine, crede subito al suo cambiamento - per lettera e senza delle dimostrazioni pratiche - come una povera ingenua, cosa che non si può certo dire della "vera" Fanny!
Poco credibile, dunque, questo scambio epistolare, che prende buona parte del romanzo e dà al lettore le stesse emozioni che darebbe la lettura di una lista della spesa!
Come ci ha detto Elisabetta nel corso del Gruppo di Lettura:
[Le lettere] mi sembrano piuttosto insulse nel loro contenuto... sicuramente non così profonde da rendere noto il carattere di Henry... [...] Fanny con leggerezza perdona Henry e gli assicura di non essere arrabbiata neanche quando lui confessa di aver scommesso che sarebbe riuscito a conquistarla...
La stessa sensazione è stata provata da un'altra nostra lettrice, Chiara:
Insomma le lettere di Henry non sembrano mostrare chissà quali sue qualità o cambiamenti. Il fatto che, poi Fanny gli confessi quali siano e suoi difetti e lui li riconosca senza fare una piega mi sembra quasi assurdo per il personaggio che interpreta. Concordo con voi nel ritenere assurdo far ricadere tutte le colpe su Julia e Maria. Fanny era presente quando Henry giocava con entrambe, lo aveva condannato per la sua condotta e ora, invece, lo ha redento in un batter d’occhio. Non so, tutta la storia mi sembra un po’ forzata.
Non è stata dunque una mia sensazione personale, ma un'interpretazione comune a buona parte delle lettrici che hanno partecipato al Gruppo di Lettura.
Più avanti, inoltre, la Ozcandarli decide di far intervenire il personaggio proveniente da un altro romanzo austeniano (che non sveliamo) per smuovere la situazione di Maria, che altrimenti sarebbe rimasta bloccata a causa delle defezione di Henry Crawford. Non ho trovato questa soluzione malvagia, al contrario della discutibile decisione di agire falciando molti dei personaggi scomodi dal libro, con una sorta di epurazione che Jane Austen avrebbe preso in considerazione forse solo nelle pagine più immature e sensazionalistiche degli Juvenilia.
Una brutta delusione, insomma. Di quelle che mi fanno innervosire per via delle aspettative inappagate. Perché l'idea di partenza era ottima e sarebbe bastato così poco per realizzarla in modo brillante... Invece il lettore si ritrova a valutare la soluzione-Edmund nettamente superiore, tanto, pesce lesso per pesce lesso meglio restare sulla strada vecchia, no?
Tra l'altro, questo libro è il primo di una serie (una trilogia, credo); ma con Herry Crawford così remissivo, i personaggi scomodi usciti di scena e il quadretto familiare di Everingham tutto rose e fiori, non credo di aver voglia di sapere cosa accadrà ai cari Mr. e Mrs. Crawford!
Potete leggere la recensione completa QUI:
http://ildiariodellelizzies.blogspot....
December 13, 2023
I am a huge sucker for Henry/Fanny ship, but this book's characterization is a bit ooc and in a rush. They don't act like people living in early 19th century Britain at all.
October 8, 2014
Probabilmente molti lettori di Mansfield Park - tra cui io stessa - hanno, almeno per un po', tifato per Henry Crawford, e sperato che fosse lui, piuttosto che Edmund Bertram, a conquistare infine il cuore di Fanny.
Forse l'impenitente Don Giovanni sarebbe cambiato sul serio, o forse no, non potremo mai saperlo, anche se, conoscendo il desiderio di Jane Austen di rendere felici tutte le sue eroine, propenderei per la prima ipotesi. Se l'amata autrice inglese avesse fatto prendere a Fanny una scelta diversa, allora la sua unione con Henry credo sarebbe stata molto felice, stimolante, e di sicuro più passionale rispetto a quella con il cugino.
Sarah Ozcandarli nel suo libro Revisit Mansfield Park, regala appunto ad Henry una seconda chance, immaginando che lui e Fanny intraprendano una fitta corrispondenza al fine di conoscersi meglio, e riuscire a confidarsi e raccontarsi cose che non sarebbero mai stati capaci di esprimere di persona.
La forma principalmente epistolare del romanzo lo rende molto fluido, e l'inglese è semplice da comprendere.
Mi piace molto questo Henry che decide, senza alcuna pressione esterna, di cambiare (non è questa poi l'unica forma durevole ed efficace di cambiamento, quella scelta consapevolmente e non imposta da altri?!), per cercare di diventare qualcuno che Fanny possa rispettare ed amare. Significativo, a questo proposito, mi sembra il pensiero di Fanny stessa, che riflette su come Henry pare aver compreso qualcosa che nessuno, nemmeno Edmund, è stato capace di capire: "Tutti loro si aspettavano che Fanny cambiasse - i suoi principi, il suo carattere - per adattarsi all'attaccamento di Mr Crawford nei suoi confronti, ma nella sua lettera Mr Crawford sembrava considerare la possibilità che lui potesse aver bisogno di cambiare, e che lei aveva il diritto di disapprovare qualcosa di lui".
Un bel cambiamento, quindi, ed un bel passo avanti rispetto alla concezione del tempo (pensiamo, ad esempio, che nel romanzo originale Edmund ama Fanny perché, in un certo senso, l'ha plasmata), nonché un atto di coraggio da parte di Henry.
Il Mr Crawfrd della Ozcandarli mi fa pensare a quello, che mi era piaciuto molto, del film del 1999 con Francis O'Connor, quell'uomo innamorato che entra nel tugurio di Portsmouth cantando e recando fiori per la sua Fanny.
Una Fanny che, forse complice la lontananza da Mansfield, riesce a definire anche il rapporto con il cugino, di cui, addirittura, ad un certo punto "dimentica l'infelicità", presa da altre, e più importanti, questioni.
Ritornando all'argomento del cambiamento, mi piace molto il fatto che quello di Henry abbia come conseguenza un cambiamento della stessa Fanny. Ho sempre pensato che l'eroina di Mansfield fosse molto di più che la ragazza timida e timorosa che sembra essere, e in questo romanzo è proprio la scelta di Henry, e la sua considerazione verso la ragazza, a fare in modo che la vera Fanny esca finalmente fuori, come una farfalla dalla sua crisalide.
Un cambiamento è ravvisabile anche in Sir Thomas, che, verso la fine della storia, affronta finalmente i propri errori di padre.
Riguardo agli altri personaggi, credevo che la scelta dell'autrice di far morire uno di loro mi avrebbe disturbato. Penso che Jane Austen non avrebbe mai riservato quella fine a quel personaggio - né lasciato entrare la violenza fisica nei suoi romanzi -, tuttavia l'evento è raccontato in modo da non turbare l'essenza del romanzo (come sembrano invece fare le due dipartite in Emma Watson di Joan Aiken, seguito de I Watson), mentre per il secondo personaggio che lascia la storia avrei preferito una soluzione diversa.
Molto dolce Henry con la sua neosposa (ancora, vedo del coraggio nel suo comportamento: non credo esistessero molti uomini del genere a quei tempi, se non appunto nei romanzi); forse superflua l'ultima lettera di Fanny alla sorella Susan, ma va bene così.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/
Forse l'impenitente Don Giovanni sarebbe cambiato sul serio, o forse no, non potremo mai saperlo, anche se, conoscendo il desiderio di Jane Austen di rendere felici tutte le sue eroine, propenderei per la prima ipotesi. Se l'amata autrice inglese avesse fatto prendere a Fanny una scelta diversa, allora la sua unione con Henry credo sarebbe stata molto felice, stimolante, e di sicuro più passionale rispetto a quella con il cugino.
Sarah Ozcandarli nel suo libro Revisit Mansfield Park, regala appunto ad Henry una seconda chance, immaginando che lui e Fanny intraprendano una fitta corrispondenza al fine di conoscersi meglio, e riuscire a confidarsi e raccontarsi cose che non sarebbero mai stati capaci di esprimere di persona.
La forma principalmente epistolare del romanzo lo rende molto fluido, e l'inglese è semplice da comprendere.
Mi piace molto questo Henry che decide, senza alcuna pressione esterna, di cambiare (non è questa poi l'unica forma durevole ed efficace di cambiamento, quella scelta consapevolmente e non imposta da altri?!), per cercare di diventare qualcuno che Fanny possa rispettare ed amare. Significativo, a questo proposito, mi sembra il pensiero di Fanny stessa, che riflette su come Henry pare aver compreso qualcosa che nessuno, nemmeno Edmund, è stato capace di capire: "Tutti loro si aspettavano che Fanny cambiasse - i suoi principi, il suo carattere - per adattarsi all'attaccamento di Mr Crawford nei suoi confronti, ma nella sua lettera Mr Crawford sembrava considerare la possibilità che lui potesse aver bisogno di cambiare, e che lei aveva il diritto di disapprovare qualcosa di lui".
Un bel cambiamento, quindi, ed un bel passo avanti rispetto alla concezione del tempo (pensiamo, ad esempio, che nel romanzo originale Edmund ama Fanny perché, in un certo senso, l'ha plasmata), nonché un atto di coraggio da parte di Henry.
Il Mr Crawfrd della Ozcandarli mi fa pensare a quello, che mi era piaciuto molto, del film del 1999 con Francis O'Connor, quell'uomo innamorato che entra nel tugurio di Portsmouth cantando e recando fiori per la sua Fanny.
Una Fanny che, forse complice la lontananza da Mansfield, riesce a definire anche il rapporto con il cugino, di cui, addirittura, ad un certo punto "dimentica l'infelicità", presa da altre, e più importanti, questioni.
Ritornando all'argomento del cambiamento, mi piace molto il fatto che quello di Henry abbia come conseguenza un cambiamento della stessa Fanny. Ho sempre pensato che l'eroina di Mansfield fosse molto di più che la ragazza timida e timorosa che sembra essere, e in questo romanzo è proprio la scelta di Henry, e la sua considerazione verso la ragazza, a fare in modo che la vera Fanny esca finalmente fuori, come una farfalla dalla sua crisalide.
Un cambiamento è ravvisabile anche in Sir Thomas, che, verso la fine della storia, affronta finalmente i propri errori di padre.
Riguardo agli altri personaggi, credevo che la scelta dell'autrice di far morire uno di loro mi avrebbe disturbato. Penso che Jane Austen non avrebbe mai riservato quella fine a quel personaggio - né lasciato entrare la violenza fisica nei suoi romanzi -, tuttavia l'evento è raccontato in modo da non turbare l'essenza del romanzo (come sembrano invece fare le due dipartite in Emma Watson di Joan Aiken, seguito de I Watson), mentre per il secondo personaggio che lascia la storia avrei preferito una soluzione diversa.
Molto dolce Henry con la sua neosposa (ancora, vedo del coraggio nel suo comportamento: non credo esistessero molti uomini del genere a quei tempi, se non appunto nei romanzi); forse superflua l'ultima lettera di Fanny alla sorella Susan, ma va bene così.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/
August 11, 2015
No.
Ci sono dei romanzi a cui semplicemente bisogna di re NO. Questo è uno di quelli.
Già dal titolo si può desumere in cosa alla fine questo romanzo sia diverso da Mansfield Park ed, in principio, ero davvero curiosa di conoscere l’espediente utilizzato per convincere Fanny a tornare su i suoi passi e a dimenticare il comportamento scorretto tenuto da Henry nei primi periodi della loro conoscenza.
La scrittrice parte quasi da metà storia in quanto riassume brevemente Mansfield Park di Jane Austen per dare un’idea delle precedenti vicende, fino al momento in cui Fanny viene spedita a Porthmouth dalla madre, soggiorno durante il quale la testarda Fanny avrebbe dovuto cambiare idea su Hanry Crawford, ritenuto da tutti un ottimo partito.
Qui inizia il dramma.
Viene richiesto ed ottenuto il permesso di una corrispondenza tra Henry e Fanny… Parliamone. È alquanto irrealistico che nel 1800 venisse concesso il permesso ad una corrispondenza tra un uomo e una donna non fidanzati né legati da alcuna parentela.
Avrei potuto lasciar perdere questo dettaglio anacronistico se le lettere fossero state tali da offuscare gli altri difetti riscontrati.
Invece sono:
1. Inverosimili. Fanny accetta tutto quello che le scrive Henry senza che nessun dubbio possa attaccare la sua convinzione. In questo caso il carattere di Fanny perde tutto ciò che la connota per trasformarsi in tutt’altro.
2. Troppo schiette. La Fanny originale non avrebbe mai chiesto a Henry i dettagli sulle vicende avvenute; non basta aggiungere che arrossiva scrivendo quelle parole per renderle meno estranee al carattere di Fanny. Inoltre non credo che Henry ammetterebbe con tanta semplicità di aver commesso degli errori, enunciandoli uno a uno.
3. Mancano di sentimento. C’è un capitolo in particolare che si intitola “lettera d’amore”, ma l’amore manca nel modo più assoluto. Le lettere sono fredde, senza sentimento.
Infine un ulteriore difetto è la “scomparsa” dei personaggi scomodi che magari avrebbero potuto animare le vicende.
Credo che questo sia una mancanza di coraggio da parte della scrittrice, in quanto avrebbe potuto trovare soluzioni più complesse e meno sbrigative alle situazione di tensione che i personaggi scomodi avrebbero inevitabilmente portato se non fossero opportunamente scomparsi.
Insomma un derivato che, a mio avviso, non è riuscito molto bene.
Ci sono dei romanzi a cui semplicemente bisogna di re NO. Questo è uno di quelli.
Già dal titolo si può desumere in cosa alla fine questo romanzo sia diverso da Mansfield Park ed, in principio, ero davvero curiosa di conoscere l’espediente utilizzato per convincere Fanny a tornare su i suoi passi e a dimenticare il comportamento scorretto tenuto da Henry nei primi periodi della loro conoscenza.
La scrittrice parte quasi da metà storia in quanto riassume brevemente Mansfield Park di Jane Austen per dare un’idea delle precedenti vicende, fino al momento in cui Fanny viene spedita a Porthmouth dalla madre, soggiorno durante il quale la testarda Fanny avrebbe dovuto cambiare idea su Hanry Crawford, ritenuto da tutti un ottimo partito.
Qui inizia il dramma.
Viene richiesto ed ottenuto il permesso di una corrispondenza tra Henry e Fanny… Parliamone. È alquanto irrealistico che nel 1800 venisse concesso il permesso ad una corrispondenza tra un uomo e una donna non fidanzati né legati da alcuna parentela.
Avrei potuto lasciar perdere questo dettaglio anacronistico se le lettere fossero state tali da offuscare gli altri difetti riscontrati.
Invece sono:
1. Inverosimili. Fanny accetta tutto quello che le scrive Henry senza che nessun dubbio possa attaccare la sua convinzione. In questo caso il carattere di Fanny perde tutto ciò che la connota per trasformarsi in tutt’altro.
2. Troppo schiette. La Fanny originale non avrebbe mai chiesto a Henry i dettagli sulle vicende avvenute; non basta aggiungere che arrossiva scrivendo quelle parole per renderle meno estranee al carattere di Fanny. Inoltre non credo che Henry ammetterebbe con tanta semplicità di aver commesso degli errori, enunciandoli uno a uno.
3. Mancano di sentimento. C’è un capitolo in particolare che si intitola “lettera d’amore”, ma l’amore manca nel modo più assoluto. Le lettere sono fredde, senza sentimento.
Infine un ulteriore difetto è la “scomparsa” dei personaggi scomodi che magari avrebbero potuto animare le vicende.
Credo che questo sia una mancanza di coraggio da parte della scrittrice, in quanto avrebbe potuto trovare soluzioni più complesse e meno sbrigative alle situazione di tensione che i personaggi scomodi avrebbero inevitabilmente portato se non fossero opportunamente scomparsi.
Insomma un derivato che, a mio avviso, non è riuscito molto bene.
July 29, 2021
This is a fanfiction for Mansfield Park. If Fanny Price actually felt a passion for Henry during their dance together, and if Fanny were a lot more aggressive, inappropriate, outspoken, and loose on moral expectations and values, they would have ended up a couple, and Henry would never have considered rekindling his affair with Maria. I do feel sorry that Fanny was no longer the shy, uptight, quiet lady with utmost moral scrutiny. I feel this fanfic replaced the Fanny of Mansfield Park with a complete stranger and I miss my original heroine. This new Fanny voluntarily told Henry she wanted to correspond to him in letters and urged Henry to ask Sir Thomas for permission. She saw nothing wrong with Mary's behaviors in the book. She openly discussed with Henry the upcoming physical consummation of their marriage and what would make her feel more at ease. I like the fanfic's pairing of Fanny Price and Henry Crawford, because I do think Fanny could have learned to love Mr. Crawford, but I still think this pairing could have come to pass without Fanny's personality being altered.
September 11, 2015
I enjoyed reading a book that finally makes Fanny falls in love with Henry and marries him.
It was a good idea to make them share their loves for books and write letters to each other in which they share sincerely their feelings, thoughts and how they see the future.
It is pity that other parts of Jane Austen's book were changed. I find a pity that the true personality of Ms Crawford is not revealed as in the original book, and that her character is changed in this version.
It was a good idea to make them share their loves for books and write letters to each other in which they share sincerely their feelings, thoughts and how they see the future.
It is pity that other parts of Jane Austen's book were changed. I find a pity that the true personality of Ms Crawford is not revealed as in the original book, and that her character is changed in this version.
April 18, 2019
I’ve always noticed that non-Pride & Prejudice Austenations seem to have fewer lemons than Pride & Prejudice Austenations. I assume this is because there have been larger, more well-known film and TV adaptations of P&P than any of the other books, and the worst of the crappy P&P Austenations are the ones that seem to owe more to a movie or mini-series than to the novel. I have rarely noted that problem in a non-P&P Austenation and it certainly wasn’t a problem with this one, which I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, although I’ve read and appreciated many Mansfield Park Austenations with many different variations, this particular book featured exactly the same ending that I would have written, if I weren’t too untalented and lazy to write my own book. The ending seemed to promise a sequel, and I really hope that that’s the case — I can’t wait to read more by this author.
September 13, 2024
I am not on the whole an admirer of Jane Austen ‘sequels’, but I have always wished for a different ending for Mansfield Park, so I thought I’d give this one a go. The first part of the book is taken up with a summary of what occurred in Mansfield Park up until Mr Crawford’s visit to Portsmouth. From this point the story diverges from Jane Austen’s narrative. Although the author does her best, she unfortunately does not have any of Jane Austen’s wit, there is no humour in this book so it falls a bit flat. It is though a valiant attempt to satisfy those of us who want a different outcome for Fanny, Edmund, and the irrepressible Crawfords.
February 14, 2021
Enjoyable interpretation
Realistically, this is a 3.5, but I allowed the 4 stars on balance. It’s probably the most well written of the reinterpretations of Austen I have encountered and, certainly at the start, it ties reasonably well with the original story arch. From the halfway point, however, be prepared for a few handbrake turns in the plot! It diverges quite significantly from the source material (the author is perfectly entitled to, but it feels a little less authentic than the first half).
Realistically, this is a 3.5, but I allowed the 4 stars on balance. It’s probably the most well written of the reinterpretations of Austen I have encountered and, certainly at the start, it ties reasonably well with the original story arch. From the halfway point, however, be prepared for a few handbrake turns in the plot! It diverges quite significantly from the source material (the author is perfectly entitled to, but it feels a little less authentic than the first half).
Read
January 14, 2021Just...whyyyy...?
Rabid fangirls who are mad at Mansfield Park for the grave crime of not being Pride and Prejudice: Fanny should have married Henry, wah! Who cares that she was in love with someone else and he's actually a terrible person?
Me:
Still, at least this author isn't trying to be sneaky about it, unlike others... The pairing's in the title. So thanks for that at least.
Rabid fangirls who are mad at Mansfield Park for the grave crime of not being Pride and Prejudice: Fanny should have married Henry, wah! Who cares that she was in love with someone else and he's actually a terrible person?
Me:
Still, at least this author isn't trying to be sneaky about it, unlike others... The pairing's in the title. So thanks for that at least.
July 7, 2023
Rilassante senza infamia e senza lode, per passare qualche ora lieta
September 29, 2025
NADA que ver las estrellitas son puramente por mi entretenimiento. la historia re tirada de los pelos pero me gusta la idea. la ejecución............. bueno. dejamos ahí
June 7, 2020
In this Mansfield Park variation we have a short resume of the book itself up to Fanny's visit to her parents home in Portsmouth. Meeting Henry Crawford there, and analysing her feelings towards him and her cousin Edmund, she finds that her feelings start to change. But will there be happy endings for her and the Bertrams.
An enjoyable re-read of this story
An enjoyable re-read of this story
March 16, 2015
This book was an interesting flip on Mansfield Park where Fanny takes Mr. Crawford to task where he alters his personality and his traits to win the heart of her. Interesting spin for Maria and Aunt Norris, both who should remain ashamed of their behavior.
January 6, 2026
This was an interesting variation of Mansfield Park and I enjoyed the Henry Crawford in this book as well as seeing how the relationship between him and Fanny developed.
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