I have read Pride and Prejudice several times, and equally love the move adaptations, so I had high hopes for this book Mansfield Park. And sadly, it fell so very, very short. I did enjoy the romance between Mary and Edmund. But perhaps that's because it didn't dawn on me until reading this that *duh* Edmund and Fanny are first cousins. Huh. I know times were different then, and I equally know in some states that's considered OK, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this concept of a love story between Edmund and Fanny with my new-found realization. So it equally seems natural that I would rather the story route in a different way. Also in terms of love, I didn't feel the quite natural flow of love between these two beyond brother/ sister as I anticipated. It really felt like a luke-warm 'eah, this will do' story instead.

 

So because of my own jaded views I started imagining how the story might have shifted if Mary and Edmund did wind up together, how very contrasted their personalities would have been, yet they would have brought the best out in each other because of their differences. Likewise with Fanny and Henry; he could have brought her to a new realization not to judge everyone from one single merit, while she could have taught him more to value beyond skin deep.

It was a decent story, strong characters, but without the intrigue that I expected from the movie, it really just fell flat and was a good substitute to a sleeping pill instead of being an enjoyable read. Oh well, at least I can say I've read Jane Austen beyond P&P.