Jane Austen's Worst Novel

Mansfield Park. If you don't recognize the name, that's totally normal. Unfortunately Mansfield Park is a title that often takes back seat to Jane Austen's other novels, like Pride & Prejudice or Sense & Sensibility. But why isn't a more notable Austen novel? Why is it considered Austen's worst novel?

Mansfield Park was Austen's third novel that she published, and at the time it was ignored by critics. Austen herself took down some notes on what her family, friends, and neighbours thought about the book. For the most part the reviews seem split, some liked it (some even more than her previous novels Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice) and some did not like it as well as her other novels. The best review that I think gives a general feel for most, is from Austen's brother Frank (Francis William) Austen:

"We certainly do not think it as a whole, equal to Pride & Prejudice. -but it has many & great beauties'” (From Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon by Jane Austen, Oxford World's Classics, New Edition, 2021).

In my own little research, aka a scroll through YouTube book reviews, I came to the general consensus that most people don't like Mansfield Park after their first read, but upon a reread they do seem to like it more. Many reviewers commented on how Fanny is not as fiery as Elizabeth Bennet, Austen's most popular heroine. But there were a lot of comments on a multitude of videos of people defending Fanny, saying that her shy, meek personality was more relatable to them than any of Austen's other heroines.

Another interesting point brought up by @Spinster's Library on YouTube was that Fanny is too perfect in her judgement of other people. Prejudices, miscommunication (or just straight up lying), and misunderstandings are some of the biggest traits in a lot of Austen's novels... I mean there's a book literally titled one Pride & Prejudice. But in Mansfield Park, Fanny is able to sniff out the "bad guys" before everyone else.

And maybe it's just the big book fear manifesting. It is Austen's second biggest book, just shy of Emma, which is her longest.

Going into Mansfield Park I was expecting not to like it. With very little knowledge on what the story was about and most of what I had heard about it generally being that it was bad or 'meh'. However I was positively surprised by it. Sure it is long, but I found it easy to read, even given its length, I think it's the fastest I've ever read an Austen novel. Fanny may not be as fiery as other heroines, but there was still something that made me connect with her and root for her. There's one thing I think that could've made it a bit better: if Fanny had stayed single in the end. But it's completely understandable why she didn't or couldn't based on the time period the story was written.

Maybe it was because it was my last Austen novel to read before having read them all... maybe it's because I was in a better mood, head space... maybe it's because I'm older than when I started Austen's other novels? Or maybe, just maybe, Mansfield Park is Austen's most underrated novel... maybe it is actually good? Is it possibly so good that's why most people don't like it? So many questions and not enough answers. The one thing I do know is Mansfield Park has taken over as a top three Austen novel on my list.

Interested in reading more about Mansfield Park and Jane Austen? Check out my page: @Lauren Writes Austen