It is years since I had to read Mansfield Park for A level English. Not a good choice for 16 year olds to study, as despite being excellent 'literature' the total lack of story line makes for a tedious experience.
Fanny Price lacks all the qualities of the usual heroine, being neither pretty or witty, though I suppose it is through her 'eyes' we see the spoilt behaviour of her cousins and friends.
I think I would have to be bribed big money to read it again. ;-)

It's probably the most 'moral' of all J.A.'s novels. She's hard, not only on Julia and Maria Bertram who probably deserved what they got, but also on the other pair, Henry and Mary Crawford, who seem harmless and funloving, but who, if you look really closely, are pretty mindless and willing to corrupt and be corrupted. What comes to mind is:

'What of soul was left, I wonder, when the kissing had to stop?'
(Browning)

It's the first of the last 3 of her novels - the ones with a more obviously serious purpose. Sense and Sensibility was the very first, then came P.&P. then Northanger Abbey. Then this, then Emma, then Persuasion.

Dido

I actually like Mansfield Park very much. Looked down upon by her rich relations, Fanny Price had the genuine integrity most of them lacked, and became their rock in hard times. It's not very romantic or exciting I do agree, but I've read it several times with enjoyment.

Persuasion is my favorite of Jane Austen's novels, with Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility tied in second place, but Mansfield Park and Emma are neck-and neck for a solid third place in my personal ranking. Even her gothic spoof Northanger Abbey, the weakest of the six, is pleasant and amusing. Let's face it, she never did write a bad book. I find myself wondering how her fragments would have turned out if she had lived long enough to get back to them. She was only 41 when she died, really just hitting her stride!

Rosefolly

Vee -- Did you have to read other Austen books in school? Or have you read any of the others? We had to read "Great Expectations" in school, and I must say it was a slog. It was years before I dared pick up another Dickens book. When I did, I fell in love with them -- "Tale of Two Cities" and "David Copperfield."

dido - I love the Browning quote. I have seen the movies/mini-series of "Sense and Sensibility" and "Northanger Abbey" and enjoyed them both. I'm curious to see how I like the book. I can't recall if I ever saw "Persuasion." I know I have never seen "Mansfield Park" on the big or little screen.

Paula/Rosefolly -- Once I have read through them all I will let you know my favorite.

Vicki, yes, we did have to read/study Emma and Pride and Prejudice in different 'years'. Also Jane Eyre, Mill on the Floss, Cranford and various other 'literary' works. I think the trouble with 'English teaching' in England anyway, up to exam standard, is that it can suck most, if not all, of the life out of a book. On the other hand, a good teacher can help to bring poetry, Shakespeare, Chaucer etc to life.
Slightly off topic. I can remember when aged about 13 years we had to attend a film (in the school hall) of T S Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral. This was only because the teacher was showing the film to a class of 'A level' students (highest school exams) during our lesson period with her, so we had to join them. This teacher took the time to explain the 'plot' and the use of blank verse to us and, although it was still difficult to follow, it did become understandable. If we had just been told to sit in the back and keep quiet, we/I would have got nothing from it and would certainly not even remember the incident fifty odd years later. ;-)

OT... Vee, it is remarkable how a good teacher can give you something which lasts a lifetime. We had a very strict French teacher and we paid attention during our lessons as we were a bit scared of her! But I was looking up a Wiki reference to a French film version of an Agatha Christie book and when it came up in French, found to my amazement I could read it quite well. The last time I read anything in French was in 1955! Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle Crawley!

Mansfield Park is not my favourite Austen but finding it was one of my most memorable moments. In January 1968 my husband and I were going by train from Madras to the southernmost tip of India to catch the ferry for Sri Lanka, a very slow train and as we were traveling third class three tier sleeper, the benches were wood and very hard. We stopped for an overnight break in Madurai where I found the book in a small bookshop with few English language books. I could hardly believe my luck as all the books we had brought were finished. I didn't mind the lack of comfort for the rest of the journey and spent the rest of it on my sleeping bag in my top tier, reading.

mariannese - I love that story. I could almost picture that train and the long, slow trip through India. What an adventure! India is such a fascinating country.

I visited both India and Sri Lanka in 1972 -- not too long after you were there. I have such vivid memories of both countries -- the people, the smells, the colors -- all so amazing.

This summer, to go along w/ all the sultry New York City heat -- I am planning on reading a novel - or literary-travel book -- about India. Since both of you have been there - and I haven't...yet! -- could you suggest some books for me? What do you think of Scott's "Raj Quartet" novels?

I am sorry I can't suggest any books, there are so many. I read the Raj Quartet too long ago to remember much about it. I bought lots of books by Indian writers and love Rabindranath tagore, India's only Nobel Prize laureate, all of them very old now. I've several books by the newer Indian writers in my TBR pile, Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy and others but I cannot comment on them. William Dalrymple is a British travel writer living in New Delhi who is amazing. Whatever you read, play a morning or evening raga when you do, it will put you in the mood! It is music that goes very well with heat.

lauramarie -- I'm sad to say I haven't read that many books about India. Two that I have read in the last few years are:
Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - Moves between India and America. Interesting story.
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar - An interesting look at the relationship between the classes in current day India.

Another one that doesn't really take place in India but is a great story is The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri - great book, some of it is about India.

Enjoy your summer reading.

Sarah & Mariannese -

Thank you for the suggestions ... especially the one about playing the raga music -- sounds just the thing!

I have another book memory from that journey, but it concerns my husband and not me. We were doing voluntary work with an organisation called SCI and when we got to Colombo we first stayed in the home of the chairman of the Lankan branch, a politician. She let us sleep in the library, on our sleeping bags. Two other volunteers were sleeping on the other side of the bookshelf, a Belgian girl and a Japanese man, but they had beds. Just above our heads were the family's sociology books (husband and wife were educated at LSE) and my husband started on Max Weber's The Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism. I don't think he had time to finish it because we had to go on to our destination in a village where we were to help the Japanese dry paddy specialist with his project which first meant slash-and-burn cultivation of onions. We burnt the jungle and Kuni planted onions in the ashes. Later he would plant rice, dry paddy without as much water as conventional rice cultivation.

The book made a lasting impression on my husband and when we returned to Sweden after our five months in India and Sri Lanka (called Ceylon then) he began to study sociology. Last year he retired as professor of sociology. He used to tell this story for many years to new students in his introductory lecture on the foundations of sociology at the beginning of each term, until he tired of it.

I have another book memory from that journey, but it concerns my husband more than me. We were doing voluntary work with an organisation called SCI and when we got to Colombo we first stayed in the home of the chairman of the Lankan branch, a politician. She let us sleep in the library, on our sleeping bags. Two other volunteers were sleeping on the other side of the bookshelf, a Belgian girl and a Japanese man. Immediate above our heads were the family's sociology books and my husband started on Max Weber's The Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism. I don't think he had time to finish it because we had to go on to our destination in a village where we were to help the Japanese dry paddy specialist with his project which first meant slash-and-burn cultivation of onions. We burnt the jungle and Kuni planted onions in the ashes. Later he would plant rice, dry paddy without as much water as conventional rice cultivation.

The book made a lasting impression on my husband and when we returned to Sweden after our five months in India he began to study sociology. Last year he retired as professor of sociology.

Another great story, marianne. It sounds like you've had an interesting life.